Above: An example of what a difference a bit of sunshine can make! On the left is the previous photo from walk 15 Errwood to Goytsclough taken in March 2016. And on the right is the same view retaken in July 2019. I’ve been spending some time tidying up the...
Above: The wonderfully picturesque view from the bridge over the Goyt at Taxal (point 3 on the map below). Above: click to expand map. Some time ago Irene got in touch to ask how easy it was to get to the Goyt Valley using public transport. And my blunt answer was...
Above: Fernilee Toll House stood beside the Long Hill Road from Buxton to Whaley Bridge, on the right, a short distance past The Valentine on the left, which today leads down to the northern end of Fernilee Reservoir. Click on any of the images above to enlarge....
Above: It seems that William Wood’s memorial stone, on the back road between Disley and Whaley Bridge, attracted controversy right from the start. Gail has unearthed a couple of press clippings which show there’s been a fair amount of local opposition to...
Above: The packhorse bridge in the centre of Goyt’s Bridge was a popular view for both artists and photographers, as well as the many visitors who came to enjoy this gloriously picturesque spot. Janette kindly sent me a photo of a wonderful painting of the...
Above: The photograph of the ladies would have been taken from close to the packhorse bridge, looking down the lane which led to the larger bridge over the Goyt. I’ve just come across a couple of wonderful photographs taken in the Goyt Valley (click either...
Above: This illustration shows Chestergate, one of Chester’s most ancient streets, around the time Dale was incarcerated in the nearby gaol.He may well have passed this way on the back of a horse-drawn cart, through crowds of spectators, to his execution....
Above: In time-honoured fashion, the judge would have placed a black cloth over his wig when announcing the sentence of death on Dale. From the newspaper reports, he was obviously in a very poor health. And even in those far harsher times, there was a great deal of...
Above: Dale was tried in the courtrooms at Chester Castle, a forbidding mass of grey stone buildings squatting beside the River Dee. The castle still houses the Crown Courts, accessed though the impressive portico, which Dale would probably have passed through...
Above: Macclesfield Bank stood at the junction of Chestergate and Market Place. It was here that money stolen during William Wood’s brutal murder eventually ended up. Further testimony from the trial of Joseph Dale for the murder of William Wood. The...
