A Farm Journal ~ 5th to the 16th December 1869 ...

My great great great uncle John Bayliff Bowman lived at Summer Hill, near Monyash in the County of Derby. 

The Bowman family, who were Quakers, had three farms, One Ash Grange [which John Bayliff Bowman often referred to as O.A.], Cales and Summer Hill [which he usually referred to as S.Hill or S.H.]

John Bayliff Bowman is fourth from the left in the photo below ...

 

 A Farm Journal continues :~

 

1 - 5 frozen again and slippy

 

2 - 6 Thaw[in]g but very slippy Co[u]s[in] Eliza to Ashford - B[akewe]ll market things lower

 

3 - 7 Very dull misty uncomfortable day W[illia]m & I in dale ferret[tin]g lost a ferret

 

4 - 8 Ditto weather self to John Kirkams & bo[ugh]t a white bull calf then to Cales & broke 2 ton cotton cake for Hogs

 

5 - 9 Dully & foggy to B[akewe]ll 9am to meet John Kirby of Humberstone Leicester & a young man neighbour Mr. Kendal to look at a lot of barren cows sold him 17 at £13 each del[ive]r[e]d at Syston Station which will cost me about 50/- to do instead of luck - to Middleton aft[ernoo]n to look at Lomberdale Museum but no go - had tea at W[illia]ms & on to B[akewe]ll spring broke & had a jolting ride - left gig at B[akewe]ll to be mend[e]d & rode home

 

6 - 10 wet finish[e]d cutting swedes off at S. H. & cut & pit[te]d - a few corn turnips sheep to Elm close Groove close & sq[uare] close to bare & eat turnips prior to ploughing

 

7 - 11 Very wet day

 

1 - 12 Very frosty morn[in]g & snow[e]d aft[ernoo]n 

 

2 - 13 Very wet aft[ernoo]n B[akewe]ll put Xmas show - bo[ugh]t dole £8. 0. 0. worth

 

2 - 14 Very wet

 

4 - 15 Stormy snow aft[ernoo]n took 17 beasts down to B[akewe]ll to truck for Syston for John Kirby of Humberstone - self on to Nott[ingha]m Q[uarterly] M[eeting] at Lincoln

 

5 - 16 Fine day Q[uarterly] M[eeting] large interesting meet[in]g several friends spoke & I trust to the benefit of the hearers about 60 friends sat down at Spread Eagle to dine - Emily & Maria & I to L[incoln] Minster - to Nott[ingha]m even[in]g W[illia]m Sudderby to J.A.'s

 

Biddulph Grange garden ...

The garden at Biddulph Grange, between Stoke-on-Trent and the Peak District, was created by James Bateman in the 19th century. It is now owned by the National Trust. For once I will let my photographs 'do the talking' ... 

 

There is, of course, much more to see.

A Farm Journal ~ 8th November to 4th December 1869 ...

My great great great uncle John Bayliff Bowman lived at Summer Hill, near Monyash in the County of Derby. 

The Bowman family, who were Quakers, had three farms, One Ash Grange [which John Bayliff Bowman often referred to as O.A.], Cales and Summer Hill [which he usually referred to as S.Hill or S.H.]

John Bayliff Bowman is fourth from the left in the photo below ...

 

 A Farm Journal continues :~

 

2 - 8 Very windy indeed B[akewe]ll merket - 6 cows down for Jos[eph] Lee - sold him 7 heifers £10 10/-& 2 calving cows £37 - Ashford to tea & home - beasts selling well & sheep & pigs

 

3 - 9 to 2 -15 Wet & windy weather sharp frost mid last week & snow gone on 6th day 15 B[akewe]ll Fair took beasts down for Jos[eph] Lee - sold cheese to Etches 71/- pigs 8/- very brisk fair for all classes

 

to 7 - 27 Pitted corn turnips in Ridge piece & cut swedes except a few at S.H. good crops plough[e]d & sow[e]d swede gr[oun]d at Cales with Rye 

 

to 7th - 4th 12 Mo[nth] very stormy week 6 in[ches] of snow[e]d [sic] to Chesterf[iel]d on 4th day M[onthly] M[eeting] very heavy travelling W & E* with me Self to Nott[ingha]m & Norm[an]t[o]n & home on 6th day

 

7 -4th thaw[in]g very sloppy 11 pigs sold to J. Skidmore of Sheffield took to B[akewe]ll to truck one tippled over in lane & had to Kill - dress[e]d & sent by coach in even[in]g  

 

 

* I assume W & E are his brothers, William and Ebenezer 

The Crooked Spire ...

It was Spring 2011, perhaps I'd been to hospital and I had some time to play with ... I can't recall ... but I found myself in the Church of St Mary and All Saints in Chesterfield.

If you know the church at all you'll probably know it better as the Crooked Spire ...

It was rather dull outside so I went in to look around ... and noticed this memorial to Betty Bower ...



 ... dead at 25 having given birth to at least four children.

I was just in time to take a tour of the tower.

On our way upward we looked down into the nave of the church ...



 We reached the bell room where the bellringers ring the bells ...



 Then we reached the belfry and the bells themsevles ...



 According to Wikipedia "The tower upon which the spire sits contains ten bells. These bells were cast in 1947 by the Whitechapel Bell Foundry in London, replacing a previous ring. The heaviest weighs 25cwt. The place in which the bells are situated once held the builders windlass, which is one of the only examples of a medieval crane in existence and is the only example of one that has survived from a parish church. The windlass is now on display at Chesterfield Museum and Art Gallery".

We reached the bottom of the spire and looked upwards ...







  It's an interesting jumble of woodwork. The tour guide told us the weight of the tower but it hasn't stuck. It was certainly some tons ... and there we were with it above our heads.

We went out into the open and looked up at all the lead rising towards heaven ...



 ... then down, into Chesterfield ...



 I must admit as I looked up it made my head spin a little.

By the time my feet touched the ground the sun was still out ...



 We'd been stood just above the clock ...



 If you're in Chesterfield and have half an hour or so to spare the Crooked Spire is worth a visit ...


 

A Farm Journal ~ 1st to the 7th November 1869 ...

My great great great uncle John Bayliff Bowman lived at Summer Hill, near Monyash in the County of Derby. 

The Bowman family, who were Quakers, had three farms, One Ash Grange [which John Bayliff Bowman often referred to as O.A.], Cales and Summer Hill [which he usually referred to as S.Hill or S.H.]

John Bayliff Bowman is fourth from the left in the photo below ...

 

 A Farm Journal continues :~

 

11 Mo[nth] 1869

 

2 day 1 Showery day Self to Nott[ingha]m met bro[ther] W[illia]m & J.A. all in John's gig to High field farm under W[illia]m Fortieth [sic] 470 ac[res] mostly plough stiffish clay rent asked 23/- p[e]r ac[re] 4 course system - has been overrun with game especially rabbits game let to Haddon* of Nott[ingha]m hosier - House a curious building 4 square & high roof chimneys in stack in centre date 1729 - Goodwin of Gamston - steward a nice man - left with him to ask about the rabbits as I would not take without having the control of them - self ret[urne]d home

 

3 - 2  Fine turnips - 4 pigs to H.Nelson at 8/-

 

4 - 3 Fine S.A. & I to Matlock M[onthly] M[eeting]

 

5 - 4 Very windy stormy day Jos[ep]h Lee came sold 6 barren cows at S.H. 72£ - Tups to theaves

 

6 - 5 Showery cheese fr[om] S.H. to T. Orr Longstone @ 70/- 

 

7 - 6 Fine day emptying Kiln Moss field - Ewes to Tups -

 

 

* Rather than 'Haddon' this may be 'Hadden' ~ Frederick J. Hadden ~ who lived in Nottingham Park [according to the 1861 Census Return] and was a hosier. Apart from his family he had a governess, a footman, a housemaid, a cook, a kitchenmaid and three nurses. Probably the sort of man who would be able to afford to rent the shooting on a farm.  

Ticking away ... Day 1029 ~ fungal infection and rash decisions ...

Where to begin ... 

They always say first things first but such a lot has happened during the past eighteen days. 

First, my sore 'area' is now much better you will be pleased to hear. Treatment with a couple of lotions/creams have cured that ~ one of them we had to keep in the fridge.

I developed a fungal infection though which necessitated three visits to the GP to see three different GPs. One of them [the second doctor I saw ~ who I like a lot] patted me on the shoulder after examining the rash [which is mainly on and under my arms but also down my front to a lesser degree] and said " ... very interesting ..." before recommending I saw the third doctor who had been on a dermatology course. The third doctor prescribed another lotion/cream which I don't have to keep in the fridge ... and which is also beginning to work ... and my rash is less of a problem than it was. Fortunately it hasn't itched.

The biggest problem though is that since the radiotherapy I have suffered with a very bad back. I thought it was muscular problems initially but I have to be realistic. It could be something much more ominous. Anyway I've been taken paracetomol and perhaps they help a little.

I've also been to discuss the clinical trial at the local cancer hospital ... and signed up. I have a two to one chance of getting the new drug that is being tested. The drug hasn't been officially approved yet but the results are encouraging, apparently. I have had some blood samples taken but I still need a bonescan and a CT scan. This will determine whether I am suitable. I could be rejected.

It seems that 160 men in the UK are being recruited in this clinical trial and I'm possibly going to be one of them ~ largely because I appear to be in better shape than I perhaps ought to be given my situation.  

Finally I want to apologise for not visiting your blogs. Sitting in my chair in front of my PC is uncomfortable after a relatively short space of time.

From my Instagram account ...

Looking towards Gotham from the High Peak Trail near Minninglow car park ...

The Old Man of Mow and Nick i' th' Hill ...

 A walk in an area I'd never walked in before ... and all the paths were new. 

I'd parked in the National Trust car park near Mow Cop Castle ... and the first thing I discovered was that this area had a lot to do with the beginnings of Primitive Methodism. It was at this spot that Hugh Bourne and William Clowes held a 14 hour Camp Meeting on the 31st May 1807. This contributed to the start of the Primitive Methodists who wanted to follow John Wesley's ways more closely than they believed the Wesleyan Methodists did ... and preach in streets and in fields.

A stone marks the spot where this camp meeting took place 206 years ago ...

 Before I had a closer look at the 'castle' I walked around a little of the village of Mow Cop and admired the view across the Cheshire Plain behind a narrow house and a bungalow ...

 

Mow Cop Castle isn't a castle at all, it's a folly. According to the National Trust it was built as a summerhouse in 1754. It was eventually given to the National Trust in 1937 and they have undertaken some repair work this century to make it safe ...

 

The route I was following forms part of the Gritstone Trail ...



... as well as the Staffordshire Way ...



I'd never heard of the Old Man of Mow before so I was intrigued when I saw this sign ...



 I wasn't disappointed when I made his acquaintance ...



 It's over 20 yards high and appears to have been left when quarrying stopped around it. It looks more like a 'man' in the photo above than the one below !



 I know it can't be avoided sometimes but I do dislike walking on lanes and roads with no verge ...

 

... especially when you see signs like the one below suggesting cars might skid ...



There was some nice dry stone walling further along, though when you look more closely you can see it's not stone but what appears to be an old road surface or something ...



A mile after walking along the lane I was able to follow a track into a wood ...



 The hamlet of Nick i' th' Hill was soon left behind though I was still following the Staffordshire Way ...



I was below Congleton Edge and coming out of woodland into the open ...



The path and the Staffordshire Way passes underneath a disused railway line ...



 Whilst it may be disused by trains it is now a walking and cycling route ...



 In a small pond by the side of the old railway line tadpoles thrived though the pond showed signs of drying up ...



Through gaps and gateways by the old railway line I glimpsed the surrounding countryside ...



 Although I didn't know it from the OS Map I was following the Biddulph Valley Way ...



 

A waymark had the right idea ...



 I was walking alone with nothing for company but the odd bird ...



I left the old railway line and walked along pavements and roads, passing houses, until I came back to the village of Mow Cop where I followed a narrow path back up the hill towards Mow Cop Castle ...



  This brought me to a stone erected in memory of two test pilots who died hereabouts in 1998. 



 Their deaths remain something of a mystery, as they appeared to crash on a clear day ~ more here ...

 A thought provoking end to an interesting walk.

This walk was followed on the 13th May 2011
 
Length of walk ~ 7.46 miles *
 
Total mileage walked so far in 2011 ~ 180.00 miles
 
Total mileage between the 1st September 2009 and the 13th May 2011 ~ 701.74 miles

  40 of 2011 [which means in 2011 I was averaging approximately 4.5 miles a walk.]
 
* distance calculated on Ordnance Survey's Getamap