This cache is part of my HPG (Hathersage Park and Grab) series, a series of caches hidden at places around the interesting village of Hathersage, where Little John is said to be buried. All the caches can be done as Park and Grabs, or are no more than 2 minutes away from the road. Please replace all caches as found and be respectful when parking and do not block access to any of the residents properties/land.
Hathersage (pronunciation: /ˈhæðəˌsɪdʒ/) is a village and civil parish in the Peak District in Derbyshire, England. It lies slightly to the north of the River Derwent, approximately 10 miles (16.1 km) south-west of Sheffield. The origin of its name is disputed, although it is generally accepted that the second half derives from the Old English word ecg meaning "edge". In 1086 it was recorded in the Domesday Book as Hereseige, and around 1220 it was recorded as Hauersegg.[1]
It is served by Hathersage railway station on the Hope Valley Line.
The earliest recorded church was built by Richard Bassett, son of Ralph Bassett, Chancellor of England in the reign of Henry I. The present Grade-I-listed[2]structure dates mainly from the late 14th and early 15th centuries. It has a stained glass window by Charles Kempe, which was removed from Derwent Chapel before it was submerged under the Ladybower Reservoir. Near the church is an earthwork called Camp Green, thought to have been constructed during the Danish occupation. It is also scheduled as a Norman ringwork castle of the 11th/12th century.[3] In the graveyard lies the base and lower shaft of a plain early Saxon cross.[4]
Stones in the churchyard mark what is known as the grave of Little John, where in 1780 James Shuttleworth claims to have unearthed a thigh bone measuring 72.39 centimetres (28.50 in). This would have made Little John 8.08 feet (2.46 m) in height. One claimant to Robin Hood "of Locksley" is the village of Loxley, only eight miles over the moors on the edge of Sheffield. A number of local landmarks are associated with Robin Hood, such as Robin Hood's Cross on Abney Moor, Robin Hood's Stoop on Offerton Moor, and Robin Hood’s Cave on Stanage Edge.
In 1845, Charlotte Brontë stayed at the Hathersage vicarage, visiting her friend Ellen Nussey, whose brother was the vicar, while she was writing Jane Eyre. Many of the locations mentioned in her novel match locations in Hathersage, the name Eyre being that of a local gentry family. Her "Thornfield Hall" is widely accepted to beNorth Lees Hall, on the outskirts of Hathersage.
In 1566, Christopher Schutz, a German immigrant, who invented a process for drawing wire, set up a works in Hathersage. This became important in sieves used by miners, and later developed into pin and needle production. This led to one of the first Factory Acts, because inhalation of grinding dust resulted in a life expectancy of only thirty years. In the mid-18th century, Hathersage became famous for its brass buttons. Some of the mill buildings from this era have been converted into flats.
Hathersage Moor is the site of the Carl Wark hillfort and Higger Tor.
Because of the scenery of the Hope and Derwent valleys, its literary connections, and easy access by train or road from Sheffield and Manchester, Hathersage is a tourist destination. Its visitors come to swim (open-air heated swimming pool, with cafe open all year[5]), climb (Stanage Edge, which with other nearby edges have been the nursery for many famous British rock and mountain climbers), or ramble in its river valleys or hillwalk on its open moors.
In 1990, the cutler David Mellor opened the Round Building built on the site of a former gasometer as a cutlery factory in the village. The building was designed by architect Sir Michael Hopkins. In 2007, an extension to the old retort house on the site was opened as a Design Museum. Mellor's wife, Fiona MacCarthy, continues to live in Hathersage.
Some of the scenes of the horror movie Let Sleeping Corpses Lie (1974, directed by Jorge Grau, also known as The Living Dead at Manchester Morgue) were shot at St. Michael's Church in Hathersage.
Hathersage has a population of 2,000 people with three churches, one school, and numerous community organisations. There is an annual gala, scarecrow building competition and well dressing in July. On 1 April 2015 Hathersage and Outseats, the two parishes that currently comprise the village, will be replaced by a single new parish council, to be called Hathersage Parish Council. Despite the aforementioned the population recorded at the 2011 Census was 1,433 only.[6]
Hathersage is also home to Hathersage FC who currently compete in the Derwent valley league.
~~ The name Hathersage was most likely first called 'Heather's Edge, due to the vast amounts of heather on the moors surrounding the area and the numerous rock faces (edges). There is a road called Heather Lane that still exists in Hathersage.
The cache is a micro so BYOP. Max stealth is required here as it is located on the main road by several shops in a muggle-infested area. DOO NOT act suspiciously what ever you do, as there are signs around urging residents to report any suspicious activity to the police.
Please replace the cache EXACTLY as found and securely, but do it discretely so muggles won't see you. There are lots of shops nearby and an open-air swimming pool in the summer. Parking is available at GZ but restrictions apply, reading signs will save you getting a ticket and also help you find the cache...
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A lot of effort goes into buying/making, placing and maintaining caches, so please try to put more than just TFTC, nice quick find, Found or just a smiley face when you log our caches, thanks.