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June 20, 2017

Hognaston, Derbyshire – St Bartholomew

On Friday 5 May we had popped over to Ashbourne for the delights of Waitrose, and diverted back via St Bartholomew’s, Hognaston – SK236506 – website. Will we ever get back to a Society where we don’t have to collect for foodbanks? It’s a C13 tower, with a C15 top, and battlements dating to the 1879-81 rebuilding by Stevens and Robinson. Apparently the clock was a gift of John Smith’s, the clock makers of Derby, as Mr Smith himself lived here. The south wall is Norman, and in the porch is an “amazing Norman doorway”, to quote the current...
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May 14, 2017

northernvicar walks – April 2017

I started the month with an 8 mile circuit of Carsington Water on Saturday 1 April. Then started the 14th week of the year with a walk at Kedleston. We had a day in Buxton – I bought a new pair of walking boots, then climbed up to Solomon’s Temple – website. I did a few miles later in the week delivering Easter cards round Allestree, and we had a coffee at the National Stone Centre while I did another walk – 23 miles that week. 14 miles in Holy Week – one has to do some work! On...
Categories 1,000 mile walking/Derbyshire/London/Railway History Comments: 0
May 7, 2017

Derwent Valley Walk 2 – Hathersage to Grindleford

I walked the first 5 miles of the Derwent Valley Heritage Way on Monday 1 August 2016 – if you want to find it on northernvicar, click on Derwent Walk on the right hand side of this screen. 8 months later I walk the next 3 miles. I will make no comment. On Tuesday 25 April 2017 we had been to Sheffield. I gave platelets, Julie had coffee with Harry. As we drove over the hills into the Peak District it started sleeting. We parked at the Plough Inn, on the B6001 at SK234804 – website – and it...
Categories 1,000 mile walking/Derbyshire/Derwent Walk/Railway History Comment: 1
March 5, 2017

northernvicar walks – February 2017

My idea was to walk 1,000 miles in 2017 (after Harry ran 1,000 in 2016). I managed 11 miles in London on 3 February, and got a useful sermon for the Queen’s Accession out of it – there are a lot of royal connections between Euston and the V&A. I also spotted these two plaques on the wall of the Norwegian Embassy and are made of Coade Stone. Coade Stone is an artificial stone and we had the most northerly piece of it in St Mary’s, Ponteland (or so I was once told). This National Trust website will answer...
Categories 1,000 mile walking/Derbyshire/London/National Trust/Railway History Comments: 3
March 4, 2017

Repton, Derbyshire – St Wystan

Outside Derbyshire, Repton is simply the name of the tune to “Dear Lord and Father of Mankind”. It is also home to a public school – the school where “Good bye Mr Chips” was filmed (1939 Robert Donat and Greer Garson). The chippy in the village is called “Good buy Mr Chips”. St Wystan’s church stands in the centre of the village and school at SK 303271 – website. This is a very full website – lots of history, lots of things going on, and a superb index. We parked outside the church, and Julie came in too –...
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February 27, 2017

Willington, Derbyshire – St Michael

Tuesday 21 February, and a morning’s drive to explore a couple of villages south of Derby – just a few minutes away down the A38. Willington is a busy village, on the Trent and Mersey Canal – website. One of these days I will chuck it all in and buy a narrow boat. Presumably we could have a butty boat for all Julie’s books. The canal was built in 1770 – I wonder what’s being planned for the 250th anniversary. A search shows me there were celebrations last year for James Brindley’s 300th anniversary. The railway station was opened in...
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February 11, 2017

northernvicar walks – January 2017

In 2016 my son Harry ran 1,000 miles for the charity Changing Faces – website. We have never worked out where he gets the running gene from, but we are proud parents. Here he runs back to the Vicarage having completed his challenge. If he can walk 1,000 miles surely, I mused, I can walk 1,000 miles. That is only 2.74 miles a day. I don’t want to start counting every footstep, just measuring the walks. Will it be possible? On Sunday 1 January I walked to St Matthew’s, Darley Abbey, and back. That’s just 1.4 miles, so I’m 1.34...
Categories 1,000 mile walking/Derbyshire/Railway History Comments: 0
January 29, 2017

Kirk Ireton, Derbyshire – Holy Trinity

We followed a lovely minor road to Kirk Ireton. A larger village than I expected and probably worth a walk round, but for now we parked by Holy Trinity church –  SK 269502 – and I went for an explore. They are also part of the Wirksworth team – website – but they have no history on the website. I entered, starting taking photos, then the organist arrived, then the Churchwarden arrived. We had a good chat, I got into the vestry (Table of Fees dating 1987), but I didn’t see if they have a guidebook on sale. Pevsner...
Categories Derbyshire/World War 1 Comments: 4
January 24, 2017

Carsington, Derbyshire – St Margaret

The second day of my post-Christmas break. On Tuesday 24 January we headed across to Ashbourne, spent too much in the Oxfam Bookshop, had lunch in Jack Rabbits (a café that is accessible with an accessible loo – WIN). Then Waitrose – such excitement, but I got my free Latte. We took the Wirksworth road out of town and then turned off to Carsington. I had walked through the village earlier this month, but didn’t do the church. St Margaret’s church is on a slope in the middle of the village – SK252533 – and the Welcome sign is posted. In...
Categories Derbyshire/World War 1 Comments: 7
January 24, 2017

Littleover, Derby – St Peter

Sorry the blog has been a bit quiet – and I think I’ve solved the technical problems. Open each photo with “paint”, reduce its size, do the odd bit of cropping or adjusting (but I don’t play with colours or anything clever like that), remember to save, then transfer to the wordpress media library. Do all this without swearing, and you are a better man than I am Gunga Din. On Thursday 19 January we had Deanery Chapter – not my favourite pastime, but it gives me a chance to look round churches. St Peter’s, Littleover is at SK333342, in the...
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