Above: The quarry is quite a magical place, with trees and large boulders covered in thick litchen.
Above: The quarry in 1933 (click to enlarge). There are more photos on the Whaley Bridge local history website.
A few people on the Goyt Valley Facebook Group have recently mentioned Issue Tor Quarry. Gary said it’s a very eerie place. And Chris thought a hermit had been living living there. So I was curious to take look.
It’s fairly easy to find. Simply cross over the dam at the head of Fernilee Reservoir and follow the road around to the left. Go through the gate into the woodland along the western side of the reservoir. After about 300 yards, head up a solid track on the right and the quarry is about half way along on the right.
Stone from the quarry was used during the construction of Fernilee Reservoir in the 1930s. Two sets of rails ran along the track. Full wagons on the down-slope were balanced by empty wagons on the up-slope.
Above: I’ve circled The Hollows in this wonderful 1933 photo of the twin tracks running down from the quarry to the construction site.
Below: The same scene today. (Click either image to enlarge.)
I don’t know anything about a hermit living in the quarry. But in the 60’s it was always an interesting drive up Long Hill. Errwood Reservoir was under construction and you could easily see the quarry over the valley as there were a few trees in front of it. I also remember that two women were found there under rusty corrugated sheets in an apparent suicide pact. It was talked about a lot at the time but I can’t remember now who the two women were, or even whether they were locals.
The two females where not under a tin sheet, they just sat under the wall. They came from a mental hospital at Shenley near London. My brother and I found them while gathering sheep. We went to the inquest.