I had some business in the lovely spa town of Buxton yesterday, set majestically in the Peak District, so I took the opportunity to lunch at a pub about which I have heard so much. It was well worth the 5 mile detour.
The Quiet Woman in the small village of Earl Sterndale is a traditional and unspoilt village pub of the type that is becoming increasingly harder to find.Such pubs do not embrace modernity and still reflect their once central role in village life.
Nevertheless, most are clean, if somewhat basic. This pub has hard seats and plain tables and I was told with ill concealed glee that the 6' long table at which I was sat was once used as the local undertakers 'laying out' table...gulp. Nowadays it is used as the cribbage table.
The pub is reputed to be over 400 years old and was in the occupation of the the Heathcote family for over 300 years. The pub name is unusual with only two others in the country. It is said to refer to a too talkative woman who was decapitated as a consequence!There is limited food available which includes fresh sandwiches and home made hot pork pies. On Tuesdays the pub doubles as a post office and local produce such as cheese and eggs can be bought during opening hours.
Fancy a beer and a chat anyone?
Why sure, Mick, thank you! The place seems absolutely charming. Imagine all it has seen in those years. Even the family name, Heathcote, conjures up thoughts of a sweeping romantic novel (am I thinking of Wuthering Heights?).
ReplyDeleteDecapitation does seem an effective though violent way of making a woman quiet. Even 400 years ago!
Hello Michael,
ReplyDeleteI see you've changed your background theme; looks vaguely familiar - but great!
This pub does seem to echo a different world. Maybe it was also the place to which the men retreated to get a little peace?! Never been a beer man myself but I wouldn't mind a glass of whisky or wine with you!
I would adore having a beer in one of these lovely little pubs, especially if it was with you! I only know these kind from movies. The one that immediately comes to mind is in The Remains of the Day.
ReplyDeleteI'm a fairly quiet woman, so I guess my head is safe.
That sounds great - I wish I could go to a pub like this. It sounds like a setting from Midsommer Murders
ReplyDeletei would like to thank michael for the excellent review of my home. the quiet woman inn is in Earlsterndale near buxton derbyshire sk17 0bu and it is well worth the visit. only the other day we had an elderly gentlemen in his 90's came in to the pub and said the only thing that has changed since he was serving in the raf and stationed in buxton in 1945 was the stone floor so there aren't many pubs like mine left which is a shame.
ReplyDeletethank you the land lord
what have you copied most of this word for word from the website: http://www.derbyshireuk.net/sterndale.html ?
ReplyDeleteCannot construct your own review of our lovely village pub?
i apologise, the actual website you have copied and pasted from is:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.nottspubs.co.uk/derbyshire/pubs/earlsterndalepubs.htm