Sunday August 3rd

Eyam and Stoney Middleton

It was wet at first on Sunday, but the day brightened and we ended our walk in warm sunshine. We chose to re-do a walk we did 3 years ago as we had enjoyed it the first time and because it included two favourite places- Eyam and Stoney Middleton. 

The guy on the left is probably more representative of Eyam...

After a visit to the Village Green café, we walked back to the track behind the car park which has recently been resurfaced after storm damage. The track takes one up to Eyam Edge and the road which after about a mile reaches the historic Barrel Inn at Bretton. A right turn leads to the valley of Abney Clough and then on to Bretton Moor.

Garden ornament- Abney Clough road

On reaching Sir William Hill road, the ancient turnpike road across this part of Derbyshire. We stopped for lunch at the trig point just off the turnpike and admired the views.

Our picnic spot near the trig point

We continued, passing Ladywash Mine which eventually closed in the 1990s as a fluorspar works. We followed the woodland path to the edge of Eyam and then uphill to the Riley Graves, where the Hancock family were buried during the plague. The next stop, after another pleasant woodland walk, was Stoney Middleton where we sat in the churchyard of St Martin's church for a short breather. Then it was up past the reminders of all the trades which once flourished in Stoney, my favourite being the bootmakers, to reach the open hillside. At the top is the famous plague stone still showing the holes where coins were left in payment for goods during the plague.

The plague stone with present-day coins

From this point, it is an easy stroll back to where we had left the car.

A pleasant walk (although quite a bit of road walking) of 7.6 miles with 430m ascent.



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