Product Description

Hathersage is hidden in the Dark Peak, which once formed a frontier for pre-Roman tribes and Saxon kingdoms. One of a chain of Roman forts, nearby Navio guarded the approach to the Pennine passes, as Danish and Norman garrisons would later watch over Hope Valley. Bronze-Age families settled on the Hathersage hillsides, medieval lords cherished the forests of the Derwent valley, and monastic houses made their granges on the moors, a landscape which would later be crossed by dry stone walls and packhorse trails. In this well researched and entertainingly written book, the author examines Hathersage's romanticised link with Robin Hood's Little John, and gives a modern, evidential interpretation of medieval banditry. She tells of the legendary and lawless Eyres of Padley, who emerged in the Middle Ages as quarry and lead-mine owners; their lasting legacy was the enhancement of the parish church. She also recalls lord imprisoned in the Tower of London. Men from Hathersage were summoned to fight at Agincourt, to join the defences against the Spanish Armada. The last Royalist soldiers of the Civil War attempted in vain to return to the safety of Scotland through Hathersage, and, later, during Louis XIV's wars, travellers seeking work passed by from as far as Oban to join ships in Plymouth. In the 19th century Hathersage developed as a mill village owing to demand for its wire products in lead working, and for its hacklepins to dress flax and wool. It went on to become world famous for its manufacture of wire, hacklepins and domestic needles. Hathersage has been a temporary sanctuary for Dunkirk survivors and victims of the Blitz. Today people come for the village's beautiful landscape, its church and the legends of its past. Barbara Buxton's wide-ranging and informative account of the ancient manor and parish of Hathersage, enhanced by a collection of superb illustrations, will have broad appeal well beyond the Peak District.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1507263 in Books
• Published on: 2005-10-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 160 pages