Above: Bunty and Lucy (the dog) with one of the last groups of children she taught there, pictured in 1972. Chris Wilman was brought up close to the Goyt Valley and remembers one of her favourite teachers… ‘Bunty’ Sidebottom was the teacher at the hamlet...
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: Old Goyt’s Lane now vanishes beneath the waters of Errwood Reservoir. But in Vera and Rolands’ day this attractive walk would have ended in the picturesque hamlet of Goyt’s Bridge. It’s poignant to imagine the two lovers looking across...
Above: The writer mentions these cottages which once stood between the stone quarry and the paint mill. A rectangular shape on the ground is all that remains today. The waterwheel would have been behind the slope to the right. (Click here for more on the cottages.) My...
Clifford Rathbone’s ‘Goyt Valley Story’ has been out of print for many years. But the current copyright holders, Willow Publishing, have kindly granted permission to publish the first chapter here. The book contains a series of articles written by...
Above: This postcard view of the Cat & Fiddle would have been painted in the late 19th century. Inset: A line illustration of the same view accompanied Strephon’s report of his 1888 visit. Above: The 7th Duke of Devonshire (1808-1891) seems to have been...
Above: Captain John Butler and his wife, Hannah, are buried beneath a stone cross – the central one of the three shown here – in the Grimshawe family’s hill-top cemetery, above the ruins of Errwood Hall. Above: The inscription is now becoming hidden...
Above: The gunpowder mill once employed around 100 men. Today the ruins lie beneath the northern end of Fernilee Reservoir. Joyce published the 56-page, A5 booklet in 1996. For a signed copy, send a cheque for £8 made out to J Winfield, 13 Jodrell Meadow, Whaley...
Above: These winter views are from Corrie’s collection of old postcards. An old lady in a red shawl with her basket of shopping walks beside the Goyt. And the Cat & Fiddle Inn in deep snow – which was probably the ‘lone hostel on the...
Above: There are very few good quality colour photos of the Goyt Valley before the construction of the twin reservoirs. This one comes from Corrie’s collection of old postcards and shows a view over the stepping stones in Goyt’s Bridge, as the Goyt...
