I just had the coolest day out. I didn’t have any big plans for today (Saturday) and the weather was forecast to be beautiful so I decided to try out the Peaks District, which I’ve heard so much about. So, I flipped open my Lonely Planet Guide to Great Britain, found the Peaks pages, and browsed around for about 1.5 seconds. Peveril Castle – sounds cool, I thought.
A 25 minute train ride through places like Grundlesford, Heathersage (Huth’rsuge), Bamford (Bumf’d) took me from Sheffield to Hope Station. The train was filled to standing-room-only from all the day hikers who were taking advantage of the good weather. I took that as a good sign. I should enjoy the sun as much as I can to stave off Seasonal Affective Disorder, S.A.D, as long as possible.
The Peaks District is one of England’s largest national parks (and second busiest in the world, after Mt. Fuji). The geography varies a bit, but most of it is composed of large limestone hills that are really too big to be considered hills but smaller than mountains, so, they are the peaks. In-between the ridgelines are lush valleys and fells, crisscrossed with stone walls and sheep pastures. The occasional steeple, manor house, and castle really complete the picture. This was a certainly a huge difference from the Beric-the-Britain Fenlands I had just visited (G.A. Henty fans will catch the reference)!
The Peaks District.
Hope Station is little more than a concrete pad and a sign, but it was the starting point for my pilgrimage to Peveril Castle, so I didn’t mind. Half a mile of walking a hedge-lined road brought me to the Village of Hope and two miles further brought me to Castleton, named, or course for the castle (I wish Castleton, VA was named for a real castle...). I decided to explore the castle first, and then spend some time in town.
Hope Station.
The Church in the village of Hope.
The village of Castleton. The oldest parts of Peveril Castle were built during the Norman Conquest around 1066 (some say by William the Conqueror’s illegitimate son). At first, it looks like the castle is built on the side of a large hill, but once you climb it, you realize that castle is actually cut-off from the rest of the hill by incredibly steep gorges (maybe 600 feet deep, or so). A wooden bridge once spaned one of the gorges, but now you must scramble a quarter mile up the hillside.
The keep of Peveril Castle.
The gorge protecting the castle.
Rah VA Mil.Throughout the centuries, the castle’s main function was to police the royal forests (you may remember Robin-Hood’s adventures in the royal forests – same place. Nottingham is only 40 minutes away!). Local folks had to pay taxes on all game and timber they harvested from the vast tracks of land that composed the royal forest. Lead, silver, and a semi-precious gem called Blue John, were also mined (and taxed) from the many local limestone caverns. William Peveril was listed in the Domesday Book as the Keeper of the Forest. His outpost was remote and royalty rarely visited, but he was the Keeper of the Forest and law of the land. Ranger stations in US national parks seem pretty lame compared to this, let me just say.
It seems that the castle’s military history is a bit lacking (I’m thinking of a certain military college in South Carolina…). The only action it ever saw was a brief siege when the king appointed a new constable, and the old one didn’t want to give up his post. A siege is probably the only way to take the castle, because it is built on such a precarious peak. Think along the lines of the siege of Masada.
A room with a view.
Castleton below the castle walls.
Not much is left of Peveril Castle now, just crumbled walls and a hollow keep. Despite its decay, it still holds a commanding view of Hope Valley below. I looked around for a while, took some pictures (OK, a lot of pictures), and sat down to relax, pray, and read a bit. I listened to Liquid (aka, the monastery song) and Love Song for a Savior, both by Jars of Clay. They seemed appropriate considering my surroundings. The castle also brought to mind Psalms 18, “The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer; My God, my strength, in whom I will trust; My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.” Naturally, I couldn’t remember the reference, so I had to completely read through the first 18 chapters to find it. To be honest, though, I was looking for any excuse to stay up there.
View from the castle walls.When I got back down to the town, I was pretty hungry, so I stumbled into a pub called The Castle (kudos for creativity). Apparently the place is 350 years old, King Edward II fined the owner once for producing ale without a license, a murder look place there 200 years ago, and it is haunted by 4 ghosts. I don’t know about all that, but they make a delicious brie, bacon, and tomato sandwich. After lunch, as I was making my way back to the train station, I decided to check out Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese shop. I asked them if they had any cheese, and… Monty Python fans know what happened after that…
So, I’m back in my flat now. It was about 6 miles of walking, round trip. So, not too bad by any means, but enough to make for a good night’s sleep! I just had coffee, a whole carrot, and a peanut butter and nutella sandwich for dinner (Cadbury milk chocolate spread is cheaper than nutella, FYI). I’m still excited about how awesome this day turned out.
Mare and foal in Hope Valley
The sign on the trailer says "Overdale Vetrinary Centre"
If you ever come to visit, I would be game for going back to the castle. Just let me know.
Later,
Will
Current Reading: The Heavenly Man and Works of Art in the British Ambassador’s Residence. Current Bible Reading: Romans 8
Current Music: Jennifer Knapp and Anne Murray
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