So after a lengthy journey up via Uttoxeter, Rocester and Ashborne, we arrived at Ilam, at the mouth of the very picturesque Dovedale Valley, and parked up at Ilam Hall (National Trust) which is now a Youth Hostel. We looked over the Italianate Gardens to the spectacular twin peaks of Thorpe Cloud and Bunster Hill, and had a very pleasant lunch in the Manifold Cafe at the Hall, a chunky carrot and new potato frittata, with side salad and mustard dressing. It was quite quiet in the park there, not that many tourists. The main church was a walk away, but downhill from the car-park, and we could see there was more than one church in the village, so we went back to the NT shop and said which one should we go to to get information on the plague.
That was when we found out ..... we'd got the wrong village! We should have gone to Eyam, near Bakewell, not Ilam!!
"Oh well," said Mrs O ... "Let's have an ice-cream while we're here!"
Saw what we reckon was a weasel on the way back to Ashborne, darted across the road in front of us Haven't seen one of they in the wild for years .....
A grand day out - even if we did go to entirely the wrong place!
