Five of us met outside church on the 5th October on a blustery early autumn afternoon for our walk through the undulating fields east of Over Haddon.
After driving to Over Haddon we parked and ate our sandwiches before starting our walk. Leaving the car park we walked through the village. Over Haddon is a small village with less than 300 inhabitants. Probably its most famous inhabitant was Maurice Oldfield who was born in the village. A former head of MI6 and reputedly the inspiration for James Bond’s ‘M’ and John le Carre’s George Smiley, in 1981 he died and was buried in St Anne’s churchyard in Over Haddon.
Walking down Wellgate Lane we paused to admire the village pump then after passing the Lathkill Hotel at the edge of the village we clambered over the first of many styles and crossed a field full of Jacobs sheep. We crossed a further field before walking down a narrow country lane. We saw a police car on ‘blues and twos’ speeding in the direction of Bakewell to what incident we don’t know. We joined a wider lane and walked carefully up it, past an AA van attending another car before once more clambering over a stile.
The next field had a herd of young heifers and bulls. When Julie and myself had first walked this route they had been rather too friendly with us – trying to lick us with their rough tongues – even Julie’s walking pole got a lick! On this occasion they totally ignored us as we trekked through their field and then into another one.
Over to our left we spied Haddon Hall, the medieval home of Lord Edward Manners. We continued up two fields, the second one had a herd of full grown cows on our route but as we approached they all walked away from us – probably up to a water trough.
In the next field Bob was on the hunt for mushrooms but he only found one.
We were now well on our way back, aiming for the white painted Lathkill Hotel and as we got closer we were walking above Lathkill Dale with the river in the bottom. The river dries up in sections during the summer months but near Over Haddon there are deep pools as the water flows through 12 weirs and dams, built for trout fishing in Victorian times.
On reaching the hotel and outskirts of Over Haddon we retraced our steps back to the car park, pausing to admire some sheep planters before returning to church, all of us grateful for the fresh air and exercise.
If anyone wishes to join us then meet us outside church at 12pm with a packed lunch on Sunday 2nd November. You will be made very welcome.
Steve Franks