Eyam

July 1, 2020.

EYAM, STONEY MIDDLETON, DERWENT VALLEY, FROGATT, HAY WOOD, DERWENT HERITAGE WAY, GRINDLEFORD, COPPICE WOOD, LONGSHAW ESTATE, HARPER LEES, HAZLETON HALL, TORR FARM, STOKE FORD, BRETTON

Distance: 12 miles.

Difficulty: Mostly moderate with some strenuous climbs.

Weather: Cloudy but dry.

Walkers: Andy Blease, Tom Cunliffe with Daisy, Alan Hart, John Jones, Jock Rooney, Julian Ross, Dean Taylor, Keith Welsh, George Whaites.

Alternative walkers: Colin Davison and Lawrie Fairman.

Apologies: Mickey Barrett, Alastair Cairns and Mark Gibby (self-isolating), Peter Beal (having Covid test),George Dearsley (in Turkey) Chris Owen (preparing for cement delivery)

Leader: Cunliffe. Diarist: Hart.

Starting point: Upper car park at Eyam, Derbyshire.

Starting time: 9.50am. Finishing time: 3.26pm.

In the fourth month of Britain's Coronavirus epidemic we started our walk from Eyam, the Derbyshire village which famously isolated itself when bubonic plague struck in 1665.

Eyam has become a tourist attraction as a result with a museum and a profusion of plaques informing visitors of the cottage where the first victim died and of the homes where other families suffered. One woman who survived lost her husband and six children in a week.

Estimates of the population of Eyam and its casualties vary dramatically but a 2016 survey reckoned that 36 per cent of the 700 villagers died.

Unlike other people who fled the outbreak, Eyam's church-going community heeded the advice of a minister who urged them to stay within the village so they would not infect outsiders. The inhabitants' self-sacrifice has been documented in books and film.

Compared to the previous week, when seven Wednesday Wanderers had walked under cloudless blue skies, this week nine hikers ignored the forecasts of intermittent showers and were rewarded with a dry day. Only a few miles away I am informed by Lawrie that the alternative walkers hiked eight miles from Shallcross in the Whaley Bridge area and around Coombes in the rain.

Because of our number and the lockdown rules the rest of us were obliged to split into groups of six and three with the trailing trio alternating its personnel from time to time.

Following last week's diary Tom has revealed an unexpected sensitive side to his nature so we will not mention any failings during this journey. Suffice to say his appointed navigator was dismissed after the first hour and ordered to hand over his map.

From the rear of the car park we passed a children's playground on the right and the rear of the parish church before emerging on The Causeway in the heart of the village. On our right we climbed up Lydgate (7mins) and saw our first plaque to mark the home of plague victims. The route then took us in a straight line uphill to fields leading towards the neighbouring village of Stoney Middleton. En route we passed The Dipping Stone on the boundary where the inhabitants of Eyam left money soaked in vinegar in exchange for food.

As we headed towards the main A623 road we turned left going to the left of St Martin's Church and passing first a traditional parish pump and then a building on the left known as The Roman Bath. A plaque informed us that the building had no connection with the Romans and might not have been a bath.

Some hundred yards beyond the “bath” we turned right at a green public footpath sign and followed the path with a stream on our right. We reached the main road and turned left (45mins). After crossing the road we turned right (51mins) at a wooden footpath sign to enter a field full of knee-high purple clover and foxgloves. As we headed left into the next field it was covered in yellow dandelions and buttercups.

We were now on the left bank of the River Derwent which was scarcely moving. At a bridge we climbed up and crossed it to reach the right bank and the village of Froggatt (62mins). Turning left with the Derwent now on our left we passed Bridgefoot Cottage into Hollowgate. The path led us into Hay Wood where we stopped for pies and port (81mins) by a picturesque pool surrounded by rocks which were ideal “furniture.”

Resuming we exited Hay Wood along Derwent Heritage Way, reaching a main road where we turned right into Grindleford (91mins). Opposite a church on our right we turned left at a green public footpath sign (92mins) with the Derwent on our left. We crossed a stream by a bridge (100mins) and entered Coppice Wood on The Longshaw Estate (108mins)

This took us beyond the wood to Harper Lees which we exited (118mins) and reached a main road (126mins). After passing The Plough Inn on our left (130mins) we turned right after a green electricity box (134mins) and headed up a steep hill on a single-track road.

We passed Hazelton Hall and Torr Farm on our left before crossing a wooden stile and footbridge to pass a footpath sign indicating we were heading via Stoke Ford to Abney (165mins). Just before Stoke Ford we turned left uphill to follow a green public footpath sign marked Gotherage Barn to Grindleford and Eyam (198mins)

Another long climb took us to three alternative paths marked for Eyam Moor, Eyam and Bretton (221mins). We followed the third path for Bretton, turning right over a stone step stile (231mins). This brought us through a metal gate where we turned left along a gravel track (247mins). We reached a road where we turned left (250mins). After 50 yards the road swung right but we carried straight ahead along a gravel track marked “byway open to all traffic” (252mins). After passing the distinctive telecom mast on William Hill we turned right over a stone step stile (265mins) into a field.

This was the start of a steady and sometimes steep descent back into Eyam through a series of gates and stiles until we reached a football field on our right (290mins). This provided a short cut to the path by the playground we had passed at the outset of our walk. The main group reached the car park (298mins), but the stragglers who had missed the short cut arrived 13 minutes later (311mins).

Tom will once again lead next week's walk starting at 9.45am from The Fairholmes Visitor Centre pay-and-display car park at Bamford, Hope Valley S33 0AQ opposite Ladybower Reservoir.

Happy wandering !

pictures by Alan Hart

Pictures by John Jones

Pie Time

Bloody big anthill...

 Froggatt Bridge

Ancient paved footpath