The Voice of Independent Accommodation Providers

Visit Hathersage Derbyshire and the surrounding villages and stay in bandb, hotel or self-catering accommodation provided by BedPosts members.

There is a sturdiness about Hathersage that reflects the rugged grandeur of the scenery in which it is set. The village lies on a hillside above the Derwent Valley, and is sheltered by the long, low gritstone cliffs of Millstone Edge to the south-east and Stanage Edge to the north. The Church of St Michael was built in 1381, enlarged in the 15^th century and restored in 1851. It stands above the village, and its decorated spire is a distinctive landmark in the valley. A 14 ft long grave in the churchyard is said to be that of Little John - friend of the outlaw Robin Hood. The cottage where Little John is supposed to have died no longer exists, but across the road from the churchyard gate is the 15^th-century Highbury Cottage, the oldest in the village. On the opposite hillside is a stone tower once used to house hunting dogs. Behind Highbury Cottage are a ditch and mound that may be a Saxon earthworks or Norman motte-and-bailey. The 18^th-century Vicarage was visited by the novelist Charlotte Bronte, and she based her “Morton” in lane Eyre on Hathersage. Her “Moor House” in the novel is probably Moorseats Hall, which can be seen behind the Vicarage. The novelist probably took the name “Eyre” from the Derbyshire family who have monuments in the church. Robert Eyre is said to have built houses for each of his seven sons during the 16^th century. Five of these houses survive, including Hathersage Hall and North Lees Hall, which lies 1½ miles north of the village. Dale Mill in Dale Road was built in the 1700s and was used for wire drawing - a process in needle making - once an important industry in the village.