Paul Lydon: Eyam Edge and Foolow

The weather forecast was for a dry, sunny day and we had breakfast at Outside ay Calver Crossroads. Then driving a short distance up the road to Stoney Middleton, we parked in the large lay-by where we usually park when caving in the area.

Lovers Leap, Stoney Middleton

We walked back down the main road then turned off to walk past St Martin's Church and a small building over what are known as “Roman Baths” but there is no evidence of any Roman influence. An attempt was made in the past to create a small Spa as the water is a constant 63° F. Next to the building was a small stream which flowed through a hole in the roadside wall into a small trough and feeling the water, it was cool but nowhere near as cold as you would expect on a day like today which was fairly cold.
Following a rough track which left the road, we climbed through woodland to arrive at a bend in another road. We crossed this and then followed a path leading eventually to Top Riley Lane. After a short distance we passed through a squeeze stile onto the neighbouring field where a tiny enclosure contained a number of graves and gravestones known as the Riley Graves (“Riley” being the area which is a corruption of “Rois Lees” which was French for “King's . These belonged to the Hancocke family who died in the nearby village of Eyam (pronounced “eem”) during the Plague in 1666. The villagers under the direction of the vicar quarantined themselves from surrounding villages and farms to prevent the spread of the Plague and many of them succumbed and died. There is a boundary stone between Eyam and Stoney Middleton where outsiders left food and the inhabitants of Eyam left coins in holes in the top of the stone with vinegar to prevent passing on the Plague to others.

Eyam in the distance

The Riley Graves

One of the Grave Stones

Continuing on down Top Riley Lane we passed the Miners Arms pub and arrived in Eyam itself. Past the pub we followed a track which past Water Lane Troughs and onto a footpath above a fields with llamas.

Llamas

We followed the path upwards with views out across Eyam opening up until we arrived on another road. A short distance along this road we passed through a style into a field which led past the chimney of the old Ladywash Lead Mine and we arrived at the rough track of the Sir William Hill drove track.

Ladywash Lead Mine

Sir William Hill Drove Track

We turned left along this track and arrived at a road which we followed past the Barrel, a pub in the hamlet of Bretton, and then downhill towards the village of Foolow. There was another small enclosure at the roadside housing a well where we sat on the wall and had our lunch.

Karen at the roadside Well

Once lunch was finished, we continued onwards into Foolow. Passing the Bills Head Inn we had only gone a short distance up the road heading for a stile into a field when we heard the sound of many horses clip-clopping along the road. We paused at the stile and saw a local Hunt out for the day and they passed by on their way further up the road.

The Hunt

We crossed through the stile into a field and then crossed the very small Linen Dale. On the other side we saw the horses and riders of the hunt in a field crossing in front and jumping over a drystone wall into another field. One horse stumbled on unseated its rider, but they were soon up again and seem uninjured. We heard their hounds yapping and crying and seemed to head in all sorts of random directions with the horse riders trying to follow!

Trying to keep up with the Hounds!

Other horses looking on

Soon we were back in the village of Eyam near the Hall and we followed down the street and entered the churchyard.

Karen by the Village Stocks in Eyam

One of the Cottages belonging to Plague victims

There was curious sundial above the door to the church and nearby in the churchyard an 8th Century Celtic Cross amongst the gravestones.

The sundial over the church door (dated 1775)

8th Century Celtic Cross

Exiting the churchyard, we were soon in a Square in the centre of the village with a tea shop which had a list of a great variety of cakes and other goodies so we went in and had a tea and some sausage rolls.

The excellent Teas Shop in Eyam

Leaving the excellent tea shop, we crossed over the road and followed a side road into a large field and passed the Boundary Stone mentioned above. Dropping down the pasture, we soon arrived back where we started in Stoney Middleton.