Time out (2)

The little church in Foolow is one of the Anglican churches in the joint parish of St. Anne's, Baslow and St Lawrence's, Eyam. It's dedicated to St Hugh, a Bishop of Lincoln also known as the English St. Francis because of his ministry to the sick and his special way with wild creatures.

In 1888 a Mr Bagshawe of Sheffield purchased the disused smithy to convert it into a church. It's a Grade II protected, single storey, two bay building built of  limestone with grit stone dressing and has a slate roof with a south porch and north chancel.  The interior is simply, but lovingly furnished with bench pews and a table altar in the chancel. There's a font and a small pipe organ. In one corner at the back of the church visitors can make a drink of tea, coffee or fruit juice from provisions laid out on a table.

The chair and other wood carvings were done by a Miss A. Bagshawe who was a student of local wood carver, Advent Hunstone 'Old Advent' of Tideswell. Advent Hunstone came from a family of wood carvers and Tideswell is a nearby large village where more of their woodcraft can be seen in Tideswell Parish Church.

hand embroidered prayer kneelers

After leaving Foolow we drove up to Hucklow Edge an escarpment where it was possible to see for miles across the countryside to the north and south of the county before stopping again in Tideswell.

I bought some cakes in the bakery in Tideswell to share after a family supper of  a light miso soup with noodles and prawns.  (Slices of fudge and lemon cake, chocolate and lemon muffins).

This weekend is a long one due to the extended Bank Holiday.

Time out

It's been another good week - meeting friends in the library for our book group, gardening and visiting garden nurseries, watching the Chelsea Flower Show television programmes to get some ideas for our garden, and an outing in the countryside for a birthday meal in Foolow.

I've read about Foolow in Stephen Booth's crime mystery novels.  The police officer, Ben Cooper, lives in the area. His home is probably a haven when he's dealing with police work in the county from his base in the fictitious Edendale. There's always a sense of place because real hills and dales are described in the novels. Even though the books are in the crime genre of literature they portray situations that rural police forces are dealing with whilst police stations are closing and the number of police personnel decreasing.
Yesterday the weather was perfect. We didn't book a table for our lunch, but hoped that the one in the village would be accommodating, which it was. 

We passed by Ladybower Reservoir, but didn't stop

for long except to take a photo.

Soon we were in rural Derbyshire...

and in Foolow village.

We were the first to go into the pub which meant we could order our meal and relax.  Whilst we were  It's obviously a very popular eating place.  We had a quiet corner table and had a very enjoyable meal with good service before more diners arrived.

A nice touch, the shelves of second hand books that you could borrow, read whilst waiting for your meal, exchange with one brought in for a small sum of money.  The squirrel was made of pottery. I didn't like the couple of real ones done by a taxidermist in one corner of the pub. Funnily enough my book group had been reading The Taxidermist's Daughter written by Kate Mosse and it was discussed this Monday. I didn't go to the last meeting so it was interesting to hear what people thought about the story.  The general opinion was that it was not liked because of the subject matter and plot - not surprising really - even though the setting was well described.

Outside there were pretty views of areas around

 the village green - tranquil and soothing.

The Wesleyan Methodist Chapel

an unusual building - possibly a small barn

the village pond

The village well - there was water in it, 

but difficult to photograph.

The horse chestnut trees in bloom are gorgeous just now.