Hathersage, Derbyshire

Our drive to Hathersage took us on a roundabout route passed Ladybower Reservoir since we can't walk straight across the moors to the village as the writer Charlotte Bronte used to do during her stay with her friend at the vicarage.  The purple heather is in bloom at this time of the year.  

Ladybower Reservoir

We drove straight to one of the pubs in the village where we dropped off Mr P before walking up the hill to the church.  The pub is an old one often used by travellers who used to cross the moors taking goods by pack saddle ponies to towns in the region. These days there's a restaurant menu and we certainly enjoyed our lunch.

There are views across to the moors and the hills surrounding the village and pretty gardens among the houses.

The climb up the hill was a good workout for me!  We stopped by the church entrance gate.

Under this old yew tree in the churchyard is a grave known as "Little John's Grave".  Whoever is buried there was a tall person as the grave is very long and well kept by local historians.  There are many legends about Robin Hood and his Merrie Men. They  supposedly lived in the forests in the next county of Nottinghamshire including one of his followers, Little John.  There are many place names associated with Robin Hood, a fictitious character based on a real person. Our own village in the Loxley Valley is one such although far from Nottingham. People wandered far and wide in those days.

 

In the pub, The Scotsman's Pack, there's a photo of the cottage in which this person lived.

the shaft of a preaching cross in the churchyard

church entrance

War Memorial

the nave

Stained glass windows depicting Fortitude and Hope

Faith and Charity 

 

A prayer stop - reminding us to pray for the people of Ukraine

the children's corner

the font

It's a while since I've visited St Michael and All Angels Parish Church and it was good to show Daughter D around before returning to the pub for some lunch.

Not a very good photo due to the waiter pointing the camera towards the light of the window, but it was a record of a good day out with Mr P and Daughter D before heading back home by way of the Strines Reservoir and the moors.

Thank you for visiting.  Have a good week!

Lunch in Derbyshire and our Garden in May

What good weather we're enjoying at the moment here in the UK!  Along with the sunny weather there's the need for watering the plants in pots so that they don't dry out.  This weekend I celebrated another birthday.  Lily-of-the valley is the flower that has been chosen for May and I'm pleased that my plant has flowered.  I keep it in a pot as it tends to spread.  

I was given lots of lovely birthday gifts, many of them flower related.  Our son came for a visit on Friday and we had lunch together and yesterday local daughter took us out for Sunday lunch in a country pub restaurant with heat-hazy views of the Derbyshire countryside. 

One of the gifts that Mr P and I can both enjoy is this bird table.  Mr P assembled it as it came in various pieces.  It was fun putting it together!  

One day last week I took another walk in the local walled garden and spotted lilies and an amaryllis in the glasshouse.

My own amaryllis called "Dancing Queen" that was given to us by a grandson in 2018 has produced flowers every year since.  We keep it in the covered yard and each year it gradually comes to life and produces several flowers.

There are red peonies in our garden, alliums, self-seeding poppies, lilies and much more blooming there.

It really is a beautiful time of year in the garden.  May is also Chelsea Flower Show time and we shall be watching the televised programmes that the BBC will put on this week.

Thank you for your visit.  I hope you're enjoying the sunshine where you live.  Have a good day and week!