Editing Upper Goyt Valley

{{short description|Valley in the Peak District of England}}{{Infobox valley|name=Upper Goyt Valley|age=|elevation_ref=|direction=|length=|width=|area=|depth=|elevation_m=|type=|boundaries=|topo=|towns=|traversed=|watercourses=[[River Goyt]]
<!-- Below -->|footnotes=|elevation_ft=|map_alt=|elevation=|coordinates_ref=<!-- Statistics -->|coordinates={{Coord|53.2965|-1.9805|display=title, inline|type:river}}|label_position=|label=|relief=|location=[[Derbyshire]] and [[Cheshire]], [[England]]|map_caption=|other_name=|map_size=|map_image=|photo_caption=Fernilee Reservoir in the Goyt Valley|photo_alt=|photo_size=|photo=Fernilee Reservoir in the Goyt Valley.jpg|embed=}}{{Use dmy dates|date = March 2020}}
{{Use British English|date=March 2020}}

The '''Upper Goyt Valley''' is the southern section of the [[valley]] of the [[River Goyt]] in North West England.<ref>{{cite web|title=The Goyt Valley (Fact Sheet: 16)|url=http://www.peakdistrict.gov.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0003/79239/factsheet16-goytvalley.pdf|publisher=Peak District National Park Authority|access-date=28 April 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130512045222/http://www.peakdistrict.gov.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0003/79239/factsheet16-goytvalley.pdf|archive-date=12 May 2013|url-status=dead|df=dmy-all}}</ref>

== Position ==
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]].<ref>{{cite web|title=The River Goyt|url=http://www.peakdistrictinformation.com/features/goyt.php|website=www.peakdistrictinformation.com|access-date=8 April 2016}}</ref>
[[File:The Derbyshire Bridge, Goyt Valley - geograph.org.uk - 700033.jpg|thumb|292x292px|Derbyshire Bridge]]
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.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.cheshirenow.co.uk/derbyshire_bridge.html|title=Derbyshire Bridge|website=Cheshire Now|access-date=24 March 2020}}</ref>

== History ==
[[The Street (Derbyshire)|The Street]] [[Roman roads|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, Derbyshire|High Peak]] canal at [[Whaley Bridge]] with the [[River Derwent, Derbyshire|River Derwent]] in [[Cromford]] since 1831) runs along the east side of the reservoirs. This stretch of the railway line was closed in 1896.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url=https://www.wondersofthepeak.org.uk/facts/the-goyt-valley-fernilee-reservoir/|title=Fernilee Reservoir|website=Wonders Of The Peak|access-date=22 March 2020}}</ref> 

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.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.negh.co.uk/whaleybridgehistory/powder1.html|title=Whaley Bridge History, Furnilee Powder Mills, Page 1|website=Whaley Bridge Local History|access-date=24 March 2020}}</ref>
[[File:Spanish Shrine, Errwood Estate - geograph.org.uk - 701803.jpg|thumb|Spanish Shrine on Errwood Estate]]
[[Errwood Hall]] was the [[Victorian era|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.<ref>{{NHLE|num=1221410|desc=WAYSIDE SHRINE AT SK 0070 7525|access-date=26 September 2020}}</ref>

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.<ref name=":1" />

=== Reservoirs ===
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]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.derbyshireheritage.co.uk/Menu/Misc/Reservoirs/fernilee-reservoir.php|title=Fernilee Reservoir in the Goyt valley|website=Derbyshire Heritage|access-date=22 March 2020}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.goyt-valley.org.uk/history-of-fernilee-errwood-reservoirs/|title=History of the twin reservoirs {{!}} The Goyt Valley|website=The Goyt Valley|access-date=22 March 2020}}</ref>

== Moorland ==
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). [[Calluna vulgaris|Heather]] is the main plant but the heathland is habitat for a variety of native grasses, rushes, sedges and shrubs including [[bilberry]], [[Empetrum nigrum|crowberry]], [[Vaccinium vitis-idaea|cowberry]] and [[Erica tetralix|cross-leaved heath]]. [[Eriophorum vaginatum|Hare’s-tail cottongrass]] and [[Sphagnum|sphagnum moss]] are common along the Shining Tor ridge. The area is important for upland breeding birds including a large population of [[European golden plover|golden plover]], as well as [[red grouse]], [[Eurasian curlew|curlew]], [[Northern lapwing|lapwing]], [[whinchat]], [[Common snipe|snipe]], [[twite]], [[ring ouzel]] and [[Merlin (bird)|merlin]]. Along Goyt’s Clough (by the River Goyt from Derbyshire Bridge down to [[Errwood Reservoir]]) there are [[common sandpiper]] and [[White-throated dipper|dipper]] and the old commoner woodland includes [[oak]], [[birch]], [[Sorbus aucuparia|rowan]] and [[Alnus glutinosa|alder]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://designatedsites.naturalengland.org.uk/PDFsForWeb/Citation/1002841.pdf|title=Goyt Valley SSSI|date=31 January 1990|website=Natural England|access-date=12 April 2020}}</ref>

== Tourism ==
The valley has been a popular tourist destination since the 19th century.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|url=http://www.goytvalley.co.uk/history/|title=History|website=Goyt Valley Online|language=en-US|access-date=22 March 2020}}</ref>

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.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.friendsofthepeak.org.uk/boundary-walk/|title=Boundary Walk|date=2017-10-12|website=Friends of the Peak District|language=en-GB|access-date=2020-03-23}}</ref>

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.<ref name="OS119">{{cite map|title=Ordnance Survey: Landranger map sheet 119 ''Buxton & Matlock (Chesterfield,  Bakewell & Dove Dale)''|ISBN=9780319231890|publisher=Ordnance Survey|date=2012}}</ref>

==See also==
{{Portal|Cheshire|Derbyshire}}
*[[List of Sites of Special Scientific Interest in Cheshire]]
*[[List of Sites of Special Scientific Interest in Derbyshire]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:Valleys of the Peak District]]
[[Category:Valleys of Cheshire]]
[[Category:Valleys of Derbyshire]]
[[Category:Peak District]]
[[Category:Sites of Special Scientific Interest in Derbyshire]]
[[Category:Sites of Special Scientific Interest in Cheshire]]