Day Six, June 4, Thursday Peak  Continued


A LATE AFTERNOON WALK

I was awake at 3.50AM this morning. Why was that? Because the birds were singing and the sun was coming up. Yep. I went to bed at 10 and it was just getting truly dark. So it's a 6 hour night, dark only 6 hours. Someone please tell the birds to wait till 6 like normal birds. 

Still, the best therapy for sleep deprivation fatigue is to WALK. Hit the countryside, gather up nature and put feet to earth.  


But first, an amazing story that touched my heart because I think the world is filled with news stories to make you angry and scared, lose faith, distrust and divide. This story is heartening.  I don't know if I would have had the courage, who knows what you will do when the moment comes to prove yourself? It was hard not to feel sorrow for these people as I walked through their detailed museum and village. The plague cottages are still there, graves are in the backyards and on the hillsides. 
 IN 1665, in a village called EYAM ( Eem), the village tailor received a parcel of material from his supplier in London. This parcel contained plague-carrying fleas.The tailor was dead within one week of receiving his parcel. As the weeks passed more villagers had died and they kept dying, fast, horrible deaths.

Some of the villagers suggested that they should flee the village, leave it all behind. Their church leader, Reverend  William Mompesson persuaded them not to do this as he feared that they would spread the plague into neighboring villages. So he decide to  cut themselves off from the outside would. They effectively agreed to quarantine themselves even though it would mean death for many of them.

The village was supplied with food by those who lived outside of the village. People brought the supplies and left them at the parish stones that marked the start of Eyam. The villagers left money in a water trough filled with vinegar to steralise the coins left in them. In this way, Eyam was not left to starve to death. Those who supplied the food did not come into contact with the villagers. 

Eyam continued to be hit by the plague in 1666. The Rev Mompesson, had to bury his own family in the churchyard of Eyam.  He decided to hold his services outside to reduce the chances of people catching the disease, they thought it was airborne. When the plague had passed, 260 out of 350 had died in the village, but their sacrifice may well have saved many thousands of lives. Mompesson did survive. 

A Celtic Cross in the Churchyard at Eyam

3 miles Hartington Loop

On a more positive note, away from plague, cawing crows, heavy farm machinery, eating too much ( can you say Bakewell tart?) and aching shoulders from this silly bed..... a walk! Walking works wonders, do not question, do it!

Over the stile, through the stone wall, past blooming Hawthorn, wildflowers, sheep......

through the pastures, up the gravel road.......

over a tightrope footbridge over the River Dove, up the hill between the walls.....

between 2 ancient barns.......

And home again!