Here is another recent one, relating to the Tuesday 9th August morning walk.
There were18 on today’s 6 mile Tuesday morning walk, which was led by Ruth Hepworth and had an historical theme.
The enjoyable walk began at Coal Aston and went through Frith Wood to the old centre of Dronfield, exploring some old industrial sites including a newly opened footpath and bridge on a former mill site. Damstead Works made spindles for the textile industry and in 1856 was subject to a ‘rattenning’ where the mill was damaged as part of widespread industrial unrest in the Sheffield area at the time. In this instance gunpowder was dropped down the chimney, with the perpetrator sentenced to 4 years hard labour.
“This mischief had been accomplished by lowering down the chimney a garden water can, filled with gunpowder, and plugged at the apertures with wood, so as to form an explosive shell”.
Railway history in the town was then explored and the group also looked at the recently restored 16th century Dronfield Barn Heritage Centre. The walk continued over field paths to Stubley Hollow and Bowshaw and then back to Coal Aston
see http://nedias.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/NEDIAS-Newsletter-No-19-August-2005.pdf for more details of Damstead Works