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Errwood Hall & the Lost Hamlet of Goyt’s Bridge: a treasure trove of old photos, maps and information.
Welcome . . .
…to everyone who shares my passion for the magical Goyt Valley, close to Buxton in the Peak District National Park.
Valley walks
There are some wonderful walks in and around the Goyt Valley. I’ve included some personal favourites.
Recent posts
1950s & ’60s snapshots
A series of family holiday snaps taken in the late 1950s and early ’60s, before the flooding of Errwood Reservoir, provide a unique view of both Errwood Hall and the packhorse bridge.
Over the suspension bridge
A recently discovered 1945 aerial photo of the southern tip of Fernilee Reservoir captures the metal suspension bridge which was removed in the mid ’60s, shortly before Errwood was flooded.
Goyt Valley GPX files
GPX files for all 30 walks in and around the Goyt Valley featured here are now available – for the grand sum of just £1 each. Proceeds will go towards hosting the website.
Bob’s high and dry!
The ghostly figure of Bob looks out across Errwood Reservoir as the water level continues to drop dramatically. Will he be first to see Errwood Bridge appear above the surface. Time will tell…
Fell’s Experimental Railway
An obvious drawback with trains is that they can’t get up and down slopes. An experiment carried out in the Goyt Valley over 150 years ago tried to solve this problem.
Revealing the stones
Forestry England has recently been clearing undergrowth from the old drive leading from Goyt’s Bridge to Errwood Hall, and it’s revealed some intriguing features alongside Shooters’ Clough.
Green shoots of recovery
The green shoots of recovery are emerging from the devastation caused by the recent fire in the southern Goyt Valley. The cause is likely to have been a portable BBQ. They need to be banned ASAP.
Searching for clues
Joe Brown’s Numbers is a 20-mile orienteering challenge around the Goyt Valley created by the famous climber in the 1960s. I’ve divided it into two more manageable walks with clues.
An earlier challenge?
A recently discovered set of numbers are similar to those on Joe Brown’s orienteering challenge. But these point to Errwood Bridge, which now lies under Errwood Reservoir.
Bunsall Incline cottage
A grainy photo of a building half-way down the Bunsall Incline has always intrigued me. A recently discovered map from around 1855 shows it marked as a cottage, lying opposite a long-lost engine house.
Good or bad guys?
The Braddock family had worked for the Grimshawes since the building of Errwood Hall. So it was a surprise to learn that they were a tight-knit band of notorious highwaymen.
Mystery earthworks
Many theories have been proposed for the mysterious, mile-long earthwork between Watford and Longhill Farms. Was it for a large gun, a railway test track, or perhaps an abandoned turnpike extension?
Trip to the Valley in 1967
Some photos taken in 1967, shortly before the completion of Errwood Reservoir, including views along the Bunsall Incline as well as the suspension bridge which once spanned Fernilee Reservoir.
An alternative view
An original oil painting that appeared recently on ebay could be an early draft of my favourite postcard view of Goyt’s Bridge. The vendor gave me permission to sell copies to help fund this website.
Goyt’s Bridge painting
Just discovered in Buxton Museum’s collection; a late 19th century oil painting showing the highly popular view of Goyt’s Bridge, over the stepping stones towards the packhorse bridge.
Goytsclough parking closed
Forestry England has recently closed off the popular parking areas at Goytsclough with a long row of large boulders in an attempt to stop what they call ‘antisocial behaviour’.
The path to the stones
A photo taken back in late August 2022, when the water level in Errwood Reservoir dropped significantly, revealed the path running down to the second set of stepping stones.
Second stepping stones
A 1918 photo taken from Goyt’s Lane towards Goytshead Farm comes frustratingly close to revealing a second set of stepping stones close to the packhorse bridge in Goyt’s Bridge.
Goyt Valley walks
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