News & Views - November 1979 - Issue 9

HARTINGTON & BIGGIN NEWS AND VIEWS No. 9

 NOVEMBER 1979

Dear Friends

The response to my offer to arrange a Holy Land Tour has been quite encouraging and just a few more serious enquiries would enable us to make a provisional booking of hotel accommodation and flight reservations. The proposal is to go on an eleven-day tour (ten nights) from Saturday, 24th May to Tuesday, 3rd June 1980. These dates come within the Derbyshire Primary Schools holidays. Please contact me as soon as possible if you would like to make up a party.

I have been asked to give a series of Morning Messages  on Radio Derby during the week commencing Monday, 5th November. These are broadcast at 6.57 and 7. 57 Monday to ‘Friday and at 7.57 and 8.57 on Saturday. Your prayerful interest is greatly valued in this further opportunity to communicate  the Good News of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ to a wider public.

Broadcasting during a week which begins with Guy Fawkes Day and looks forward to Remembrance Sunday, I hope to develop the theme of remembrance. As I prepare my talks, perhaps you would like to try to recall as many tiling’s as possible  that the Bible commands us to remembers

Yours sincerely,

DOUGLAS GIBSON, Vicar

St Giles’ Autumn Fair was opened by Mrs E. Parkinson of One-cote  and was well attended by villagers and visitors. Proceeds  amounted to £275.71½, for which we praise God and thank those who supported so generously.

to all who have been successful in recent examinations and to Tuyet Page who has been awarded a junior music exhibition by the county to cover travelling expenses and tuition on the piano.

Hartington School held its Harvest Service in Church this year, whilst Biggin School held theirs at School as usual. The Vicar spoke at both services and received harvest gifts from the children, which were later taken to old and sick people.

We have been sorry to say “Farewell” to Mrs Any Marsden, member

 of Hartington PCC for 11 years, who has moved to Buxton.

A Saltway through Hartington

The decision to reprint “Peakland roads and Trackways” as a revised edition has generated some discussion upon the old packhorse and Saltway routes in the Hartington area. The result has been rather interesting and intriguing.

An old guide post on Bonsall Moor directs the traveller westwards to Leek, which until now had been a mystery – why Leek?’ It is known that a Saltway existed which came via the Mermaid Inn to Reapsmoor and down to Brund Mill, this route is now partly tarmaced, partly footpath and partly lost, except for a parish boundary which follows its course west of Reapsmoor.

The first edition of Peakland Roads and Trackways suggested that the Saltway headed for Pilsbury and turned for Matlock around Monyash. This appeared to me to be a circuitous route, whereas a more direct way via Hartington was an alternative. In addition, why drop down to the Dove at Pilsbury and have the long climb out of the valley, when this was avoided at Hartington?

A bridle path heads from Brand Mill to Sheen and on to Water- -gap, before descending to the Dove and entering Hartington by the Cheese Factory. This would appear to be the alternative. It is interesting that three barns and a farmhouse adjacent to the route are (or were) dated from the 17th century.

It would seem obvious that the route would leave the village up Hartington Dale, but this is not so. The large map of the area borrowed for the Historical Exhibition in the Church last May and dated 1614, shows that the road left the village via the Hall and Heathcote. There was no road up the Dale. It is intriguing to surmise why, the most probable answer is that the River Harding, which now flows down the Dale only in winter formerly had a higher water table. It currently runs two or three feet below the surface, except in bad weather, but many old people can remember the Stanner, adjacent to the Mere, permanently flowing with water instead of its usual dry state now.

It seems likely that a road was prevented because of the dale being occupied by a river. The route eastwards lay towards Bonsall Moor, which explains the sign to Leek mentioned above, “Peakland Roads and Trackways”, which will be published in March gives many details on this and other routes in the parish and is written by Dr and Mrs Dodd of Ellastone. If you have any knowledge of the old traditions covering the old roads in the area, why not drop the Vicar a line for publication in a later edition of news and Views?

Lindsey Porter

Among the names recorded, on Hartington’s War Memorial is that of Aubrey Fyldes. He was the son of the Rev. William Fyldes, Vicar of Hartington 1891-1902 and author of “Dovedale and Other Dales”. Lady Ursula Redwood, daughter of the Rev. H.P. Hale, Vicar during the First World War, has kindly given permission to quote the following  incident from her father’s reminiscences

” A victim of the War in a double sense turned up in Hartington soon after its declaration. This was the son of a former Vicar, Mr. Fyldes, my predecessor’s predecessor. He was at a Public School Officer’s Training Camp when the War came, whilst his parents were in Switzerland on a holiday . They could not return for some weeks and their boy was at a loose end and without money. He decided to visit his birthplace, which he had not seen since his father left. We met him when he arrived and he won our hearts completely. So completely, that when our youngest was on the way, we decided we would christen it Aubrey Giles, if a boy, Aubrey after young Fyldes, and Giles after the patron saint of our church. Though only 17, he soon joined up, was given a commission, and sent to Egypt to be trained. In due time, he found himself in Gallipoli and after 8 short furlough, returned there to be immediately killed. His death touched

 us very deeply”.

Biggin’s War memorial includes the name of Private William Wagstaffe, of the 2nd Notts and Derbyshire Regiment, who died on 11th May 1917. A report in the Ashbourne Ad­vertiser stated, “The district, although sending a large proportion of its male population to the Colours, has been remarkably free from casualties up to the present. Pte. Wagstaffe is the first local soldier to fall in the service of his King and Country. Prior to enlisting in November 1914, he was joint secretary of the Biggin Cricket and Hartington Football Clubs, with Mr. J Brindley (who himself has spent a long period in France). Pte. Wagstaffe was also Capt. of the Biggin team”.

“During the course of his service in the Army, deceased has travelled about a great deal. He has been in Asia Minor, from whence he proceeded to Egypt. From Egypt he was drafted to France, and almost immediately went into the firing line. A short time ago he was reported wounded in the leg, but it transpired that the wound was not of a

serious nature. It must, however, have proved more serious than was at first anticipated. Pte. Wagstaffe, who was one of four brothers, all of whom are serving, was thirty-two years of age, and unmarried.

CHURCH SERVICES IN NOVEMBER & DECEMBER 1979

Please note that winter service times are now in operation at Hartington. The Service of Remembrance there will begin at 10.15 a.m. and will be followed by the Act of Remembrance at the War Memorial at 11 a.m. on Sunday, 11th November. So that the laying of wreaths can take place in daylight, the service at St. Thomas, Biggin will be at 2. 3O p.m. and not as previously stated.

It is just fifty years since Derby City Hospital was opened. The Jubilee Celebrations are being held in Mid-November and include a Service in Derby Cathedral on November 18th at 3 p.m. to which all who are interested or owe anything to Derby City Hospital will be very welcome.

Hartington School is holding a Coffee Evening on Friday, 23rd November at 7.30 p.m.

‘MATERIAL FOR THE CHRISTMAS ISSUE IS REQUIRED BY NOVEMBER 27th.