Above: Rev. Samuel Evans pictured outside Taxal Church with the newly recast bells. He was said to have been a generous benefactor of the church and may have paid for these from his own pocket. I was taking photos inside Taxal Church last week and came across a copy...
Above: Roly Smith was formerly Head of Information Services for the Peak District National Park, when he was known as “Mr Peak District.” He is the author of over 90 books on the British countryside, vice-president of the Outdoor Writers’ and Photographers’ Guild, and...
Above: Walkers of all ages set out from Buxton at a cracking pace at the start of the 25-mile route. I have to admit that I’m a bit of a fair-weather stroller when it comes to walks. A gentle eight miles with blue skies and picturesque views is my perfect day....
Above: At the time of writing (August 2019) the Cat & Fiddle has been closed for a couple of years. It’s a sad state for a once very popular pub. But it was a similar story some 100 years ago. This famous pub, standing close to the source of The Goyt on...
Above: An example of what a difference a bit of sunshine can make! On the left is the previous photo from walk 15 Errwood to Goytsclough taken in March 2016. And on the right is the same view retaken in July 2019. I’ve been spending some time tidying up the...
Above: The wonderfully picturesque view from the bridge over the Goyt at Taxal (point 3 on the map below). Above: click to expand map. Some time ago Irene got in touch to ask how easy it was to get to the Goyt Valley using public transport. And my blunt answer was...
Above: It seems that William Wood’s memorial stone, on the back road between Disley and Whaley Bridge, attracted controversy right from the start. Gail has unearthed a couple of press clippings which show there’s been a fair amount of local opposition to...
Above: The photograph of the ladies would have been taken from close to the packhorse bridge, looking down the lane which led to the larger bridge over the Goyt. I’ve just come across a couple of wonderful photographs taken in the Goyt Valley (click either...
Above: This illustration shows Chestergate, one of Chester’s most ancient streets, around the time Dale was incarcerated in the nearby gaol.He may well have passed this way on the back of a horse-drawn cart, through crowds of spectators, to his execution....
Above: In time-honoured fashion, the judge would have placed a black cloth over his wig when announcing the sentence of death on Dale. From the newspaper reports, he was obviously in a very poor health. And even in those far harsher times, there was a great deal of...
