Goyt Valley resources

A list of books, maps and websites for anyone interested in the social and industrial history of the Goyt Valley. Please get in touch if you can suggest any more I could include.

Books & booklets…

Goyt Valley Story by Clifford Rathbone
A collection of updated articles which first appeared in the Macclesfield Express during the summer of 1955. Read chapter | More info and download link.

The Goyt (The Forgotten Valley) and Errwood Hall by Gerald Hancock
Self-Published by the author, this is Gerald’s first book on the Goyt Valley. More info and download link.

Goyt Valley… and its people by Gerald Hancock
Self-published in 1996, this was the first version of Gerald’s better-known ‘Goyt valley Romance’. It’s virtually identical, but with some different photos. More info and download link.

Goyt Valley Romance; Errwood Hall & The Grimshawes by Gerald Hancock
Self-published in 2001, this is virtually identical to the previous version, but updated with some new photos and text changes. More info and download link.

Goyt Valley Miner; Errwood Hall & Castedge Pit by Kevin Dranfield
Self-published by the author in 2008. More info.

The Gunpowder Mills of Fernilee by Joyce Winfield
Self-published by the author in 1996. Read chapter.

Tales from the Waterworks by Geoff Howe
One man’s recollections of working in the Reservoir Waterworks from the 1950s to the late ’90s. Click to read.

Goyt Valley by Roland Smith
Published by the Peak District National Park in the late 1970s. Click to view chapters.

Various articles & chapters
Click here to view posts with references to books and articles published on the valley.

Web sites…

Goyt Valley Appreciation Society Facebook Group
Launched in February 2019 and now boasting well over 1000 members.

Whaley Bridge Local History Group
My favourite resource for information on the history of the Goyt Valley. The site also includes lots of photos of the valley before, during and after the construction of the twin reservoirs.

Whaley Bridge History Forum
The discussion forum of the Whaley Bridge History Group.

Errwood Hall
The Whaley Bridge Local History’s pages on Errwood Hall contain a wealth of information and photos.

Errwood Hall Wikipedia page

The Grimshawe family
A genealogy website for anyone researching the history of the Grimshaw(e) name. Samuel Grimshawe built and lived in Errwood Hall. His family crest of a griffin was above the entrance door.

The Cromford & High Peak Railway Wikipedia page

Old maps…

The best place to find old maps of the Goyt Valley is the National Library of Scotland’s website. Here’s a list of good examples (click any link to view);

Derbyshire XIV.SEPublished: 1882. Surveyed: 1878 to 1879.This includes the Derbyshire side of Goyt’s Bridge.

Derbyshire XIV.SEPublished: 1899. Revised: 1897. This shows both Cheshire and Derbyshire sides of Goyt’s Bridge.

Click here to view posts on this website about historical maps of the Goyt Valley.

Research papers…

The Goyt Valley Archaeological Survey 1994
The most detailed archeological survey ever compiled on the Goyt Valley and surrounding area. These links are to pdf files – one for the survey, and the other for the associated illustrations and maps.
The Goyt Valley, Hartington Upper Quarter, Derbyshire Archaeological Survey
Survey maps and illustrations
By John Barnatt 1994

The Goyt’s Moss Colliery
An extensive report published in the Derbyshire Archaeological Journal (Vol 117, 1997) into the history of coal mining at Goyt’s Moss by John Barnatt.

Various resources…

Scans of two volumes of A3 papers once kept in the Derbyshire Bridge Rangers’ hut.
More info
Volume 1 pdf 39 pages
Volume 2 pdf 49 pages

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