Errwood Hall
Encyclopedia
The ruin of Errwood Hall is a popular tourist destination in the scenic upper Goyt Valley within the Peak District
of England
.
businessman, and was occupied by the Grimshawe family for the next hundred years. The hall was the centre of a thriving estate
of over 2000 acres (8.1 km²), consisting of several farms, a school, the Cat and Fiddle Inn
, a private coal mine and the hamlet
of Goyt's Bridge. The family planted many specimen trees including an abundance of azaleas and rhododendron
s.
Samuel’s grandchildren were the last members of the family to live in the hall, which was later demolished in connection with the construction of the Fernilee reservoir
in 1934. Stones from the demolished hall were used to construct the water treatment works below the reservoir.
Of the hall, only the foundations to ground floor level, and a few sections of wall now survive. These have been consolidated and are in the care of the Peak Park Authority. On a hilltop a few hundred metres to the west of the hall ruins is the family graveyard, restored by North West Water
in the 1980s.
To the north of the hall is a small shrine or chapel, erected by the Grimshawe family to the memory of Miss Dolores de Ybarguen, a Spanish aristocrat who was the teacher at the estate school and governess
to the Grimshaw family who died on a visit to Lourdes
. The shrine is still regularly used for private acts of devotion
, intercession
and remembrance.
The rhododendrons planted by the Grimshawes have flourished and now have to be strictly managed.
Goyt's Bridge and much of the farmland of the estate is now submerged under the waters of the Errwood Reservoir
, though the old packhorse bridge
after which the hamlet was named was relocated further up the valley.
The hall and the surrounding area is one of the most visited parts of the Peak National Park, and is the starting point for many popular walks in the upper Goyt Valley. In recent summers it has also been the venue for a number of unofficial music festivals and rave
parties.
by Alan Garner
.
Peak District
The Peak District is an upland area in central and northern England, lying mainly in northern Derbyshire, but also covering parts of Cheshire, Greater Manchester, Staffordshire, and South and West Yorkshire....
of England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
.
History
Errwood Hall was built in the 1830s by Samuel Grimshawe, a wealthy ManchesterManchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
businessman, and was occupied by the Grimshawe family for the next hundred years. The hall was the centre of a thriving estate
Estate (house)
An estate comprises the houses and outbuildings and supporting farmland and woods that surround the gardens and grounds of a very large property, such as a country house or mansion. It is the modern term for a manor, but lacks the latter's now abolished jurisdictional authority...
of over 2000 acres (8.1 km²), consisting of several farms, a school, the Cat and Fiddle Inn
Cat and Fiddle Inn
The Cat and Fiddle Inn is the second-highest inn or public house in England . The inn is situated on the eastern fringes of Cheshire in the Peak District National Park on the A537 road just west of the Derbyshire/Cheshire county boundary, on the western side of Axe Edge Moor...
, a private coal mine and the hamlet
Hamlet (place)
A hamlet is usually a rural settlement which is too small to be considered a village, though sometimes the word is used for a different sort of community. Historically, when a hamlet became large enough to justify building a church, it was then classified as a village...
of Goyt's Bridge. The family planted many specimen trees including an abundance of azaleas and rhododendron
Rhododendron
Rhododendron is a genus of over 1 000 species of woody plants in the heath family, most with showy flowers...
s.
Samuel’s grandchildren were the last members of the family to live in the hall, which was later demolished in connection with the construction of the Fernilee reservoir
Fernilee Reservoir
Fernilee Reservoir is located in the Peak District National Park, within the county of Derbyshire and very close to the boundary with Cheshire. The reservoir was the first of two reservoirs built in the Goyt Valley; the other one being Errwood Reservoir. It was constructed by the Stockport Water...
in 1934. Stones from the demolished hall were used to construct the water treatment works below the reservoir.
The hall and estate today
North West Water
North West Water was a water supply company serving north west England. It was originally the North West Water Authority, one of ten regional authorities created by the Water Act 1973. In 1989 it became North West Water plc, and was privatised...
in the 1980s.
Governess
A governess is a girl or woman employed to teach and train children in a private household. In contrast to a nanny or a babysitter, she concentrates on teaching children, not on meeting their physical needs...
to the Grimshaw family who died on a visit to Lourdes
Lourdes
Lourdes is a commune in the Hautes-Pyrénées department in the Midi-Pyrénées region in south-western France.Lourdes is a small market town lying in the foothills of the Pyrenees, famous for the Marian apparitions of Our Lady of Lourdes occurred in 1858 to Bernadette Soubirous...
. The shrine is still regularly used for private acts of devotion
Catholic devotions
A Roman Catholic devotion is a gift of oneself, or one's activities to God. It is a willingness and desire to dedicate oneself to serve God; either in terms of prayers or in terms of a set of pious acts such as the adoration of God or the veneration of the saints or the Virgin Mary.Roman Catholic...
, intercession
Intercession of saints
Intercession of the saints is a Christian doctrine held by Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, Roman Catholic, and some Anglican churches, that deceased saints and the Blessed Virgin Mary intercede for believers, and that it is possible to ask deceased saints for their prayers...
and remembrance.
Goyt's Bridge and much of the farmland of the estate is now submerged under the waters of the Errwood Reservoir
Errwood Reservoir
Errwood Reservoir is located 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...
, though the old packhorse bridge
Packhorse bridge
A packhorse bridge is a bridge intended to carry packhorses across a river or stream. Typically a packhorse bridge consists of one or more narrow masonry arches, and has low parapets so as not to interfere with the horse's panniers.Packhorse bridges were often built on the trade routes that...
after which the hamlet was named was relocated further up the valley.
The hall and the surrounding area is one of the most visited parts of the Peak National Park, and is the starting point for many popular walks in the upper Goyt Valley. In recent summers it has also been the venue for a number of unofficial music festivals and rave
Rave
Rave, rave dance, and rave party are parties that originated mostly from acid house parties, which featured fast-paced electronic music and light shows. At these parties people dance and socialize to dance music played by disc jockeys and occasionally live performers...
parties.
Literary reference
The hall is the scene of the climax of the fantasy novel The Moon of GomrathThe Moon of Gomrath
The Moon of Gomrath is a fantasy story by the author Alan Garner, published in 1963. It is the sequel to The Weirdstone of Brisingamen.-Plot synopsis:...
by Alan Garner
Alan Garner
With his first book published, Garner abandoned his work as a labourer and gained a job as a freelance television reporter, living a "hand to mouth" lifestyle on a "shoestring" budget...
.
External links
- Errwood Hall Research Project at Whaley BridgeWhaley BridgeWhaley Bridge is a small town and civil parish in the High Peak district of Derbyshire, England, situated on the River Goyt. Whaley Bridge is approximately south of Manchester, north of Buxton , east of Macclesfield and west of Sheffield, and had a population of 6,226 at the 2001 census. This...
community website.