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Exiting Burbage Tunnel
Thanks to the internet, social media and digital wizardry, we’ve transformed a poor-quality photocopy image of a train exiting Burbage Tunnel into something resembling the original painting.
Goyt Valley Youth Hostel
I’d always understood that Errwood Hall was used as a Youth Hostel for a couple of years after Mary Grimshawe’s death in 1930. But according to recently discovered YHA records, that’s not correct.
Errwood Hall arch
A recently discovered photo of Errwood Hall shows the grand arch which once formed the gateway to the Grimshawe family’s hill-top cemetery. The arch has long since gone, but the steps remain.
The line that never was
A 1941 press clipping explains that Samuel Grimshawe once blocked plans to create a railway through the Goyt Valley. But since it would have passed through Errwood Hall, it’s perhaps not surprising!
Mystery view solved
An old postcard recently appeared on ebay captioned ‘Goyt Valley’. But I really struggled to work out where it was taken. Sharper eyes than mine spotted a bridge arch hidden by trees. Mystery solved!
Cat & Fiddle: a brief history
TV and radio historian Michala Hulme charts the intriguing fortunes of the famous Cat & Fiddle Inn, perched high on windswept moorland, close to the source of the River Goyt.
Errwood Hall cellars
A recently discovered photo taken in 1988 shows a young boy peering into a hole in the centre of the Errwood Hall ruins. I wonder whether it might be the entrance to the cellars.
Three new old photos
Three old photos recently popped up on ebay, captioned ‘Goyt Valley 1950s’. But where were they taken, and was the date correct? There’s only one man who knows the answer…
Joseph Oyarzabel?
Two new photos said to be of Joseph Oyarzabel – son of Samuel Grimshawe’s butler – pose more questions than answers. Any help to discover the facts would be appreciated.
Bringing the ruins to life
A virtual reality app designed to bring the ruins of Errwood Hall back to life is an exciting project. But you have to wonder what Samuel Grimshawe would have made of it.
Rare photo discovered
A fairly dull and faded photo of a well-dressed dining table is only the second image that’s come to light taken inside Errwood Hall. So it has a lot of historical interest and value.
The Heathers
Gunpowder Mill worker, Allen Heather, and his wife Annie, had four sons and five daughters. All of them went to Goyt’s Bridge School. And one paid the ultimate sacrifice during WW1.
Three lost homes
I’ve made a start at adding the final three houses to the the list of those demolished in the 1930s, following the purchase of the Errwood Estate by Stockport Corporation to build the twin reservoirs.
The Braddocks
One of the graves at the Grimshawe’s hill-top cemetery has always intrigued me. Elizabeth Braddock was just 19 when she died. She must have earned a special place in the hearts of the Grimshawe sisters.
Rewilding the valley
It’s now a year since the Forestry Commission started cutting down great swathes of larch in the valley. It opened up some wonderful views, but it doesn’t seem they will last long.
Fencing the valley
The mystery over the fencing that appeared along the old railway track seems to have been solved. A display board explains that it’s part of a scheme to reintroduce sheep.
Footpath closures
The Forestry Commission has begun the second phase of tree felling in the valley to tackle the outbreak of phytofra, this time to the west and south of Errwood Reservoir.
Lost shelter or shrine?
Could some large niches carved into a small area of exposed rock opposite Errwood Hall be evidence of a shelter – or perhaps even a shrine used by the staunchly catholic Grimshawes?
Pictures in colour
I recently came across a book called ‘Pictures in Colour of Buxton and the Peak District’. Published in the early 1900s, it includes three photos taken in and around the Goyt Valley.
Zooming through time
A recording of a recent 40-minute Zoom presentation on the history of the Goyt Valley using some of the many photos and maps I’ve managed to collect over the years for this website.
GV walks on OutdoorActive
My favourite walking app, ViewRanger, is being taken over by a new one – OutdoorActive. I’ve transferred all the Goyt Valley walks over, so I’m hoping it’s as reliable as the old app.
Buxton to Burbage Edge walk
Starting from Buxton’s famous Crescent, this walk passes through both the Pavilion Gardens and Serpentine Walks before rising up to Burbage Edge, along the southeast border of the Goyt Valley.
Packhorse bridge closed
It’s sad to see that the picturesque packhorse bridge at Goytsclough has been closed due to some of the stonework collapsing into the Goyt. I’m hoping United Utilities don’t take long to repair it.
Errwood lime kiln
It’s easy to miss this lime kiln, near the southern tip of Errwood Reservoir. Coal from a nearby pit fired the kiln, reducing limestone to lime, which was used both as a fertiliser and to make mortar.