We had difficulty finding a parking place, ending up in a layby, half a mile past Hathersage which extended our walk, but the weather was bright and sunny so we set off for a short, leisurely amble. Steve led us down the busy main road to the centre of the village, passing Brookfield Manor – a Grade ll listed building now under the ownership of Sir Hugh and Lady Sykes and used primarily as a wedding venue. It was fictionalised as “Vale Hall “ in the book ‘Jane Eyre’, written by Charlotte Bronte and inspired by her visit in 1845.
We walked past The George Hotel and Bank House Inn, where three hanging baskets hung over the narrow pavement, Bob and Steve having to move to avoid them. We passed a little cottage where colourful postcards of the area were displayed at £1 each, painted by local artist Fay Dixon. We walked down a lane surfaced by pebbles, passing a cricket ground and then a scout hut. The church of St. Michael & All Angels stood on a grassy hill to our right, but we skirted that and arrived at a house with a small front garden where two wild rabbits were happily nibbling away!
Our journey took us through the middle of a field, walking uphill on a stony path mostly covered with running water, but further on the path was dry and at the top, we were treated to the most wonderful views of our county. At another drive leading towards Brookfield Manor, was a cottage with boarded up windows; this was the former gamekeeper’s lodge, a grade ll listedbuilding.
We walked over a gushing river and saw an imposing house up on the hill – North Lees Hall and towering above was Stanage Edge. This hall was also visited by Charlotte Bronte while staying with her friend Ellen Nussey at the vicarage in
Hathersage and inspired her to use it for “Thornfield Hall”, the residence of Mr. Rochester in her novel ‘Jane Eyre’.
As we passed Birley Farm we heard a bird with a distinctive cheep which none of us could identify. We turned left onto a tarmacked road, towards Hathersage and away from Bamford Moor and made for a wooden bench where we sat to eat Julie’s jelly babies while admiring the view of Hope cement works and Lose Hill and Win Hill in the distance. While sitting there, a Mountain Rescue vehicle sped past with blue lights flashing and sirens howling in the direction of Bamford Moor. Minutes later two more Mountain Rescue vehicles, one of which was an ambulance, sped past – and then another one!
We left the road and climbed four stone steps, squeezed through a gap and onto a narrow track with the church in the distance ahead and on our right, in a field, a bath complete with taps and full of brown water. We scrambled down the sloping field to the valley below and onto a very muddy pathway past allotments, looking neglected apart from a few leeks and onions struggling to survive under nets, then we were again walking uphill to the church.
This is grade ll listed, dating from the 14th century. Most of the present structure dates from 15th century, when it was
extended by the local squires, the Eyre family of Padley. There are several brasses on the tombs of members of the Eyre
family, notably the altar tomb of Robert Eyre (died 1459) who fought at the battle of Agincourt and built most of the present church. There are also brasses of him, his wife Joan and their fourteen children. Tradition has it that Little John,of Robin Hood fame, was aHathersage man and died in a cottage, now demolished,which stood near to the church.It is certain that a very tall man was buried in the churchyard as a thigh bone was unearthed in1782, showing that he must have been over 8 feet tall. Back in Hathersage and retracing our steps down the main street, Steve, being distracted, walked straight into one of the hanging baskets he had avoided before. Suddenly we were delighted to see a woman leading two Shetland ponies, one white, one black, on the pavement beside us. Apart from enjoying a display of snowdrops, the final part of the walk back to the layby was uneventful but we were all glad of the opportunity to enjoy some of Derbyshire’s spectacular scenery on a sunny February day. The next walk will be on Sunday 2nd March. We meet at the church gates at 12noon. Everyone is welcome.
Evelyn Lowe