Why a Booktrail?
1665 – 1666: plague broke out in the Peak District village of Eyam
A Shadow Beyond
What you need to know before your trail
Lost in the folds of time, behind one village’s brave sacrifice, is the tragic and chilling secret of Thornycroft Hall….
Locked away in the top quarters of Thornycroft, a large house on the edge of the historic village of Eyam, is a centuries old secret.
Escaping the chaos of a complicated break up, Kate Saunders travels to the Peak District to stay with her Great Aunt Edie who has suffered a fall. Thornycroft is the perfect bolthole for Kate, peaceful and providing plenty of distance from her obsessive ex.
But when Kate stumbles across a diary and an ancient bogwood jewellery box in the top of the house, the tranquillity she had expected is shattered. She is shocked to discover that Edie has been tampering with the supernatural and as Kate reads the contents of the diary, the shadows of Thornycroft’s past begin to stir.
Kate becomes fascinated by the history of the house and the legacy of the villagers who made a brave yet devastating decision during the outbreak of plague. The more she discovers, the more she realises that, hidden behind Eyam’s tragic story, is a dreadful family secret.
Locked away in the top quarters of Thornycroft, a large house on the edge of the historic village of Eyam, is a centuries old secret.
Escaping the chaos of a complicated break up, Kate Saunders travels to the Peak District to stay with her Great Aunt Edie who has suffered a fall. Thornycroft is the perfect bolthole for Kate, peaceful and providing plenty of distance from her obsessive ex.
But when Kate stumbles across a diary and an ancient bogwood jewellery box in the top of the house, the tranquillity she had expected is shattered. She is shocked to discover that Edie has been tampering with the supernatural and as Kate reads the contents of the diary, the shadows of Thornycroft’s past begin to stir.
Kate becomes fascinated by the history of the house and the legacy of the villagers who made a brave yet devastating decision during the outbreak of plague. The more she discovers, the more she realises that, hidden behind Eyam’s tragic story, is a dreadful family secret.
Stalked by her ex and restless spirits who harbour a dark secret, Kate realises she’s in danger – not only from the living, but from the dead.
As the haunting intensifies and layers of time peel away, Kate starts to uncover a chilling truth that has remained buried for centuries…
As the haunting intensifies and layers of time peel away, Kate starts to uncover a chilling truth that has remained buried for centuries…
Locations
Reset- England - Peak District - Eyam
- A: Eyam Museum
- B: The Boundary Stone
- C: Cucklet Church (Cucklet Delf)
- D: The Riley Graves
- E: Plague Cottages
- F: Tideswell
Travel Guide
Travel to the village of Eyam with Emma-Nicole Lewis
The Boundary Stone, Eyam
The historic villagers of Eyam used this stone as a collection point for goods from neighbouring villages and the Chatsworth Estate during the time of the plague. The holes in the stone were filled with vinegar so that coins could be left, the vinegar washing away the plague seed. This is one of several boundary drop sites believed to have existed at the time that plague struck the village of Eyam.
Cucklet Church (Cucklet Delf)
This is where the villagers of Eyam gathered for Divine Service with the Reverend Mompesson. It is here that the Reverend William Mompesson and a previous puritan clergy, Reverend Thomas Stanley, delivered the news of the cordon sanitaire.
It is also the location where Rachel witnesses the sad (and true) story of parted lovers, Emmott Syddall and Rowland Torre.
Whilst Rachel is a fictitious character, many of the supporting characters featured in ‘A Shadow Beyond’ are real people who will have faced this harsh reality when the news was delivered to them at the Cucklet Delf in June 1666.
The Riley Graves
Even though this location is known as ‘The Riley Graves’, it is where the Hancock family members who died during the plague are buried. There is a circle of seven graves. These graves were dug and filled by one woman alone. Elizabeth Hancock.
The Riley Graves feature in both the past and the present of ‘A Shadow Beyond’. The present day main protagonist, Kate, takes a walk up to the graves, only to be overcome with a strange, dizzying sensation. This is one of the spooky parts of the novel, with Kate experiencing visions from the spirit that is haunting her.
Plague Cottages
In the heart of Eyam, further up the road from the church, are the Plague Cottages. Their namesake comes from being the location where plague started and where a number of families were struck particularly badly, some of whom were completely wiped out.
In ‘A Shadow Beyond’, Rachel is to go to the cottage, now known as ‘Plague Cottage’, to chase up George Viccars, the travelling tailor.
Tideswell
There is a story connected to the Eyam plague quarantine that tells of a woman who tried to break the cordon sanitaire by travelling to the nearby village of Tideswell. Her objective was to disappear into the busy market. Tideswell is five miles from Eyam and her journey will have been made on foot.
Trail Gallery
BookTrail Boarding Pass: A Shadow Beyond
Destination: Eyam, Peak Valley Author/guide: A Shadow Beyond Departure: 1665 – 1666
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