One of my favourite walks takes me over the moors and down through Eyam, the picturesque Derbyshire village made famous by the inhabitants’ self-sacrifice during the Great Plague. When the pestilence arrived from London in a bolt of cloth, the residents – led by the young vicar, William Mompesson – agreed to quarantine themselves to…

There’s a lovely tradition in rural Derbyshire where the community comes together to create a colourful mosaic using natural materials pressed onto a board filled with wet clay. These are displayed beside ancient water sources to attract visitors to the village and raise money for charity. I’ve always been in awe of the work that…

I’d been waiting over six months to check out the setting for an early scene in my novel-in-progress. Back in November, the rocky field carpeted with purple orchids of my imagination proved a pleasant distraction from the storms buffeting the land beyond my desk. It was based on a place I’ve visited often, albeit not…