DAY 6 - Ilam Park & Dovedale

Sept. 8 - Sunny Days and Mondays ALWAYS Makes Me Glad!

Spending another day with my cousins in the country was WONDERFUL!  We took off after breakfast and with the recommendations of our hosts, we headed to Dovedale.  It is part of the Peak District National park.  12% of the Peak District National Park is owned by the National Trust, a charity which aims to conserve historic and natural landscapes. It does not receive government funding

A world of contrasting natural beauty, with moors and dales, rivers, springs and caverns and at its heart the Peak District National Park, known and loved by millions for its breath-taking landscapes, relaxation, inspiration and adventure. Spanning parts of Cheshire, Derbyshire, Staffordshire and Yorkshire in the heart of England, it’s home to dozens of market towns & pretty villages, historic houses, famous attractions and hundreds of traditional events.

Lloyd carefully makes his way across

 Dovedale is a renowned beauty spot, around 2-3 miles along the river Dove, with stunning scenery and many walks.

A dramatic limestone ravine, busy with wildlife and rare wild flowers... Impressive rock outcrops, tranquil woodlands and of course the much-loved stepping stones which cross the River Dove.

John, the Cowboy, wobbled a bit as he worked his way across the stepping stones.  I thought I might have to rescue him.  HA!

We saw many sheep on the hillside.

Gorgeous hillsides and beautiful day.

My cousins and I really enjoyed our walk along the River Dove.

 
 Both Jayne and Helen said we should visit the Isaac Walton Hotel because that's where they both were wed and had their receptions at.   It was a very nice place.

 
Here resteth the Body of
Mr. ISAAC WALTON
Who dyed the 15th day of December 1683
Alas he´s gone before
Gone to return no more!

 

Isaac Walton, now primarily known as the author of The Compleat Angler was recognized in his lifetime chiefly as a biographer.  Baptized at St Mary’s Church, Stafford on the 21st September 1593, Isaac was the son of an alehouse keeper, Jervis Walton. Jervis died when Isaac was only 4 years old and his wife Anne Walton remarried another inn keeper in Stafford. By the age of 20, Isaac was serving his apprenticeship in London as a draper.

In 1618 he was admitted a freeman of the Ironmongers Company and on his wedding license he was described as ’of the Cittie of London, Ironmonger.’ The importance of Isaac in the company increased until he was elected Warden of the Yeomanry in 1637. Isaac Walton married in 1626 to his first wife Rachel Floyd who he lost along with his seven children by 1640.

Isaac married again in 1646 and had a son and daughter. Following the death of his second wife he spent many days fishing on the River Dove. Isaac died in 1683 at the age of 90.

The sitting room in the Isaac Walton Hotel

 At the age of 60, Isaac’s book was first published (1653) and dedicated to John Offley of Madeley Manor, Staffordshire. The Compleat Angler, was extensively revised by the author in 1655 and again in 1676 drawing on earlier angling writers and incorporated recipes, legends and poems into his text.

 
  NEXT STOP:  Haddon Hall

This Medieval and Tudor manor house is an absolute gem. Inside, there is a fine example of a medieval kitchen; and an Elizabethan long gallery - the most modern room in the house! The exterior walls are adorned with climbing roses and there is a beautiful terraced garden. Haddon Hall is a popular choice as a film and TV location. 

  It is currently occupied by Lord Edward Manners (brother of the current duke) and his family. The origins of the hall date to the 11th century.

Ilam Village

Ilam is best known as the location of the neo-Gothic Hall, a stately home built in the 1820s, and now a youth hostel owned by the National Trust.

Ilam Hall - used currently as a youth hostel.

We went into the gardens and walked around.  My cousins opted to sit and enjoy the sunshine while I took a quick walk down to the River Manifold.

Beautiful Italian Gardens

This tree has a lot of roots going down into the rocks.

A selfie with a gorgeous background setting!

Who are these two guys anyway???

Church of the Holy Cross

In my records, I have an ancestor named Alexander Buxton who is buried in Ilam, Staffordshire.  He is my 8x grandfather.  WOW!  This could be the church.  Unfortunately, I didn't know at the time so I didn't look for his grave, but there were some REALLY old ones - that's for sure!

 Some of its Saxon origins can be seen in its carved stone Saxon font, and in two stone cross shafts in the churchyard.

 Why do I love visiting old churches?  European churches are just so amazing!  We have nothing like it in the States.

Alexander died in September 1614, so it is exactly 400 years ago....too bad I didn't look around more.   I might have found it.  Probably not, however, as when they are that old, it's hard to read the inscriptions.

 Ilam has been a place of pilgrimage since the days of St Bertram, a Saxon saint and hermit who lived here, and today there are more 'pilgrims' (in the form of tourists) than ever. The saint was a Saxon prince of Mercia who travelled to Ireland to marry an Irish princess.

John - our 8x grandfather probably walked this very aisle exactly 400 years ago!

 On their way back to Mercia, she had a child and they rested in the forest here while Bertram went off to seek food. When he returned he discovered that wolves had killed both his wife and child and, broken-hearted, he lived as a hermit around here for the rest of his life.

 

There is Alpine-style cottages and as I talked to one man who I took a photo of his home, I found out that indeed - he is from Switzerland, as well as others, so they built their homes as they may have looked in that country.  VERY CUTE!!!

He wanted me to come in and take a tour of the home, but it was time for lunch, so we left.

A conspicuous landmark is the Mary Watts Russell Memorial Cross. Standing as a roundabout at the road junction where a lane branches off is an ornate gothic-style obelisk of local limestone. Standing on a three step plinth, it has two tiers of statues surmounted by a spire with a cross at the top.

We went into an Ashbourne pub for lunch.  I had a yummy shrimp salad.  The boys had hamburgers.

Then we went back to Roston and into the one-room school house that Jayne taught at.  We were to present an assembly for the 60 children, ages 4 - 11.

There are three different groups like in Harry Potter.

This is the backyard recess area.

Two young boys took us on a tour of the small country school.

This is where the kids store their "waders".

The boys show us their sports equipment stored outdoors.

 All 60 of the children sat in the multi-purpose room for our assembly.  We discussed why we are there and that we're from a different country...America.  We are there to find out where our ancestors came from and to see their graves in the church.

The dude with the cowboy hat got all the questions at the end.  The kids were just fascinated with John!

I sang "Heigh-dee-Ho for Idaho".  Lloyd sang part of his Iowa song and John (with us) sang "Home on the Range" for Kansas.

 We explained that we are 1/2 English and 1/2 something else...I am Swedish.  When asked what the children were, nearly ALL hands go up that they are 100% English.  There are a few who have some Irish blood.  What a fun time it was to experience a small village school setting and wearing uniforms and the BEST thing was hearing the children all sing a very special spiritual song at the beginning of the assembly.   YEAH....Jesus is still in the schools in England, unlike the United States.

 Back home, I had some time to wander around the farm and imagine what it must have been like when my ancestors roamed the countryside.

 The oldest part of the home and where the Clarkes lived in the 1700-1800's.

The beautiful home of Helen, where I am staying for my last two nights.

The archway leading into the home of the girl's childhood AND my great-grandmother.

Upstairs window where Mary Elizabeth and John were born to Dinah and John Clarke.

 We were to meet at the Norbury churchyard at 6 p.m. with Della.  She has the maps and inscriptions on the tombstones.  It's so great that she takes care of all of this.

Helen took me there and showed me the new grave of her mother.

The Clarkes are buried right outside the front door.

Della has taken the time to give us all the Clarke relatives in the churchyard.

John Clarke - our great-great grandfather 1791-1866

I found Ellen Davis' grave - she was my grandmother Esther's older sister who died at age 2.  Her mother was Mary Elizabeth Clarke Davis, who later homesteaded in Kansas with Thomas in 1884.

Thank-you so much, Della, for taking time for my cousins and I to discover our wonderful ancestors.