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The Goyt Valley lies in the west of the Peak District National Park on the Derbyshire/Cheshire border.....
The valley is close to the towns of Buxton and Macclesfield and within an easy journey of many large towns and cities. It is considered to be one of the ‘honeypot’ area of the National Park.
The name of the valley is associated with the dialect word goyt or goit for stream or watercourse. This is turn came from the Old English word gota.
FORMATION OF THE GOYT VALLEY
Around 280 to 350 million years ago, mud gravel and sand were washed down to the Peak District area by a vast river from what is now the highlands of Scotland.
These layers of mud and sand were laid down in the sometimes deep and sometimes shallow waters of the estuary of the river. Over millions of years the muds and sands were compressed to become layers of shale and gritstone rock.
Vegetation growing in the river delta formed the pockets of coal found in the valley. The lower coal measures exposed at the southern end of the valley make this an area of special geological significance and contribute to its designation as an SSSI (Site of Special Scientific Interest).
Movements of the earth tilted and folded these rocks to form the Goyt syncline - a downward fold in the rocks.
Successive Ice Ages shaped the exposed shales and gritstones and later still the river Goyt started to carve out the valley as we see it today. The layers of carboniferous grits and shales reach their highest point at Shining Tor (559 metres).
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Landscape of the Goyt Valley The Goyt Valley is a typical example of Dark Peak scenery. Here you can find high moorland, river and valley scenery with the man-made additions of the Fernileee and Errwood reservoirs. The landscape of the Goyt Valley is a mosaic, ranging from the heather and grasses of the moorland pastures, to the woodland and enclosed farmland of the valley. This interesting mix of landscapes provides nationally important, semi-natural habitats for wildlife and nature conservation. It also adds to the attraction of the Goyt Valley. The river Goyt rises on the moorland slopes near the Cat and Fiddle Inn. It flows northwards through steep rocky ‘cloughs’ (valleys) and is the main feeder for the Errwood and Fernilee Reservoirs. The Goyt collects tributaries at Whaley Bridge, and merges with the Etherow and Tame at Stockport to become the River Mersey. |
HISTORY OF THE GOYT VALLEY
The earliest history of the Goyt Valley belongs to Neolithic farmers around 3,000 BC, who were the first to start felling trees and clearing the ground for cultivation. farming continued to be the predominant use of the valley for centuries. Following the Norman Conquest the Goyt lay between two Royal Hunting Forests (Peak Forest and Macclesfield Forest).
Since at least the 1500s and until earlier this century, the Goyt Valley supported a flourishing community. Tenanted farms, coal mines, a water mill, a railway and a gunpowder mill were all part of the landscape. The flooding of the valley to form the Errwood and Fernilee reservoirs changes its use dramatically.
LOCAL INDUSTRY
(see map for locations)
The Chilworth Gunpowder factory (which may date back to the 16th century) now lies under the waters of Fernilee Reservoir. A serious explosion in 1909 killed three men, but the factory was still very active during the First World War (1914-1918).
In 1670 Thomas Pickford turned to road mending after his estate was confiscated by Cromwell. Packhorse trains carrying the stone from Goytsclough Quarry were found an alternative load for their return journey and in this way, the giant Pickfords removal firm had its humble origins.
Near Goytsclough Quarry are the few remains of a Paint Mill operating in the 19th century, where a water powered wheel crushed barytes (mined locally) to a powder, which was used in the manufacture of paint.
Around Derbyshire Bridge are the remains of dozens of old coal mining shafts, which provided coal for homes and for the local lime burning industry.
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Errwood Hall
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The Cat & Fiddle in the 1920's
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The grounds and ruins of the former Errwood Hall lie to the west of Errwood Reservoir. Built in the 1830s by the Grimshaw family, Errwood Hall was once a solid Victorian mansion where the family lived and entertained in style. The house was reduced to a ruin when the Fernilee reservoir was built in the 1930s. A shrine built in memory of a well-loved Spanish governess can still be seen.
CAT AND FIDDLE
Dating back to at least the early 19th century, the Cat and Fiddle Inn is the second highest inn in England, standing at 515 metres above sea level.
The old Macclesfield to Buxton turnpike road passed behind the Cat and Fiddle Inn and then followed the road down to Derbyshire Bridge and along the Old Macclesfield Road to Burbage. The new A537 was built in 1823.
ROUTEWAYS AND TRANSPORT
Roman roads, medieval packhorse tracks and hollow ways cross the area and show its past significance as a trade route.
Before surfaced roads, packhorses, led by jaggers were the main form of transporting valuable goods such as salt. One packhorse route came over the hills from Cheshire via Pym Chair, down across the Goyt, over a packhorse bridge at Wildmoorstone Brook and on to Buxton. There is a local legend that Pym the highwayman used to watch from Pym Chair and then ambush the jaggers. The old packhorse bridge was dismantled when the reservoirs were built and rebuilt over the river at Goytsclough Quarry. It is now known as Goyts Bridge.
RAILWAY LINE
In 1830 the Cromford and High Peak Railway was built to link the Peak Forest Canal at Whaley Bridge with the Cromford Canal at Matlock. Stationary steam engines were used to haul trains up the steep Bunsal Incline. Following a fatal accident in 1877, passenger services were ended.
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