The Plague-Stricken Derbyshire Village
or What To See In and Around Eyam
By Rev J.M.J. Fletcher (1916)
Transcriptions by Rosemary Lockie, © Copyright 2013
The Geologist and the Botanist will find much to repay
their exertions, in this beautiful and interesting district,
and the searcher after the picturesque will be amply
rewarded.
Owing to the varied rock formation, the village of
Eyam dividing the mountain limestone on the South from
the gritstone on the North, the neighbourhood is
particularly rich in botanical specimens, as well as being of
especial interest to the student of the rocks.
Middleton Dale, Grindleford, the vicinity of the road
between Grindleford Bridge and Hathersage, and
Cressbrook Dale, will be found to be places where an
abundant variety of wild flowers may be discovered.
Grindleford is the nearest Railway Station to Eyam.
Trains run at fairly frequent intervals during the day to
Sheffield in one direction, and to Hathersage, Hope (for
Castleton), Edale, Millers Dale (for Tideswell), Buxton,
Manchester and Liverpool, in the other. And conveyances
run frequently during the day between Eyam and
Grindleford Station. (Fare 9d. each person; return fare, 1/3).
Amongst walks recommended to the tourist, (who may
often, if he is so inclined, save the fatigue of some portion
of the journey by using the train, or a public conveyance,
&c.) are:-
1.- To Chatsworth. (About 5½ miles from Eyam).
Proceed past the Church eastwards; turn to the right
down Eyam Dale, and then, at the bottom, to the left
along Middleton Dale, (or the footpath may be taken
between Eyam and Stoney Middleton). Keep straight on,
past Stoney Middleton and Curbar Church, to Baslow.
Then bear to the right over the bridge, and enter
Chatsworth park by the hotel at Edensor.
2.- To Bakewell, (7½ miles from Eyam), and Haddon
Hall (2 miles further). Proceed as above through Stoney
Middleton to Calver; but then, (instead of going on past
Curbar Church) bear to the right. The road leads past
Hassop station to Bakewell.
3.- To Tideswell (5 miles from Eyam). A characteristic,
somewhat bleak, road is given for the outward journey;
a much more picturesque one on the return; but the
gradients are taken into consideration. Proceed past the
Church westwards. [Half a mile before reaching Foolow,
a small farmhouse will be noticed on the left hand side of
the road. Here, especially if there has been some amount
of rainfall previously, the visitor may find it worthwhile
to make a short divergence. Immediately opposite the
farm is a little lane on the left hand side of which is a
Derbyshire stile. Passing through this and descending by
means of a rough path, the tourist will find himself
before a picturesque cascade locally known as “The
Waterfall”. The water loses itself in the ground and,
reappearing again in Eyam Dale, finds its way
through a portion of Middleton Dale, until it falls into
the river Derwent near Calver.] Pass through Foolow
and keep the main road, bearing slightly to the left, until
Tideswell is reached. Tideswell was at one time one of
the principal market towns in Derbyshire. Its charter
dates back to 1250, though its market is now practically
extinct. But its magnificent Church, known far and wide
as “The Cathedral of the Peak”, with its interesting
monuments, brasses, and windows, &c., is well worth a
visit. The return journey should be taken through Litton,
(which gives its name to Lord Lytton), through
Wardlow Mires, down the beautiful Middleton Dale, and up
Eyam Dale, back to Eyam.
Or, the train may be taken, from Grindleford, via
Chinley, to Millers Dale. From the station public
conveyances run at frequent intervals to Tideswell,
(fare 6d). From Millers Dale the lovely valleys of Cheedale
on the one side and of Millers Dale on the other may be
seen at the same time;- both being close to Millers Dale
Station. The entrance to Cheedale is through a gate, on
the right hand side of the road as the descent is made
from the station, shortly after passing under the railway
bridges.
4.- Buxton, again, or Chapel-en-le-Frith, may be easily
reached by train from Grindleford station;- as too may
Bakewell (for Haddon Hall), see above.
5.- Hope Valley and Castleton. Hope is the third
station from Grindleford, in the Chinley direction.
Castleton with its castle, its caverns, and its hills, &c.,
&c., is full of interest. It is about 2 miles from Hope
station, and conveyances frequently run from the one
place to the other.
6.- To Cressbrook and Monsal Dales. Good walkers
will find this an interesting, though in some places rather
a rough walk. Leave Eyam by the road which runs
towards the West, and on reaching Foolow turn to the
left. On reaching the main road, turn to the right and
immediately after having passed Wardlow Mires in the
Tideswell direction, take the track on the left hand side,
along the bottom of the dale. The path leads past
Cressbrook Mills to Monsal Dale. The most beautiful
part of the dale is that which lies on the other side of
the railway. A walk of some 7½ miles from Eyam will
bring the pedestrian through the whole length of the
dales to the high road between Buxton and Bakewell.
If desired the train can be taken from Bakewell, or
Monsal Dale station, to Millers Dale, and thence through
Chinley to Grindleford. Or if preferred an extension of
the walk may be made by turning to the right on
reaching the high road and proceeding up Taddington Dale,
and so on to Millers Dale station. When in the earlier
part of Monsal Dale, if time permits, a diversion should
be made by ascending the hill which leads to Headstone
Edge. The view of the Dale from various points of the
ascent, and more especially from a point about 200 yards
from the top, will well repay for the time and trouble
expended in making the ascent.
7.- To Hathersage. The distance by the direct route,
which is suggested for the return journey is about 5½ miles.
The distance of Hathersage from Eyam by the route given
for the outward journey is about 9 miles; but lovers of
beautiful scenery who are good walkers will be amply
repaid for the additional distance. The road through
Grindleford Bridge should be taken. (Padley, an interesting
old private chapel, formerly attached to the Hall,
but now a cow house, is worth a visit. It will be found a
little distance to the left of the road at Grindleford station,
not far from the railway). Continue the coach road, over
the railway bridge, for about 1½ miles, to Fox House Inn.
Bear to the left, and in another half-mile Burbage Bridge
is crossed. A few yards from this, to the right, should be
noticed a toad shaped block of gritstone, which from its
resemblance is designated the “Toad's Mouth”. (A group
of rocks to the right of the road, ¼ mile distant, Carl Wark
by name, is said to be an ancient British stronghold). A
mile further on, at a sudden turn in the road, between
two rocks, a most exquisite view bursts upon the eye. It
is called “The Surprise”. Hathersage is about two miles
further still. The picturesque Church is well worth seeing,
And the Churchyard contains the reputed grave of Little
John, Robin Hood's gigantic follower. The return journey
to Eyam should be made along the road which passes
under the railway bridge, and through the beautifully
wooded scenery by the side of the river Derwent to
Grindleford Bridge and thence to Eyam.
8.- An alternative road from Eyam to Hathersage (4
miles) may be taken by crossing Eyam Moor, and thus
passing near to the Druid Circle. Turn to the right at
the end of the footpath passing through the churchyard,
and proceed along the road, (leaving Mompesson's Well,
see page 45, and Ladywash Mine on the left, and New
Engine Mine on the right), until a good mile from Eyam
Sir William Road is crossed on the open Moor. The track
which bears to the right leads to Hathersage. But if the
road track through the gate, which leads straight forward,
is taken instead, after a walls from this point of about ten
minutes' duration the Druidical Circle will be seen a little
way off to the right. The Circle is about 100 feet in
diameter, and consists of a slight annular bank with 16 stones
standing in its inner edge. There was formerly a large
stone in the centre. A little farther on is the site of the
“Cup and Ring Stone”, the only one known in Derbyshire.
The track in the Hathersage direction may be gained
from here, or the visitor may prefer to retrace his steps to
Sir William Road, and, turning to the right, walk to the
ancient hamlet of Bretton from whence he may drop
down to the road from Foolow to Eyam.
9.- A pretty walk will be found that which leads from
Bamford station through Bamford to Lady Bower and
Ashopton.
OCR/transcript by Rosemary Lockie in March 2013.
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