Above: William’s body was taken on the back of a cart to The Cock public house. And this is where the inquest was held, just three days later. By the time this photo was taken it had been renamed The Jodrell Arms. The pub has been in a very sorry state...
Above: Public executions once attracted huge crowds of ghoulish spectators. The last one in England took place in 1868, some 45 years after 17-year-old Joseph Dale met such a fate. Following on from the recent post about the Murder Stone lying beside the back road...
Above: Another image from the Whaley Bridge Photos website showing the bridge over the Goyt at Taxal. Judging by the hand colouring, and the ladies’ clothes, I’d have guessed it was taken in the early 1900s. But the bicycle looks closer to the 1930s....
Above: The Grimshawes’ family cemetery lies above the ruins of their grand country house, Errwood Hall. At one time there was a building to the left, with a vault below, which would have held the coffins of family members (above left). And it...
Above: The Murder Stone was erected in memory of William Wood at the very spot his brutally mutilated body was discovered, back in 1823. Above: The stone isn’t easy to find. This shows its position on my phone’s map app (click to enlarge). It’s on...
Above: Errwood Hall pictured in its prime. The Grimshawes were certainly a very weatlthy family. So perhaps it’s not surprising that there were rumours of buried treasure! My thanks to R. S-S from the Whaley Bridge Local History Forum for this wonderful...
Above: The 1849 tithe map clearly shows the newer Stonyway Bar toll house at the junction of the two turnpikes. And the old one to the left, which appears to have been converted to a house. Alec has discovered a wonderful website that reveals a lot about the history...
Above: Goyt’s Moss Farmhouse lay beside the Old Buxton to Macclesfield Turnpike. The single-track road to the twin reservoirs is just out of the picture on the right. And the road snaking away into the distance ends close to the Cat & Fiddle, at the...
Above: The view today and in the 1960s. There’s a small car park beside the pond which is an ideal starting point for a short walk along the old railway line. It ends after about a mile at a blocked up tunnel. Walk 12 follows the entire line – as much...
Above: This scenic spot now lies under the waters of Errwood Reservoir. But it once drew visitors from far and wide. I came across this wonderful image during my search for the Stonyway Turnpike map at Matlock Public Record Office (see previous post). It’s a...
