Sheen Hill & The Scary Spider

Trig point on Sheen Hill

We were up before the Sun again this week and headed over to Staffordshire to visit the village of Sheen. The name probably derives from the Old English sceon, meaning shelters, perhaps a reference to shelters for herdsmen pasturing animals there.

We got there about 7:30 and plotted our route to the top of Sheen Hill. Although there had been no rain the grass was quite wet presumably from an overnight dew. The first leg was comfortable but the ascent to the top of Sheen Hill took its toll on us old uns, we just had to have a short rest part way up because it really was a quite steep slope.
At the top the wind was very gusty and almost knocking you off your feet, nice to see the trig point and get something to hold onto.
The views unfortunately were obscured by the mist and low cloud but still impressive.
After a short time at the trig point we slowly got back down and followed a country road back towards the car. We found a quiet spot for our breakfast sheltered out of the wind and guess what we could see the sunlit top of Sheen Hill, bloody typical, why wasn't like that when we were up there?
Anyway we just followed the footpaths back to the village.

The present village, which lies along the road running north-south through the parish, probably existed by 1175 when there was mention of a chapel at Sheen, presumably on the site of the present church. The farms in the village, though rebuilt entirely or in part in the 19th century, are on the sites of earlier buildings

 We had a wander around St. Luke's Church.

The original Sheen church was destroyed at the time of the dissolution of the monasteries but was rebuilt in 1552. Some of the fascinating but grotesque gargoyles date back to medieval times. However, the present church building was rebuilt yet again 1828-32 by Beresford Hope to a design of William Butterfield. In the grounds of Sheen church are supposedly 19 lime trees which have survived from 20 planted back in 1761. Within the church are internal features originally belonging to Margaret Street Chapel in London and an interesting reredos and font of alabaster and Dukes red marble which was extracted from a quarry at Matlock. the graveyard has some ancient gravestones in there the oldest dating back to 1200.

The village is famous for its very successful tug of war teams both men and ladies, with the local pub called The Staffordshire Knot there has to be a connection.

The walk was just under 4 1/2 miles and very pleasant.
See you next week
Cheers

Sheen vicarage by William Butterfield (1814-1900)

Just right for a DIY job

This is an old gatepost, just look at the grooves, presumably to lift out the gate

On the slopes of Sheen Hill

Hanging onto the trig point

Unfortunately the views were restricted by the weather.

On the way back down

Very inventive bird scarer  made up of knives and forks

Breakfast stop with Sheen Hill in the background

Sitting having breakfast when there was this big girlie scream, it was just Ike found a little spider

Sheen Village Cross. The base is probably medieval and the cross circa 1850

A lot of very old tombs in the church yard

St. Luke's Church

The villa