Hob Hurst House & Gibbet Moor

I thought it was going to be a stroll this week, but the torture master had other idea's. We started off at Robin Hood just outside Baslow on the A619 around 7:15 and arrived back at the car 4 1/2 hours later totally knackered having walked nearly 8 miles.
From the car park at Robin Hood it was a 1/2 mile walk up the A619 to the gate next to the Umberley Brook. We followed the track for about 2 miles walking steadily uphill past Bunkershill Wood, occasionally stopping to look at the views.
Hob Hurst House is fenced off although there is a style if you want to go in & have a look. There's not a lot to see, its overgrown with plant life but you can still see the outline where the stonework has been.
Hob Hurst's House is a Bronze Age barrow and it was one of the first monuments in Britain to be taken into state care, through the Ancient Monuments Protection Act of 1882. It was excavated by Thomas Bateman in 1853 and items that were found included human bones. Hob Hurst is supposed to be the haunt of a local hobgoblin and that's where the name comes from.

Hob Hurst's House

 We left Hob Hurst's House and followed the track looking for the first stoop E14. It was only about 500 yards further on and we spotted it just off the track in the heather.
Quite large and really well preserved inscriptions showing the directions.

Stoop E14

Geoff filling in the inscriptions with chalk!!

Stoop E14

Ike at E14

This one of the modern pieces of sculpture

After stoop E14 it was follow the GPS to find Stoop E13 which was about 1/2 mile down Umberley Sick towards Bramton East Moor. It was a hard slog through some high heather and then to a slab bridge and over to the Stoop.

Geoff Rob & Ike on the Slab Bridge

Stoop E13

Stoop E13

 There was a curious small stone close to stoop E13 which had an inscription BP 1856
We think it may be a boundary post for Beeley Parish.

Ike lost his false teeth

I spotted this sheep's jawbone between the Stoop and the boundary post. We legged it back to Hob Hurst's House and found a spot for breakfast overlooking Harland Edge.


Rob & Ike having a bite to eat.

Geoff having breakfast all alone (beans the previous night)

After breakfast we set off down the track towards Chatsworth. The grass was a great colour and some cracking views.

Autumn grass

Emperor Lake Aqueduct at Chatsworth

View of Chatsworth House

Rob in the undergrowth

Hunting Tower at Chatsworth House

The Hunting tower in the grounds of Chatsworth estate was possibly built by Robert Smythson around 1582.

Stairway to heaven

Geoff getting his leg over

Ike "I see no ships"

Nelson's monument & the 3 ships on Birchen Edge

Nelson's monument on Birchen edge was erected in 1810 and the 3 natural rock formations close by have been inscribed with the names of 3 of his ships. They are
Victory, Defiance & Royal Sovereign.
See you next week.
Cheers
Jim