EDALE TO EYAM
A TO Z – DERBYSHIRE AND THE PEAK DISTRICT – CHAPTER 14
EDALE (Off the A6187 Castleton to Hope road – SK122859)
Edale is a picturesque village, but its stunning location is what draws visitors in their thousands all summer and on weekends in winter. In 2019, the Ordnance Survey announced that, based on their research, Edale was Britain’s favourite spot to start a walk. In the same year, The Sunday Times newspaper named Edale in the Best Places to Live guide as the finest place to live in the Midlands.
For many years, the Vale of Edale had remained isolated. Its location, surrounded by the glowering heights of Kinder Scout to the north and a long ridge of hills to the south, made it difficult to reach. The River Noe just managed to find space through a narrow gap in the hills on its way towards Hope. Everything began to change when the railway arrived in the heart of the countryside. The Cowburn Tunnel cut through the rocks to provide the exit. Further east, the even longer Totley Tunnel opened the route, linking Manchester and Sheffield with Edale, a prominent stopping place on the line.
Until the 1950s, the authorities severely restricted the right to roam the privately owned moor above Edale. Now that access to roam has been negotiated, subject to specific bylaws, the moors are very popular with walkers. However, beware, Kinder Scout, a plateau that spans five square miles and reaches a maximum elevation of 2,088 feet, can be a very treacherous place. The weather can change quite suddenly from bright sunshine to thick mist, making it impossible to find your way without a compass. For those who come unprepared to walk on Kinder and others who prefer more gentle exercise, the Vale of Edale offers a splendid alternative.
EDENSOR (On the B6012 through Chatsworth Park – SK250698)
The small estate village of Edensor is in one of the most scenic locations in the country. Set in parkland owned by the Devonshire family, whose stately home, Chatsworth House, is only a five-minute walk away. Originally, the village was situated between the river and the road that ran through the park, with the houses set out in a straggling line down to the River Derwent. It did not appeal to the fourth Duke of Devonshire, who, after spending considerable money and effort improving the House, decided to take down those houses visible from the House. The tenants were rehoused in the nearby estate villages of Pilsley and Beeley. The sixth Duke completed the dismantling of the old village and built the present one.
Joseph Paxton, who remodelled and landscaped the gardens at Chatsworth, chose the site for the new village. John Robertson, a relatively unknown architect from Derby, provided the designs. At that time, aspiring young architects such as Robertson would prepare a book of house plans as part of their training. Robertson likely approached the duke to show him the plans when he was busy with other matters. After quickly looking through them, the duke could not make up his mind and chose all the different styles in the book. As a result, designs ranging from Norman to Jacobean, Swiss-style to Italian villas are all here at Edensor. A few of the old houses out of sight of Chatsworth House were left virtually untouched.
ELMTON (1 mile southwest of Creswell, off A616 from Junction 30 M1 Motorway – SK503733)
The elm tree that gave this ancient village its name fell victim to Dutch elm disease and was cut down in the 1970s. A sapling was taken from an elm tree that survived and planted on the village green, in honour of the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee.
Jedidiah Buxton was born in the village in 1707, but he could not write and his knowledge was limited; however, he had a brilliant mind for figures. He performed the most complex calculations and solved the most challenging arithmetical problems in his head. In 1754, he walked to London and so impressed the Royal Society that they presented him with a handsome gratuity. A blue plaque was erected in Elmton in 2011, in honour of his remarkable achievements.
Elmton received a gold award and was voted best small village for the 7th time and best wildlife and conservation area in the East Midlands in Bloom competition in 2019. The Elm Tree Inn, in the village, is also an award winner.
ELTON (off B5056 a linking road between A515 Ashbourne and A6 for Bakewell roads – SK223609)
Elton is an unspoilt village, very popular with walkers and cyclists, who enjoy the beautiful countryside. There are also a few surprises nearby, with a hermit’s cave and a bizarre rock formation where Druids may once have worshipped with twin pinnacles known as Robin Hood’s Stride. The village is situated on a fault line in the underlying rocks, which runs along the main street. Limestone is on the north side and gritstone on the south. It produces an unusual effect with gritstone vegetation on one side and limestone on the other. The houses also reflect the division, with some built of gritstone and others of limestone, or a mixture of both.
EYAM (off the A623 Baslow to Chapel-en-le-Frith road – SK218764)
Any tourist visiting the beautiful village of Eyam for the first time, unaware of its tragic history, quickly becomes aware by reading the plaques on the walls of the buildings. The people of this village once endured an epic struggle. In just over 12 months, from September 1665, 260 people died from the plague out of a population of about 800. The plague started when George Vicars, a tailor, was lodging in one of the cottages next to the church. A packet of cloth arrived, but as it was damp after its long journey from London, he spread it out in front of the fire to dry. It released fleas concealed in the parcel that carried bubonic plague germs. The death of George Vicars was sudden; others soon followed, and the villagers started to panic. Some families fled, but as the disease seemed to be abating during the winter, others remained, only for the plague to intensify during the following spring. The Rector of Eyam, William Mompesson, and his predecessor, Rev. Thomas Stanley, persuaded the villagers to isolate themselves from the outside world to prevent the spread of the disease; those who remained accepted strict quarantine arrangements. Neighbouring villages left provisions at the agreed-upon pickup points.
Mompesson closed the church and held open-air services in Cucklet Delph to reduce the chance of infection. When the plague was finally over, whole families had been wiped out, and only one-sixth of the original population remained in Eyam.
EYAM HALL
Built in 1671, Eyam Hall is on land purchased from a survivor of the plague by Thomas Wright for his newly married son. It has remained in the Wright family ever since. This historic house is open to the public periodically for tours; please visit the website for details. The outbuildings surrounding the attractive courtyard have been converted into craft shops, along with a café and gift shop. On the green opposite are the village stocks, where at one time you might have found a lead miner imprisoned by the Barmote Court for a mining offence.
EYAM MUSEUM
Eyam Museum tells the dramatic story of the outbreak of the bubonic plague that so decimated the inhabitants of the village in 1665/6. Local geology, archaeology, and social and industrial development are all covered in this excellent little museum.
