11/04/19 - Day 4 - Inn Way to Peak District - Tideswell to Castleton

Start - Tideswell
Finish - Castleton
Distance - 15 Miles
Key Features - Cressbrook Dale, Eyam, Hope
Geocaches - 11
Pubs - 12 potential, 8 Visited.
Previous Days - Day 1, Day 2, Day 3


Tideswell Church, adjacent to my digs, proclaims itself the Cathedral of the Peak by ringing the bells at 6am to wake everyone up and then bonging every 15 mins to make sure they don't snooze.

Unfortunately, the front door at the George is alarmed until 8:30.

This provides plenty of time to get excited about today's walk.   I've been wanting to visit Eyam for years, having read about the Plague stories and it's unique history.

Turns out Castleton was the place to get most excited about.

The George did not include breakfast, so I thought on day 4, I would skip the usual Full English.  Tasty provisions bought from the bakers for lunch.   I've never been told to keep a pork pie upright before.   Apparently, the jelly hadn't quite set.

Off I set, with the promise of another gloriously sunny day.

Road Walking to Litton

There's a lot of early doors pubs here - so with much regret, I have to walk past some absolute belters today.   From each end of the scale.

The Red Lion in Litton and the Bulls Head in Foolow looked classic examples of the Village Inn.  Saved for another day as it wasn't even 10am when I passed the furthest.

Beaut 1, passed by before 9am

Beaut 2 in the lovely village of Foolow

Then there's the Three Stag Heads in Wardlow Mires.   A place that sounds ominous enough on its own.   There's a farm, a cafe and a the pub, which only opens on weekends.   There was a poll on Twitter whilst I was away asking the question "what is the best pub in the land?".   And this place was nominated by enough people that it was only beaten by the Great Western in Wolverhampton.

Was going to be the pub in the film Hostel, but deemed too terrifying

There's obviously been an accident out front, but lets take a closer look at the signage.

Entice People in or Warn them Off?

Looked utterly fascinating and I feel I am missing out by not seeing the inside.

Enough of too early pubs.   The walkings up to its expected phenomenal quality.   First, I have another dale - Cressbrook Dale to traverse, followed by field systems all the way into Eyam.

Cressbrook Dale

I'm into Eyam at 11am.   Too early for the midday opening Miners Arms, but I will hang around.  I sit on a bench opposite Eyam Hall and start on the pork pie, sharing the green with a party of primary school kids.

A look around the plague cottages and then first in the pub to sample the local breweries, aptly enough called quarantine.

Still inhabited - they must like people looking through their windows

Miners Arms - Eyam

There's always a roll call of winners on these trips and this Greene King is at the opposite end of the scale.  Pint probably hadn't been pulled through as I doubt it was meant to look as it did.

I'll admit to not being in the best of moods as I climbed out of Eyam but blues instantly banished when I get to the top of Eyam Moor, beating some pensioners to a bench and having the most amazing vista.

And after three days walking - I can see Stanage Edge - where I started.

Panoramic Setting on Camera

Back to the Beginning

A fine afternoon walking progresses.   Through the hamlet of Abney and ignoring all signs to Shatton, for obvious reasons.   I pick up a Geocache Trail and once again wonder if they tried to build the Cement Works now, would they get planning permission?

End of the Hope Valley

Before Castleton, I have Brough and Hope to work my way through, with three pubs that you'd expect to be open.

Inexplicably, the Traveler's Rest was closed.  I tried every door.

The Old Hall Hope - beautiful Theakstons Best Bitter

The not so great Woodroffe Arms for San Miguel

I really should have stayed in the Old Hall.   Everything I want in a pub.

2 more miles to do get to Castleton, a place previously unvisited but became my favourite place on the walk.   The five pubs that will be subject of another blog had nothing to do with this.

2 Miles on the Hope Valley Floor to get to Castleton - A Wonderful Place