Above: Fernilee Gunpowder Mill expanded significantly between 1846 and the late 1890s. The trees along the C&HPR track to the right also show that it had been abandoned. The detailed 1846 plans of the valley discovered by Alan Roberts for his research into the...
Above: Alexander Roos’s original drawing for Errwood Hall from the early 1840s (courtesy of Buxton Museum). Above: A Vanity Fair caricature of Alexander Beresford Hope. Click here to view his Wikipedia entry. Judging by the previous post (click to view),...
Above: The entry for Errwood Hall is headed by this fine photo, probably taken in the 1920s. This description of Errwood Hall is taken from a popular coffee-table book, The Derbyshire Country House, by Maxwell Craven and Michael Stanley. There are a few facts that...
Above: The only other photo I’d seen of the vault showed only one cross in the background, which I thought was the main one. Which is why I thought the vault was positioned to the left. Another recently discovered photo (below) has shown just how easy it is to...
Above: The arch is clearly visible on the right of this photo. Above: The full photo (click to enlarge). It’s a pity it’s such a poor-quality photocopy. I’d love to be able to track down the original. I recently came across a photo of Errwood Hall...
Above: The four Heather brothers in army uniform (from left): Fred (b.1891), Bert (b.1892), Joseph Harold (b.1893/4) and Arthur Percy (b.1895). Above: The five Heather sisters (clockwise from top left): Florence (Marie’s grandmother), Lily, Winifred, Genevieve...
Above: Anne and Samuel Grimshawe’s memorial in Taxal Church. Although it’s usually locked, Taxal Church is well worth a visit if you can get hold of the key. There are some fascinating memorials inside, including one to George II’s ‘Yeaoman of...
Above: Samuel Grimshawe’s cousin, Fredrick Upton Gaskell (circled), pictured in 1883 with members of the annual shooting party. These four very similar photos were among a collection that Gerald Hancock, author of ‘Goyt Valley Romance’, allowed me to...
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 Grimshawe’s Catholic chapel was housed in the top floor turret at Errwood Hall. A light kept burning throughout the night was said to be visible throughout the valley. Above: Click to enlarge the press clipping. My thanks to Mike for sending this...
