December 1st was forecast to be wet, so a number of our regular walkers decided not to walk. When the remaining three walkers met outside church the rain had stopped so we stuck to our plans, loaded boots and walking poles into our car and drove off.
We parked in Eyam and ate our sandwiches, then just as we were about to set off on our 4 mile walk it started to rain. Luckily it was just a passing shower so we waited a few minutes for it to clear through before starting the walk.
We walked through the plague village of Eyam, renowned for the self-sacrifice of its inhabitants during the years of 1665 and 1666 when at least 260 of its inhabitants died of the bubonic plague out of a population of about 350. Turning up Tideswell Lane we passed the house of the village gravedigger, Marshall Howe who actually survived the plague. Soon we turned right off the lane, walking up a narrow path between houses and continuing through fields of grazing sheep, following humps and bumps of old mining works.
As we were walking through the sheep, our thoughts turned to what we were having for dinner on our return – lamb was not on the menu! We also wondered where the term ‘corned beef’ came from Corned beef, bully beef, or salt beef is salt-cured brisket of beef. The name comes from the treatment of the meat with large grained rock salt, also called “corns” of salt.
After passing through more fields, climbing over stiles and crossing a dry valley we reached a field full of young cows. A
brown heifer watched us with interest before sticking her head into a blue tub of cattle feed lick. Crossing another stile we reached the road into Foolow, turning left to enter the village. Foolow is a small village with pretty limestone cottages, a village green with a medieval cross and a duck pond, complete with white Aylesbury ducks.
At a junction of roads we spotted a red telephone box, unusually these days with a phone inside. We wondered if it worked but we could not get the door open to check. After passing the village pub, The Bull’s Head, we turned left and
continued down the village street before leaving the village. Soon we approached the junction with the A623, turning immediately left onto a walled unsurfaced track. This was the continuation of Tideswell Lane we had walked on
earlier. We followed the bendy undulating track, skirting large pools of water on the track before reaching the outskirts of Eyam. Here we turned off the track walking across a field then through housing estates before reaching the entrance of Eyam Hall Craft Centre. Here we turned left onto the main road through Eyam and returned to the car park.
We all agreed that after a damp start to the day the afternoon had improved with blue sky and light clouds above, but more importantly, no rain.
The next walk will be on Sunday 5th January 2025, a 3 mile walk from Hathersage. All are welcome to join us outside church at 12:00 noon.
Steve Franks