The Small Hill

The Small Hill is a sacred place, a healing place, where the ancients buried their dead and holy men came to preach. In the reign of Henry I, a knight stood on the hill, a young warrior straight from the heat of battle and knew the hill and the surrounding land was to be his. A settlement grew and a Norman church with a solid square tower was built on the top.

Over the centuries many who owned the land and many who worked on the land were equally drawn to stand on the hill in front of the tower to look out into the distance. From the knight in the 12th century to Tom, an old retired tenant farmer in the 20th century, men stood on the hill looking out to the horizon, to dream of the future or remember the past, each one feeling the small hill’s spell.

M.L. Anderson was born in the Rhondda Valley, South Wales. She grew up in Salisbury, Southern Rhodesia where her father worked as an engineer. It was the start of her lifelong passion for travelling. The family returned to England in her late teens settling in Derbyshire where over the years she explored the stunning landscape of the Derbyshire Dales, eventually retiring to live in the area in later life.

Married with children and five grown grandchildren, she and her husband live in the beautiful Peak District where she spends her time writing, gardening and travelling around the world to visit members of the family.