Above: John Mills and his co-star come down Old Goyt’s Lane towards the packhorse bridge.
It’s been five years since Chris and I created the Goyt Valley Facebook Group and we’re already up to 2,500 members. It’s proved a wonderful source of memories and information from people who know and love this unique landscape. And occasionally we discover some real gems which really bring its rich history to life.
Thelma recently posted a couple of examples; a black and white photo of Errwood Hall which must have been taken shortly before it was demolished in the early 1930s. And a colour slide from 1966 showing the packhorse bridge. (Click either image below to enlarge.)
Andy then added a comment under Thelma’s bridge photo with a link to a 1947 film starring John Mills which features scenes shot in the valley, including the packhorse bridge.
Above: A view from Wildmorestone Brook looking north under the bridge towards the lane running up to The Street. The stepping stones are just visible on the left. (Click to enlarge.)
Above: I’d seen a very poor quality copy of this photo before. But this original reveals a couple of important features; the paths winding through the rhododendrons behind the hall. And a small section of sloping roof over what we thought was an open courtyard in the centre of the building.
So Well Remembered (1947)
Andy discovered the film on the ReelStreets website. He was interested because his mother remembers it being filmed in Macclesfield and it includes shots of his home.
Above: Click the arrow button to view the start of the section featuring the Goyt Valley, and the expand link to see it in full screen.
The complete film is on YouTube. The clip filmed in the Goyt Valley only lasts a couple of minutes but provides a fascinating visual record of the packhorse bridge. Starting from the bottom of Old Goyt’s Lane, our heroes take shelter from the rain under its arch before crossing the stepping stones and heading south to Goytsclough.
By coincidence, the clip ends close to where the packhorse bridge now spans the Goyt, a mile or so upstream. It was moved here in 1967 shortly before the hamlet of Goyt’s Bridge vanished under the waters of Errwood Reservoir. (Click any image to enlarge.)
Post update: Diane recently sent me another couple of photos of Goyt’s Bridge before this part of the valley was flooded – of her and her brother playing in the River Goyt just below Errwood Bridge in the late ’50s. I’ve put them at the bottom of this page.