| Upper Goyt Valley | |
|---|---|
 Fernilee Reservoir in the Goyt Valley | |
| Geography | |
| Location | Derbyshire and Cheshire, England |
| Coordinates | 53°17′47″N1°58′50″W / 53.2965°N 1.9805°W Coordinates: 53°17′47″N1°58′50″W / 53.2965°N 1.9805°W |
| Rivers | River Goyt |
The Upper Goyt Valley is the southern section of the valley of the River Goyt in North West England. [1]
The source of the Goyt River is on Axe Edge Moor above Goyt's Moss to the south. The western side of the valley is a long ridge, running from Shining Tor to Windgather Rocks, which forms the county boundary between Derbyshire and Cheshire; the boundary formerly followed the river itself. The eastern side of the valley rises to Burbage Edge, overlooking Buxton, and Combs Moss. [2]
The old stone Derbyshire Bridge gets its name from it being at the historic boundary from Cheshire into Derbyshire. The road south out of the Goyt Valley is one-way and crosses the bridge. [3]
The Street Roman road runs alongside Errwood Reservoir and to the west of Fernilee Reservoir.
The disused Cromford and High Peak Railway line (which connected the High Peak canal at Whaley Bridge with the River Derwent in Cromford since 1831) runs along the east side of the reservoirs. This stretch of the railway line was closed in 1896. [4]
The Fernilee gunpowder mill operated in the valley from about 1800 at the site of Fernilee Reservoir. It was acquired in 1888 by Chilworth Gunpowder Company and expanded before closing in 1920, after numerous fatal accidents. [5]
Errwood Hall was the Victorian mansion of the Grimshawe family, built in about 1840 but it is now in ruins. Below Foxlow Edge there is a Spanish shrine, built in 1889 in memory of Miss Dolores (a friend of the Grimshawe family). The shrine is a designated Grade II listed building. [6]
A local legend tells that Pym Chair is the spot where a highway man called Pym robbed passers by on the packhorse route. However another story is that Pym was a preacher who gave sermons there. [7]
The valley floor is now dominated by two drinking-water reservoirs, fed by the River Goyt. Both reservoirs were built by the Stockport Corporation Waterworks (after they acquired the Grimshawe estate) to provide drinking water for Stockport town and the surrounding area. Fernilee Reservoir was completed in 1938 and the hamlet of Goyt's Bridge and Errwood Hall were destroyed to prevent any pollution of the water. Errwood Reservoir was completed in 1967. A spectacular suspension bridge once crossed the river but it was demolished to make way for Errwood Reservoir. An old packhorse bridge was saved and reconstructed near Goytsclough Quarry. The reservoirs and much of the surrounding land is currently owned by United Utilities. [8] [9]
The open gritstone moorlands of the Upper Goyt Valley (Wild Moor, Goyt's Moss, Burbage Edge, Shining Tor to Cats Tor ridge and Hop Moor) are a designated Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). Heather is the main plant but the heathland is habitat for a variety of native grasses, rushes, sedges and shrubs including bilberry, crowberry, cowberry and cross-leaved heath. Hare’s-tail cottongrass and sphagnum moss are common along the Shining Tor ridge. The area is important for upland breeding birds including a large population of golden plover, as well as red grouse, curlew, lapwing, whinchat, snipe, twite, ring ouzel and merlin. Along Goyt’s Clough (by the River Goyt from Derbyshire Bridge down to Errwood Reservoir) there are common sandpiper and dipper and the old commoner woodland includes oak, birch, rowan and alder. [10]
The valley has been a popular tourist destination since the 19th century. [7]
Errwood Sailing Club operates at Errwood Reservoir.
The Peak District Boundary Walk from Buxton follows the disused railway line into the Valley from the south east, crosses the Errwood Dam and then tracks along the west side of the Fernilee reservoir. [11]
There are two large car parks in the central valley at The Street and Errwood Hall. There are smaller car parks at Derbyshire Bridge to the south and at the northern end of Fernilee Reservoir. There are extensive footpaths through the valley. [12]
The Peak District is an upland area in England at the southern end of the Pennines. It is mostly in northern Derbyshire, but includes parts of Cheshire, Greater Manchester, Staffordshire, West Yorkshire and South Yorkshire. An area of diversity, it is usually split into the Dark Peak, where most moorland is found and the geology is gritstone, and the White Peak, a limestone area, known for valleys and gorges that cut through the limestone plateau. The Dark Peak forms an arc on the north, east and west sides; the White Peak makes up the central and southern tracts. It became the United Kingdom's first national park in 1951. Proximity to Manchester, Stoke-on-Trent, Derby and Sheffield brings millions of urban visitors every year. It is thought that 20 million people live within an hour's journey.
The River Etherow is a river in northern England, and a tributary of the River Goyt. Although now passing through South Yorkshire, Derbyshire and Greater Manchester, it historically formed the ancient county boundary between Cheshire and Derbyshire. The upper valley is known as Longdendale. The river has a watershed of approximately 30 square miles (78 km2), and the area an annual rainfall of 52.5 inches (1,330 mm).
The River Goyt is a river in North West England. It is one of the tributaries of the River Mersey.
High Peak is a borough in Derbyshire, England. Administered by High Peak Borough Council from Buxton and Glossop, it is mostly composed of high moorland plateau in the Dark Peak area of the Peak District National Park. The district stretches from Holme Moss in the north to Sterndale Moor in the south and from Hague Bar in the west to Bamford in the east. The population of the borough taken at the 2011 Census was 90,892.
New Mills is a town in Derbyshire, England. It is approximately 8 miles (13 km) south-east of Stockport and 13 miles (21 km) from Manchester, at the confluence of the rivers Goyt and Sett, close to the border of Cheshire. The town stands above the Torrs, a 70 feet (21 m) deep gorge, cut through Woodhead Hill Sandstone of the Carboniferous period. It is on the north-western edge of the Peak District, England's first national park.
Whaley Bridge is a town and civil parish in the High Peak district of Derbyshire, England. It is on the River Goyt, 16 miles (26 km) southeast of Manchester, 7 miles (11 km) north of Buxton, 9 miles (14 km) east of Macclesfield and 28 miles (45 km) west of Sheffield. It had a population of 6,455 at the 2011 census, including Furness Vale, Horwich End, Bridgemont, Fernilee, Stoneheads and Taxal.
Errwood Reservoir is a drinking-water reservoir in the Peak District National Park, within the county of Derbyshire and very close to the boundary with Cheshire. The reservoir was the second of two reservoirs built in the Goyt Valley, the other one being Fernilee Reservoir. It was constructed by the Stockport Water Corporation at a cost of £1.5 million, with work being completed in 1967; it is currently owned and operated by United Utilities. The reservoir provides drinking water for the town of Stockport and its surrounding areas, and it holds 4,215 million litres (1.113×109 US gal) of water.
Shining Tor is a hill with a height of 559 metres (1,834 ft) above sea level in the Peak District of England, between the towns of Buxton and Macclesfield, lying on the modern administrative border between Derbyshire and Cheshire East. Its summit is the highest point in the unitary council area of Cheshire East and in the former administrative county of Cheshire (1974–2009). However, it is not as often stated the (historic) county top of Cheshire, as this title belongs to Black Hill near Crowden. The word tor means a high rock, and is a loan word from Old Brythonic. The hill forms a long moorland ridge running north–south between Whaley Bridge and the A537 road to the west of the Cat and Fiddle Inn, which also includes Cats Tor to the north.
Axe Edge Moor is the major moorland southwest of Buxton in the Peak District. It is mainly gritstone. Its highest point is at grid reference SK035706. This is slightly lower than Shining Tor.
The A5004 is an A road in Derbyshire, England running north from Buxton to Whaley Bridge. A large section of the road is called Long Hill. It was formerly part of the A6. It runs through a scenic area of the Peak District National Park. In 2010 it was named as the seventh most dangerous road in Britain.
Todd Brook is a small river running through the English counties of Cheshire and Derbyshire.
The ruin of Errwood Hall is a popular tourist destination in the scenic Upper Goyt Valley within the Peak District of England.
Burbage Brook is an upper tributary stream of the River Derwent in the Peak District of England.
Shallcross is a small village in northwestern Derbyshire, England. It is located 15 miles (24 km) south of Manchester, at the edge of the Peak District, on the eastern side of the River Goyt. Located between Whaley Bridge and Fernilee, it is now administered as part of the larger community of Whaley Bridge. The area attracts many outdoors enthusiasts, especially hikers, because of the beauty and variety of the scenery. The country rises steeply as it ascends the Goyt Valley from the canal terminal at Whaley Bridge, past the Fernilee Reservoir, and onto the highlands of Axe Edge Moor.
The Peak District Boundary Walk is a circular 190-mile (310 km) walking trail, starting and finishing at Buxton and broadly following the boundary of the Peak District, Britain's first national park. The route was developed by the Friends of the Peak District and was launched on 17 June 2017.
Fernilee Reservoir is a drinking-water reservoir fed by the River Goyt in the Peak District National Park, within the county of Derbyshire and very close to the boundary with Cheshire. The village of Fernliee sits at the north end of the reservoir, with Goyt's Moss to the south and between Hoo Moor to the west and Combs Moss to the east.
Burbage Edge is a gritstone escarpment overlooking the Burbage district of Buxton in Derbyshire, in the Peak District. The hill's summit is 500 metres (1,600 ft) above sea level. Not to be confused with the Burbage Rocks extension of Stanage Edge near Hathersage.
Cats Tor is a Peak District hill on the border between Cheshire and Derbyshire, between the towns of Macclesfield and Buxton. The summit is 518 metres (1,699 ft) above sea level. Tor is an Old English word for a high, rocky hill.
Cromford Incline is a former railway incline in Cromford, Derbyshire. Historically on the Cromford and High Peak Railway. The incline was one of six inclines along the entire line from Cromford to Whaley Bridge in High Peak, Derbyshire. The incline was opened in 1830 and was in use until 1967 when the entire line from Whaley Bridge to Middleton was closed. With the section to Cromford closing in 1963. Today, the incline is used as part of the High Peak Trail. Cromford Incline was also 1 in 9 gradient. Like the other ones along the former railway.
