Dear R.S-S,umtali,George and others,

Many thanks for the photographs posted in response to my recent request and those posted previously.Sorry for the delay in replying but I have been doing some research into the subject in Buxton Library and also Whaley Bridge library where the staff were particularly helpful.Information gleaned from an early OS map(late 19C??) shows that there were two bridges at Goyts Bridge.I will attempt to attach a blown up section of this map!!The more northerly bridge which has the name Goyts Bridge adjacent on the map is over the Goyt opposite Errwood cottage and the gate to Errwood Hall.As it is constructed of dressed stone I suspect that it was built at the same time as the Hall to give a more convenient direct route to Goyts Lane which ran up to the top of Long Hill and thence to Buxton.This is the bridge shown on scans 20 & 22 at the start of this topic.Errwood cottage is shown on the pictures in post 44 & 66 and this bridge is in the trees  at the bottom left.

A short distance to the south the river Goyt,flowing from the south west is joined by Wildmoorstone Brook flowing from the south east .Just prior to this confluence there is a ford next to the stepping stones across the Goyt and a bridge over the Brook and immediately to theeastis Goytsbridge Farm.The photographs in posts 7,10,23,42,81 and 82 all show the stepping stones,the major stream (Goyt) flowing in from the right and the minor stream with the much older rough stone bridge flowing from the left.The photographer is stood between the two bridges looking south.The map shows three parallel farm buildings behind the stepping stones and immediately adjacent to the bridge.I believe that this bridge is the Packhorse bridge and that the farm which appears in most of the photographs is Goyts Head Farm-the one which I have been trying to locate.

A picture from a similar angle looking south is included in a book by Clifford Rathbone in Whaley Bridge library has the old bridge labelled as Goyts Bridge which some one has altered in pencil to state that it is in fact the bridge at Goyts Head Farm and that the newer bridge shown later in the book is in fact Goyts Bridge.

The 900 foot contour is marked on the map and I estimate that the high water level of the reservoir is at 920 feet.The bridge or adjacent cottage has a bench mark of 850 feet  so the bridge location is under 70 feet of water.Perhaps if the drought had continued the site might have been exposed.

Again many thanks for the magnificent photographs-I wonder who has the original painting that was used for one of the postcards

Best wishes

Dave Jepson

File Attachment(s):

h@heyrod_co_uk_20100719_095458.pdf (474kb) downloaded 55 time(s).

David Jepson attached the following image(s):