Day Eight June 6 Saturday



Have you ever tried to get up in the morning and nothing worked? Your back wont move, your knees are still bent, your shoulders and neck are twisted. Thats the way we struggled out of the tiny, soft, hollow bed here at the Charles Cotton Hotel.  Because there's no chair George went to the sitting room downstairs, I get the stool and the students desk. The sun was up at 4.40AM. HA. I dont think so. More like 3.40 the way the birds were carrying on and sky was lightening up. 

But no worries, I'm in one of my favorite places on earth doing what I love to do, walking the countryside and living the history.

Tissington Hall

Today was a quiet day. The villages were busy with walkers and bicyclists so we joined the crowds.

We started out in the next village over, TISSINGTON. Tissington has been owned by the Tissington Estate since 1465. Yes, they own the entire village just like the lord used to. "They" are the FitzHerberts.  "Fitz" means "son of" so FitzHerbert means "son of Herbert" . FitzWilliam, FitzGerald etc etc..... 

This is from a PR article
"The FitzHerbert family have been described by one commentator as ‘worthy but unspectacular landlords’ but it is a compliment to their managing of the Estate that the holding still consists of 50 properties and roughly 2,000 acres despite the ravages of inheritance tax, bad marriage and divorce over the centuries. The Baronetcy was conferred on Sir William FitzHerbert in 1784 by George III for his role as ‘Gentleman Usher to the King’ and Sir Richard is now the Ninth incumbent of the title. "

Blah Blah. In other words he's not a great guy. The Hall isn't open to the public, from the street it looked like a dark, broody place with multiple coal blackened chimneys. I watch TV, I know what happens in places like this. Ugh, she shivered, gives me the creeps. The whole village looked like it was under a shroud of darkness. And why was it so COLD ?  


Tissington has six wells, so we went on a well search game to find them all. We did find them, and got to see a charming village with nooks, passageways, little buildings and gardens despite the Aura of Doom - or AOD. I didnt take a picture of one of the wells COFFIN WELL because it was little more than a hole in the ground behind a dumpster. 

We have: 

Hall Well

Town Well

Hand Well

Child Well

Yew Tree Well

This was one of the footpaths we went down on our search. The yellow poppies had seeded themselves and against the gray wall they lit up like neon.

Tissington also had a Sacred Pond with water fowl. There wasnt much else to see unless we wanted to stop at the HERBERT Son of Herbert Tea Room. Or the HERBERT Son of Herbert Gift Shop or the HERBERT Son of Herbert.... you get it. 

THE WORD IS HAPPY!

So we went 3 miles to little hamlet of Alstonefield. Alstonefield is built upon an ancient site and only has 250 people in it, thats as many as were in my entire high school.  Its name is derived from the Saxon, meaning ‘Aelfstan’s open land’ It was a beautiful place and the atmosphere was happy and peaceful. Everyone was so happy! The walkers, the dogs, the buildings, the bartender.....the place exuded happiness and light. Whats up with that? There was even a T Rex in someones front yard, you know HERBERT Son of Herbert would never have gone for that. 

The church is 12th C. We agreed it was the most inviting church we'd been in, they had tea and cookies set out! And more happiness! Bright walls, no appeal for money because everyone was suffering. What a HAPPY place! 

Bright, Happy Kneeling Cushions

Saxon Wall Carving

Ok, bear with me and use your imagination. 

This is a SILE NA GIG. So cool.... Sheela Nah Gig. It was found when some archaeologists were exploring the font in the church. Usually it would sit at the end of a corbel, like some of the heads I like so much. One side is like a cat or whiskered creature with pointed ears and bulging eyes. Under the nose is its mouth into which its stuffing a human figure... you can see his butt... and the hands are under the butt shoving the human into its mouth. 

No one knows what these grotesques symbolize. It could be

1.  a pagan goddess because the men who built the churches were still in their hearts pagans

2. meant to keep evil away (always a generic safe guess)

3. a fertility god

4. a warning against lust

5. meant to show what happens to you when you screw up 

YOU PICK! 

And isnt this guy HAPPY? The FitzHerberts could learn a thing or two from the happy nabes in Alstonefield. 

Take THAT HERBERT Son of Herbert! 

Time for lunch! Alstonefield has a no slouch pub that caters to walkers. Its called... wait for it.... wait for it......

After a too big meal of ham, french fries (chips), Stella ( for him) and Elderflower Presse  (for her) we needed a walk - 4 miles along the Wolfscote Dale and the River Dove  to end another gorgeous Derbyshire day.