Above: The orange circle above left shows the track leading down to the stepping stones from behind Goytshead Farm. I’ve also circled both sets of stepping stones on the old map of Goyt’s Bridge – the main ones over the Goyt in blue, and the second set in orange. A...
Above: A screengrab from my phone shows where I was standing when I took the photo of the twin gateposts. The sturdy gateposts that recently appeared above the surface of Errwood Reservoir lie on the opposite bank to those featured in the previous post and are a bit...
Above: Boothman’s Cottages would have been a bleak place to live in winter. But well-placed to pick up custom from the many travellers who passed this way. Above: An old photo showing the remains of the engine house (click to enlarge). There’s nothing now...
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: 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: 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: 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 And that posts were typically metal and superseded the stones.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: This photo, probably from the early 1900s, captures a lot of fascinating detail, including a horse-drawn cart coming towards the Cat & Fiddle which is just a short distance to the left, and a horse-drawn carriage heading towards Buxton....
