Above: This is the only photo I’ve managed to find showing the interior of Errwood Hall (click to enlarge).
This is the family’s Roman Catholic Chapel which was situated at the top of the three-storey tower.
It’s said that a lamp was kept permanently alight in here which could be seen for miles around.
James writes: Hi, I have been fascinated by Errwood Hall for many years and love looking at your website. I like to get up to the Goyt Valley as much as possible with my partner and our dogs.
I’ve been trying to piece together some idea of where things were in the Hall and was wondering whether you are aware of any interior photographs other than the famous one of the chapel, or whether floor plans are held in an archive somewhere.
This is entirely for personal interest, but trying to put a picture of the interior together in my head has driven me mad on and off for years!
Also do you know of anywhere I might be able to see a copy of the auction catalogue?
The two pages on the site are tantalising and a few years ago while walking near the hall, I stumbled across a piece of a really delicate blue and white china coffee can which was clearly from a good quality dinner service.
I would love to know whether it matches anything that was put up for sale in the auction. Sadly the piece I found is long lost.
Thanks for your comments about the website, James. Unfortunately, I don’t know of any other interior photos of Errwood Hall apart from the top-floor chapel (see above). Or of any floor plans. But I’ll update this page if any come to light.
As for the auction catalogue, it’s mentioned in Gerald Hancock’s ‘Goyt Valley Romance’ (view info on this website). And I’d guess that a copy would have survived somewhere. But again, I’ve never seen one. Gerald says the auctioneers were Turner & Sons of Macclesfield. But a quick search on Google drew a complete blank.
If anyone has a copy, please do get in touch. Or leave a comment below.
I really appreciate you taking to time to try to help me out. I don’t know what it is about Errwood Hall. I think it is something to do with the atmosphere of the place that speaks to me, but I have been trying to find out as much as possible about it for at least the last 20 years on and off.
I was even fortunate enough to walk down the (very muddy) main road in the village once when the water level was particularly low in the reservoir which was an oddly eerie experience for some reason.
It is so nice to see that some clearance work is being done up around the hall ruins and the views from there are starting to resemble what they must once have been. The clearance is uncovering some interesting things, including some rolled plate window glass which can only have come from the hall, and a few scattered pieces of broken china etc.
I just visited here today for the first time, I also had the same feeling! I find it astounding that it was demolished and there is no recollection as to why, other than a few comments saying that some of the stone was used to build the reservoir.
An update on this: I have now heard from the RIBA (Royal Institute of British Architects) library in London, who sadly informed me that they do not hold any plans of Errwood at all, though they were able to point me to an article in on of the journals they hold which is about the architect, Alexander Roos, which makes some passing references to Errwood (spelt Erwood in the text). I intend to order a copy of this article at some point, and will update you if I learn anything of interest,
Hi James; Having lived in Buxton for 30 years I’m almost ashamed to admit that I stumbled across Errwood Hall for the first time last weekend! I know what you mean about the atmosphere of the place – I became instantly seized with a need to find out more about the building itself and the inhabitants who lived there. Did you learn anything interesting from the Alexander Roos article?
David, if you’re reading this, excellent work with the website!
Hi there. I must admit that I still haven’t got around to ordering a copy of the article, but if I discover anything useful it will go on here first!
I’ve been up there today, first time and it’s quite something. Sacrilege that the building was demolished. I would love to know where the cellars are because there must have been some big ones in there and I bet they are intact to some degree. If only you could find the entrance…