Twenty one walkers and one dog met outside the Bridge Inn on an unexpectedly nice autumn morning. We initially followed the Derwent on a lovely riverside walk where our walk leader Shirley pointed out the weir and the sluice house. We carried on a little further along the river before heading uphill to the A625, emerging just below the Chequers Inn.
We then followed a steep woodland path that brought us out on Froggatt edge where we started to meet more people including a group of climbers. Froggatt Edge soon turned into Curbar Edge which we followed all the way to Curbar Gap. On our way back down to Curbar, Shirley pointed out the graves of the the Cundy family from Grislowfield Farm who died of the plague in 1632, about 34 years before the famous outbreak in nearby Eyam. Close to this spot we came across the Round House or Jaggers Keep, a Grade II listed circular stone building dating from around 1780. Shirley told us that the building served as a village lock-up to temporarily hold local prisoners or “wrongdoers” overnight before they were taken to the magistrates.
Within minutes we arrived back at the Bridge Inn where over half of the group enjoyed a meal or drink. Many thanks to Shirley for leading us on a very scenic and informative walk.
