Above: The 1849 tithe map clearly shows the newer Stonyway Bar toll house at the junction of the two turnpikes. And the old one to the left, which appears to have been converted to a house. Alec has discovered a wonderful website that reveals a lot about the history...
Above: Goyt’s Moss Farmhouse lay beside the Old Buxton to Macclesfield Turnpike. The single-track road to the twin reservoirs is just out of the picture on the right. And the road snaking away into the distance ends close to the Cat & Fiddle, at the...
Above: The view today and in the 1960s. There’s a small car park beside the pond which is an ideal starting point for a short walk along the old railway line. It ends after about a mile at a blocked up tunnel. Walk 12 follows the entire line – as much...
Above: This scenic spot now lies under the waters of Errwood Reservoir. But it once drew visitors from far and wide. I came across this wonderful image during my search for the Stonyway Turnpike map at Matlock Public Record Office (see previous post). It’s a...
Above: I found this 1815 plan in The Derbyshire Records Office. Stonyway Bar is shown alongside the existing turnpike. The red line shows the proposed new route which avoided the worst of the steep slopes. We think the toll booth was moved to where the old and...
Above: ‘Lest we forget!!’. Perhaps it’s written by a soldier to his sweetheart, remembering a trip along the valley they shared when he was on leave from the trenches. I sometimes buy old postcards of the Valley if they’re not already on the...
Above: It’s easy to miss the milestone opposite Anncroft Road in Burbage, particularly as its directions and distances are now buried within the surrounding stones. The inset map shows that it would have stated 10 3/4 miles to Macclesfield. And 1 mile the other...
Above: This 1795 map shows Stonyway Gate lying on the first turnpike between Buxton and Macclesfield, which was completed in 1759. The second turnpike was opened in 1823, and crossed the old route at the same spot. After tracking down the milestone between the Cat...
Above: One thing I learned from last week’s talk is that MS stands for milestone and MP for milepost. And that posts were typically metal and superseded the stones. This map shows that stones were set beside the earlier turnpike, and posts on the later...
Above: A group of travellers in a horse-drawn carriage cross Derbyshire Bridge on their way north through the Errwood Estate. The photo probably dates to around the end of the 19th century. This narrow road between Goyt’s Moss and Whaley Bridge was known as...
