Image added: 7th January 2017
Scene: A painting of Goyt’s Moss Farm, which once stood close to today’s Peak District Rangers’ hut at Derbyshire Bridge carpark. View more details about the building.
Approx. date: The artist has included a date alongside the signature, but unfortunately the actual year is right on the edge of the image. It looks like it might be ‘KPB 1911’.
Provided by: Mike Whibberley
Page update: Gail has confirmed that the artist is K P Blakelock, and the date is 1911. Katherine Percy Blakelock (1862-1939) was an Arbroath landscape painter in oil and watercolour who moved to Carnoustie in the early years of the 20th century. She later settled in Buxton, Derbyshire, before moving to London in 1913.
Page update: January 2019
I recently came across this photo of the ruins of Goyt’s Moss Farmhouse in the snow on the Picture the Past website (click to enlarge). I’d guess it was taken in the mid 1930s, at the same time as all the other houses on the Errwood Estate were demolished.
My family once lived at Moss House. My Mother was born there in 1901. Her Mother was Elizabeth Kidd, formerly Palfyman, and her father was John Kidd, who farmed there. Elizabeth and John had seven more children, and I think most were born there too.
My Grandad, Samuel Kidd, was a coal miner in the area. Also, my Great-grandma, Mary Palfryman, formerly Goodwin, farmed at Moss Farm with one of her Grand-daughters, who would be a Goodwin. I do know that at that time Mary was head, so she must have been a widow.
My Mother would always talk of the happy and harsh times. When she was 13 she went into service at the Cat and Fiddle, which is where she met my father, Thomas Bainbridge, a cab driver from Buxton.
The Bainbridges used to run trips to the Cat and Fiddle and into The Goyt valley, and later Tom and May married. I would be thrilled if anyone has any more information or photos!
I have the post card of Goyt Moss Farm in very good condition. The date in the corner is 1911. This card is in such good condition, would this be original or has it been republished in later years?
I am interested in this because the author and naturalist W H Hudson stayed in this house in May 1910, a year before the painting was done. He was particularly keen to find ring ouzels, and hear their song.