Britain 09 - Day 28

Introduction

This was our day to drive through the Peak District, bypassing Manchester then turning east to Glossop before climbing the Snake Pass and dropping into the Derwent valley at the Lady Bower Reservoirs. From there we drove up the Hope Valley to Castleton and through Winnat's Pass to Mam Tor, then through Sparrowpit and Peak Forest and back down to the Derwent for lunch at Froggatt Village. After lunch we crossed the valley to Eyam, visited the Riley Graves, the family of six who died of the plague in 1666, then on to Uttoxeter for the night.

Glossop, Lady Bower and the Hope Valley

The early morning in Carlisle was grey and wet, but as we drove south around Manchester the cloud cleared to a fine, sunny day. We drove east to Glossop, the town on the edge of the Peak District, and then climbed up the hill behind, getting a nice view of Glossop and Manchester in sunshine. Then it was over the peak and down Snake Pass to the Derwent reservoirs.

View from Snake Pass, looking down over Glossop, with Manchester in the distance

The Derwent Valley and the Lady Bower reserviors

Looking across part of the Hope Valley from the top of Winnat's Pass

Looking up to Mam Tor

The sign for Mam Tor

The entrance to the Blue John Cavern, compare this to the scene in November 2008

Panorama across the Hope Valley

Chequers Inn and Froggatt Village

On the banks of the Derwent River lies Froggatt Village. Behind the village rises the steep rock face of Froggatt Edge, a hard sandstone outcrop that was quarried for mill stones for many years. part way up the hill lies the picturesque coaching pub of Chequers inn. We have stayed overnight here on several occasions, and always have a meal when we pass. So today we stopped for lunch and a pint. The new barmaid was somewhat surprised to first find us paying with a New Zealand credit card (she had just arrived from New Zealand herself) and then a greater surprise to find that the name on the card was the same as the village.

Chequers Inn at Froggatt Edge

View uphill to Chequers Inn

Frog Hall in the village of Froggatt

Sign on the gate

Rose Cottage at Froggatt village

The Wesleyan Chapel

The bridge at Froggatt

The Derwent River downstream of Froggatt

The Derwent River at the bridge at Froggatt

Closer view of the bridge

The main span of the bridge

The road leading west towards Eyam

Eyam - the plague village

Across the Derwent valley from Froggatt Village lies the town of Eyam, famous for its attempts to stop the spread of the plague in 1666. One of the victims of the plague was the Hancock family, wher Sarah buried her husband and five of her children in six days in August 1666. The graves remain in the middle of Riley's Field as a reminder of the loss. We had visited Eyam previously, but had not taken the time to walk up to the graves. We then continued on to Eyam and the Church, before driving to Monsal Head to view the old railway viaduct, before arriving at Uttoxeter and the hotel. All this in a full day of sunshine!

The view of Froggatt Edge from near Eyam