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Welcome to the Hathersage website – we hope you enjoy it and find it informative.
Parish Council elections 2015
A new parish council was elected in May following the amalgamation of Hathersage PC and Outseats PC.
The website is currently under reconstruction…
Our village
The village of Hathersage enjoys an enviable position in the Hope Valley in the heart of the Peak District National Park. The village is set close to the River Derwent with the rugged backdrop of Stanage Edge to the north.
Hathersage used to be unusual in having two parish councils – Outseats Parish covering approximately the area north of the A6187 and west of Hood Brook, and Hathersage Parish covering the remainder of the village. This did not reflect that the village works as one community, and so it sometimes caused confusion. So, on 1 April 2015, those 2 parishes were abolished, being replaced by a single new parish council covering the entire village, called Hathersage Parish Council.
Hathersage has a long history, going back to Norman times and before. The 12th century Church of St Michaels and All Angels overlooks the village and Little John, of Robin Hood’s Merry Men, is said to be buried in the graveyard. There are well established links to Charlotte Bronte who stayed in the village and used places in the locality as the setting for her novel Jane Eyre. In the 18th and 19th centuries, industry grew up in the village and there is a lasting legacy from the mill buildings some of which have been turned into present day apartments.
The village of today has a population of 2,000 people with three churches, a village school, pubs, cafes, and a wealth of amenities, not least the open air heated swimming pool, open for over 6 months of the year. This is a vibrant community with many groups and organisations in its midst, serving a wide age range and interests from sport to horticulture and history. The proud traditions of Well Dressing and Gala still take place each year in July, and all year round visitors come here for the wonderful walking and climbing nearby.
The Church and Old Village (Stephen Elliott)