Whaley Bridge
Encyclopedia
Whaley 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 16 mi (25.7 km) south of Manchester
, 7 mi (11.3 km) north of Buxton
(53°20′N 1°59′W), 9 mi (14.5 km) east of Macclesfield
and 28 mi (45.1 km) west of Sheffield
, and had a population of 6,226 at the 2001 census
. This includes the village of Furness Vale
, which falls within the boundaries of Whaley Bridge. Other districts of 'Whaley', as it is known locally, include Horwich End , Bridgemont , Fernilee Stoneheads and Taxal. The town attracts walkers and tourists because of its natural beauty - waterways, woodlands and hills.
There is evidence of prehistoric activity in the area, including early Bronze Age
standing stones
, burial sites and the remains of a stone circle
. A bronze-age axe head was discovered in 2005. There has long been speculation that the 'Roosdyche', a complex of banks and ditches on the eastern side of the town, is of prehistoric human origin, but investigations in 1962 concluded that it was formed by glacial meltwater
.
The name of Weyley or Weylegh appears in many 13th century documents and is derived from the Anglo Saxon
weg leah meaning a clearing by the road. In 1351 the lands of Weyley and Yeardsley were granted to William Joddrell for his faithful service to Edward, the Black Prince
. In the 14th century, it housed the residence of William Jauderell
and his descendants (the name also spelt Jodrell). The Jodrells continued to call their lands Yeardsley Whaley for centuries and when the first local government board was formed in 1863 and the area became an urban district
, the town adopted its popular name of Whaley Bridge and the town has been called so ever since.
The River Goyt formed the historical boundary between Derbyshire
and Cheshire
. The present town of Whaley Bridge was divided into smaller towns in both counties. Historical records show that in 1316 on the Cheshire side there were Taxal, Yeardsley and Whaley with the last two being combined into one district of 'Yeardsley-cum-Whaley'. The Derbyshire side consisted only of Fernilee which included the villages of Shallcross and Horwich. This side was in the parish
of Hope
and was part of the Forest of High Peak
, while the Cheshire side was part of the Forest of Macclesfield
. From 1796 Taxal and Yeardsley were effectively joined in that the Jodrell family was the main landowner in both towns, although the administration of these remained separate until 1936.
Up until the late 19th century the population of the area grew slowly. For example in the diocesan census in 1563, Taxal is recorded as having 26 households, and by the mid-18th century Taxal and Yeardsley together only reached 55 households. In 1791 land at Whaley Bridge was advertised for sale, the owner believing that its waterpower would be useful in the textile industry, but the two townships remained very small and only had a population of 853 between them by 1841. Up to this time agriculture and coalmining had been the main occupations.
The town expanded greatly in the Industrial Revolution
and the population almost trebled to 2,322. Although there had been coal mines from earlier times, by 1871 cotton mill
s had become the dominant industry. Coalmining took place in the area from its very early days because of a large geographical fault which traverses the Whaley Bridge basin from east to west resulting in the coal outcropping in various places. Documentary evidence of 1587 indicates a well-established coal industry in the "Towneshepp of Weley" known today as Whaley Bridge. Today, there is less intensive agriculture labour and there is no coalmining in the area.
Whaley Bridge continues to expand as new housing is built, but it retains the character of a small town. As the self-styled 'Gateway to the Goyt' it attracts tourists, mainly walkers, but it has not become dominated by the tourist industry, unlike some other local towns and villages. With a good commuter railway service to Manchester
many people travel to work in the Manchester or Cheshire
areas. With the introduction of ADSL broadband internet services increasingly people work from home.
The town has been twinned with Tymbark
, Poland
since June 1994.
was granted Parliamentary consent in 1825. It was fully opened for passenger and goods traffic on 6 July 1831. The railway linked the wharf at the head of the Whaley Bridge Branch of the Peak Forest Canal
to the Cromford Canal
at Cromford Wharf
. It had seven inclined planes, the first being situated within the town of Whaley Bridge itself. Unlike the other six inclined planes, which were operated by stationary steam engines, this one was operated by a horse-driven gin, which remained operational until 9 April 1952. This plane was much shorter than the others, being only 180 yards (165 m) long and rising at 1:13.5. Approach to the top of the plane was under a very low bridge and, because of this, waggons had to be hauled to and from the top of the plane by horses.
Horses also worked the bottom section of the line and the tracks ran onto a wharf and into two mills. Another notable feature on the bottom section is an iron bridge that carries the line across the River Goyt.
and Toddbrook Reservoir
s to the south.
A new joint project between British Waterways
and several Whaley Bridge community groups to bring this important building back to life, and to serve as a centre of the Whaley Bridge community, was envisaged in 2007 and is the subject of a grant application to the East Midlands Development Agency under their Waterways Regeneration Funding offer in 2008.
Whaley Bridge is a civil parish with the status of a town. At the lowest level of local government
is Whaley Bridge Town Council, consisting of 12 councillors. Three councillors are elected for each of the four wards of Fernilee, Furness Vale, Taxal and Yeardsley.
The next tier of local government is High Peak Borough Council. Whaley Bridge constitutes one of the borough's 28 wards. It returns 3 of the 43 borough councillors. At the last council elections in May 2007, two Liberal Democrat and one independent councillor were elected.
The top tier of local administration is the 64-member Derbyshire County Council. The town is included in the electoral division of Whaley Bridge and Blackbrook, electing one county councillor.
to govern the town. Under the Local Government Act 1894
this became Yeardsley-cum-Whaley Urban District
. On the Derbyshire side of the Goyt, the parish of Fernilee was included in Chapel en le Frith Rural District. In 1936 a county review order
merged the urban district with the built-up part of Fernilee to form Whaley Bridge Urban District, with the new district placed in Derbyshire.
In 1974 the Local Government Act 1972
came into force, abolishing all urban and rural districts in England and Wales
, and replacing them with non-metropolitan district
s. Whaley Bridge became part of the district of High Peak, with a successor parish
formed for the area of the urban district. The parish council resolved that Whaley Bridge should have the status of a town.
, New Mills
, Hope Valley
, Buxton
, Macclesfield
or Stockport
.
Schools in these areas could include Chapel-en-le-Frith High School
, Hope Valley College
, The King's School in Macclesfield and Stockport Grammar School
.
parish of Whaley Bridge has two churches. St James, Taxal stands on a site a mile from the town centre and was established in the 12th century. Parts of the tower may date back to that time, although much of the church was rebuilt in the 17th and 19th centuries. Holy Trinity, Fernilee was established near the town centre in 1905. Parts of the town are included in the Cheshire parish of St John, Disley, and are served by the Church of St John the Divine, Furness Vale.
The Roman Catholic Church of the Sacred Heart, Whaley Lane, serves the parish of Whaley Bridge and Disley.
The United Reformed Church
and Methodists
formed a local ecumenical partnership
, the "Whaley Bridge Uniting Partnership" in 1983, subsequently joined by the Baptists
. The partnership has three places of worship: Whaley Bridge Uniting Church, Fernilee Methodist Church and Kettleshulme Chapel.
The Good News Church is an evangelical church based in the Gospel Hall, Old Road.
Whaley Hall is a large detached Victorian house near Toddbrook Reservoir. Since 1979 it has been a retreat house and conference centre run by the "Community of the King of Love": an ecumenical community of men and women.
. On shore there was Punch and Judy
, a fairground, craft and plant stalls, food and ice cream and a variety of music and traditional dancing on stage. This longer boat trip is run in cooperation with New Horizons from Marple, a 72-foot boat built especially for those with limited physical capabilities. As of November 2009 the future of the event was in doubt due to an ageing committee, but the event was secured and remains a fixture in the June calendar. The weekend of W3 is followed by the Well Dressing
Weekend, a traditional Derbyshire event in which the local well is decorated with large collages of cones, flower petals, etc. The events end with a Rose Queen Procession and Festival Parade where groups of local young people from the town process through the main streets in their finery and on decorated floats. In 2009 a Fell Race, known as The Whaley Waltz, was added to the Rose Queen programme and annually attracts over 180 runners. Organised by Goyt Vally Striders the race starts in the centre of the village and climbs 900ft to Windgather Rocks. It finishes after crossing the River Goyt on Forge Road.
The final event of the year is the switching on of the Christmas tree lights outside the Jodrell Arms Hotel, close to Whaley Bridge railway station
. This is usually done by the chair of the Town Council and is accompanied by seasonable music from members of Whaley Bridge Brass Band. Father Christmas
traditionally arrives at the Transhipment Warehouse on the Whaley Wharf of the Peak Forest Canal on a canal boat and processes to the Mechanics' Institute accompanied by his helpers. Businesses make their contribution to the town's Christmas decorations by way of small trees above their shop windows and bright lights around their shop fronts.
The Town Council erects two large trees each year, the second being by the Soldier Dick public house at Furness Vale.
.
The fictional Coronation Street
character Minnie Caldwell retired to become a housekeeper in Whaley Bridge in 1976.
In the travel section of The Sunday Telegraph, a headline article 'My Top Ten Train Trips' by Tony Robinson
writes of the Manchester to Derby journey, "It is not a trip to do all in one go; stop off at the dramatic little town of Whaley Bridge and have a stroll around the historic Peak Forest Canal Basin".
High Peak Borough Council
High Peak Borough Council is a non-metropolitan district council with borough status in the north of Derbyshire, England. It forms part of the two tier system of local government alongside Derbyshire County Council for the High Peak. The administrative base of High Peak Borough Council is split...
district of Derbyshire
Derbyshire
Derbyshire is a county in the East Midlands of England. A substantial portion of the Peak District National Park lies within Derbyshire. The northern part of Derbyshire overlaps with the Pennines, a famous chain of hills and mountains. The county contains within its boundary of approx...
, England, situated on the River Goyt. Whaley Bridge is approximately 16 mi (25.7 km) south of Manchester
Manchester
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...
, 7 mi (11.3 km) north of Buxton
Buxton
Buxton is a spa town in Derbyshire, England. It has the highest elevation of any market town in England. Located close to the county boundary with Cheshire to the west and Staffordshire to the south, Buxton is described as "the gateway to the Peak District National Park"...
(53°20′N 1°59′W), 9 mi (14.5 km) east of Macclesfield
Macclesfield
Macclesfield is a market town within the unitary authority of Cheshire East, the county palatine of Chester, also known as the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. The population of the Macclesfield urban sub-area at the time of the 2001 census was 50,688...
and 28 mi (45.1 km) west of Sheffield
Sheffield
Sheffield is a city and metropolitan borough of South Yorkshire, England. Its name derives from the River Sheaf, which runs through the city. Historically a part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, and with some of its southern suburbs annexed from Derbyshire, the city has grown from its largely...
, and had a population of 6,226 at the 2001 census
Census
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
. This includes the village of Furness Vale
Furness Vale
Furness Vale is a village in the High Peak district of Derbyshire, England situated between New Mills and Whaley Bridge. It is bisected by the A6 road and the Peak Forest Canal...
, which falls within the boundaries of Whaley Bridge. Other districts of 'Whaley', as it is known locally, include Horwich End , Bridgemont , Fernilee Stoneheads and Taxal. The town attracts walkers and tourists because of its natural beauty - waterways, woodlands and hills.
History
Bronze Age Britain
Bronze Age Britain refers to the period of British history that spanned from c. 2,500 until c. 800 BC. Lasting for approximately 1700 years, it was preceded by the era of Neolithic Britain and was in turn followed by the era of Iron Age Britain...
standing stones
Menhir
A menhir is a large upright standing stone. Menhirs may be found singly as monoliths, or as part of a group of similar stones. Their size can vary considerably; but their shape is generally uneven and squared, often tapering towards the top...
, burial sites and the remains of a stone circle
Stone circle
A stone circle is a monument of standing stones arranged in a circle. Such monuments have been constructed across the world throughout history for many different reasons....
. A bronze-age axe head was discovered in 2005. There has long been speculation that the 'Roosdyche', a complex of banks and ditches on the eastern side of the town, is of prehistoric human origin, but investigations in 1962 concluded that it was formed by glacial meltwater
Meltwater
Meltwater is the water released by the melting of snow or ice, including glacial ice and ice shelfs over oceans. Meltwater is often found in the ablation zone of glaciers, where the rate of snow cover is reducing...
.
The name of Weyley or Weylegh appears in many 13th century documents and is derived from the Anglo Saxon
Old English language
Old English or Anglo-Saxon is an early form of the English language that was spoken and written by the Anglo-Saxons and their descendants in parts of what are now England and southeastern Scotland between at least the mid-5th century and the mid-12th century...
weg leah meaning a clearing by the road. In 1351 the lands of Weyley and Yeardsley were granted to William Joddrell for his faithful service to Edward, the Black Prince
Edward, the Black Prince
Edward of Woodstock, Prince of Wales, Duke of Cornwall, Prince of Aquitaine, KG was the eldest son of King Edward III of England and his wife Philippa of Hainault as well as father to King Richard II of England....
. In the 14th century, it housed the residence of William Jauderell
William Jauderell
William Jauderell was an archer in the English armies in Wales of Edward, the Black Prince in the 14th century.A descendant of Peter Jauderel, a soldier who had helped King Edward conquer Wales in the late 13th century, William Jauderell held estates in Cheshire and Macclesfield Forest registered...
and his descendants (the name also spelt Jodrell). The Jodrells continued to call their lands Yeardsley Whaley for centuries and when the first local government board was formed in 1863 and the area became an urban district
Urban district
In the England, Wales and Ireland, an urban district was a type of local government district that covered an urbanised area. Urban districts had an elected Urban District Council , which shared local government responsibilities with a county council....
, the town adopted its popular name of Whaley Bridge and the town has been called so ever since.
The River Goyt formed the historical boundary between Derbyshire
Derbyshire
Derbyshire is a county in the East Midlands of England. A substantial portion of the Peak District National Park lies within Derbyshire. The northern part of Derbyshire overlaps with the Pennines, a famous chain of hills and mountains. The county contains within its boundary of approx...
and Cheshire
Cheshire
Cheshire is a ceremonial county in North West England. Cheshire's county town is the city of Chester, although its largest town is Warrington. Other major towns include Widnes, Congleton, Crewe, Ellesmere Port, Runcorn, Macclesfield, Winsford, Northwich, and Wilmslow...
. The present town of Whaley Bridge was divided into smaller towns in both counties. Historical records show that in 1316 on the Cheshire side there were Taxal, Yeardsley and Whaley with the last two being combined into one district of 'Yeardsley-cum-Whaley'. The Derbyshire side consisted only of Fernilee which included the villages of Shallcross and Horwich. This side was in the parish
Parish
A parish is a territorial unit historically under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of one parish priest, who might be assisted in his pastoral duties by a curate or curates - also priests but not the parish priest - from a more or less central parish church with its associated organization...
of Hope
Hope, Derbyshire
Hope is a village in the Derbyshire Peak District, in England. It lies in the Hope Valley, at the point where Peakshole Water flows into the River Noe. To the north, Win Hill and Lose Hill stand either side of the Noe....
and was part of the Forest of High Peak
Forest of High Peak
The Forest of High Peak was, in medieval times, a moorland forest covering most of the North West of Derbyshire, in England as far south as Tideswell and Buxton....
, while the Cheshire side was part of the Forest of Macclesfield
Macclesfield Forest
Macclesfield Forest is an area of woodland, predominantly conifer plantation, located around south east of Macclesfield in the civil parish of Macclesfield Forest and Wildboarclough, in Cheshire, England. The existing woodland is the last substantial remnant of the Royal Forest of Macclesfield, a...
. From 1796 Taxal and Yeardsley were effectively joined in that the Jodrell family was the main landowner in both towns, although the administration of these remained separate until 1936.
Up until the late 19th century the population of the area grew slowly. For example in the diocesan census in 1563, Taxal is recorded as having 26 households, and by the mid-18th century Taxal and Yeardsley together only reached 55 households. In 1791 land at Whaley Bridge was advertised for sale, the owner believing that its waterpower would be useful in the textile industry, but the two townships remained very small and only had a population of 853 between them by 1841. Up to this time agriculture and coalmining had been the main occupations.
The town expanded greatly in the Industrial Revolution
Industrial Revolution
The Industrial Revolution was a period from the 18th to the 19th century where major changes in agriculture, manufacturing, mining, transportation, and technology had a profound effect on the social, economic and cultural conditions of the times...
and the population almost trebled to 2,322. Although there had been coal mines from earlier times, by 1871 cotton mill
Cotton mill
A cotton mill is a factory that houses spinning and weaving machinery. Typically built between 1775 and 1930, mills spun cotton which was an important product during the Industrial Revolution....
s had become the dominant industry. Coalmining took place in the area from its very early days because of a large geographical fault which traverses the Whaley Bridge basin from east to west resulting in the coal outcropping in various places. Documentary evidence of 1587 indicates a well-established coal industry in the "Towneshepp of Weley" known today as Whaley Bridge. Today, there is less intensive agriculture labour and there is no coalmining in the area.
Whaley Bridge continues to expand as new housing is built, but it retains the character of a small town. As the self-styled 'Gateway to the Goyt' it attracts tourists, mainly walkers, but it has not become dominated by the tourist industry, unlike some other local towns and villages. With a good commuter railway service to Manchester
Manchester
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...
many people travel to work in the Manchester or Cheshire
Cheshire
Cheshire is a ceremonial county in North West England. Cheshire's county town is the city of Chester, although its largest town is Warrington. Other major towns include Widnes, Congleton, Crewe, Ellesmere Port, Runcorn, Macclesfield, Winsford, Northwich, and Wilmslow...
areas. With the introduction of ADSL broadband internet services increasingly people work from home.
The town has been twinned with Tymbark
Tymbark
Tymbark is a village in southern Poland, some 80 km south-east of Kraków, population 2,400 . It lies approximately west of Limanowa and south-east of the regional capital Kraków....
, Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
since June 1994.
Cromford and High Peak Railway
The Cromford and High Peak RailwayCromford and High Peak Railway
The Cromford and High Peak Railway in Derbyshire, England, was completed in 1831, to carry minerals and goods between the Cromford Canal wharf at High Peak Junction and the Peak Forest Canal at Whaley Bridge -Origins:...
was granted Parliamentary consent in 1825. It was fully opened for passenger and goods traffic on 6 July 1831. The railway linked the wharf at the head of the Whaley Bridge Branch of the Peak Forest Canal
Peak Forest Canal
The Peak Forest Canal, is a narrow locked artificial waterway in northern England. It is long and forms part of the connected English/Welsh inland waterway network.-General description:...
to the Cromford Canal
Cromford Canal
The Cromford Canal ran 14.5 miles from Cromford to the Erewash Canal in Derbyshire, England with a branch to Pinxton. Built by William Jessop with the assistance of Benjamin Outram, its alignment included four tunnels and 14 locks....
at Cromford Wharf
Cromford Wharf
Cromford Wharf is at Cromford in Derbyshire, England.It is located at the northern terminus of the Cromford Canal, which opened in 1794 and ran 14.5 miles from here to the Erewash Canal in Derbyshire...
. It had seven inclined planes, the first being situated within the town of Whaley Bridge itself. Unlike the other six inclined planes, which were operated by stationary steam engines, this one was operated by a horse-driven gin, which remained operational until 9 April 1952. This plane was much shorter than the others, being only 180 yards (165 m) long and rising at 1:13.5. Approach to the top of the plane was under a very low bridge and, because of this, waggons had to be hauled to and from the top of the plane by horses.
Horses also worked the bottom section of the line and the tracks ran onto a wharf and into two mills. Another notable feature on the bottom section is an iron bridge that carries the line across the River Goyt.
Peak Forest Canal
The Peak Forest Canal and basin were built in the 1790s and opened on 1 May 1800. An important building at the head of the Peak Forest Canal was the Transhipment Warehouse, built in 1832. In this building goods and minerals were transferred to and from the many working canal boats servicing local industry. The building straddles the head of the canal which is fed by the CombsCombs, Derbyshire
Combs is a small village in Derbyshire, England within the Peak District National Park. 'Combs' is spoken to rhyme with 'looms'. There are some local residents who prefer the older pronunciation of Combs to rhyme with 'foams'....
and Toddbrook Reservoir
Toddbrook Reservoir
Toddbrook Reservoir was built in 1831 as a feeder for the Peak Forest Canal. It is in the heart of Whaley Bridge in the High Peak, Derbyshire. The reservoir is a Site of Special Scientific Interest . The reservoir is a habitat for herons, ducks and other animals and fish. Also many rare mosses and...
s to the south.
A new joint project between British Waterways
British Waterways
British Waterways is a statutory corporation wholly owned by the government of the United Kingdom, serving as the navigation authority in England, Scotland and Wales for the vast majority of the canals as well as a number of rivers and docks...
and several Whaley Bridge community groups to bring this important building back to life, and to serve as a centre of the Whaley Bridge community, was envisaged in 2007 and is the subject of a grant application to the East Midlands Development Agency under their Waterways Regeneration Funding offer in 2008.
Local government
Local government
Local government refers collectively to administrative authorities over areas that are smaller than a state.The term is used to contrast with offices at nation-state level, which are referred to as the central government, national government, or federal government...
is Whaley Bridge Town Council, consisting of 12 councillors. Three councillors are elected for each of the four wards of Fernilee, Furness Vale, Taxal and Yeardsley.
The next tier of local government is High Peak Borough Council. Whaley Bridge constitutes one of the borough's 28 wards. It returns 3 of the 43 borough councillors. At the last council elections in May 2007, two Liberal Democrat and one independent councillor were elected.
The top tier of local administration is the 64-member Derbyshire County Council. The town is included in the electoral division of Whaley Bridge and Blackbrook, electing one county councillor.
Civic history
The township of Yeardsley-cum-Whaley, Cheshire, was part of the ancient parish of Taxal. The township adopted the Local Government Act 1858 and formed a local boardLocal board of health
Local Boards or Local Boards of Health were local authorities in urban areas of England and Wales from 1848 to 1894. They were formed in response to cholera epidemics and were given powers to control sewers, clean the streets, regulate slaughterhouses and ensure the proper supply of water to their...
to govern the town. Under the Local Government Act 1894
Local Government Act 1894
The Local Government Act 1894 was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that reformed local government in England and Wales outside the County of London. The Act followed the reforms carried out at county level under the Local Government Act 1888...
this became Yeardsley-cum-Whaley Urban District
Urban district
In the England, Wales and Ireland, an urban district was a type of local government district that covered an urbanised area. Urban districts had an elected Urban District Council , which shared local government responsibilities with a county council....
. On the Derbyshire side of the Goyt, the parish of Fernilee was included in Chapel en le Frith Rural District. In 1936 a county review order
Local Government Act 1929
The Local Government Act 1929 was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that made changes to the Poor Law and local government in England and Wales....
merged the urban district with the built-up part of Fernilee to form Whaley Bridge Urban District, with the new district placed in Derbyshire.
In 1974 the Local Government Act 1972
Local Government Act 1972
The Local Government Act 1972 is an Act of Parliament in the United Kingdom that reformed local government in England and Wales on 1 April 1974....
came into force, abolishing all urban and rural districts in England and Wales
England and Wales
England and Wales is a jurisdiction within the United Kingdom. It consists of England and Wales, two of the four countries of the United Kingdom...
, and replacing them with non-metropolitan district
Non-metropolitan district
Non-metropolitan districts, or colloquially shire districts, are a type of local government district in England. As created, they are sub-divisions of non-metropolitan counties in a so-called "two-tier" arrangement...
s. Whaley Bridge became part of the district of High Peak, with a successor parish
Successor parish
Successor parishes are civil parishes with a parish council created by the Local Government Act 1972 in England. They replaced, with the same boundaries, a selected group of urban districts and municipal boroughs that were abolished in 1974. Most successor parish councils exercised the right to...
formed for the area of the urban district. The parish council resolved that Whaley Bridge should have the status of a town.
Education
The town has two primary schools, Whaley Bridge Primary School and Taxal and Fernilee Church of England Primary School, although for secondary education children travel further afield, typically to Chapel-en-le-FrithChapel-en-le-Frith
Chapel-en-le-Frith is a small town in Derbyshire, England, on the edge of the Peak District near the border with Cheshire, from Manchester. Dubbed "The Capital of the Peak District", the settlement was established by the Normans in the 12th century, originally as a hunting lodge within the Forest...
, New Mills
New Mills
New Mills is a town in Derbyshire, England approximately south-east of Stockport and from Manchester. It is sited at the confluence of the rivers Goyt and Sett, on the border of Cheshire. The town stands above the Torrs, a deep gorge, cut through Woodhead Hill Sandstone of the Carboniferous period...
, Hope Valley
Hope Valley, Derbyshire
The Hope Valley is a rural area centred on the village of Hope, Derbyshire in the Peak District in the northern Midlands of England.The name also applies to the Post Town which includes the surrounding villages.-The Valley:...
, Buxton
Buxton
Buxton is a spa town in Derbyshire, England. It has the highest elevation of any market town in England. Located close to the county boundary with Cheshire to the west and Staffordshire to the south, Buxton is described as "the gateway to the Peak District National Park"...
, Macclesfield
Macclesfield
Macclesfield is a market town within the unitary authority of Cheshire East, the county palatine of Chester, also known as the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. The population of the Macclesfield urban sub-area at the time of the 2001 census was 50,688...
or Stockport
Stockport
Stockport is a town in Greater Manchester, England. It lies on elevated ground southeast of Manchester city centre, at the point where the rivers Goyt and Tame join and create the River Mersey. Stockport is the largest settlement in the metropolitan borough of the same name...
.
Schools in these areas could include Chapel-en-le-Frith High School
Chapel-en-le-Frith High School
Chapel-en-le-Frith High School is a mixed gender comprehensive school in Chapel-en-le-Frith in the county of Derbyshire, England. It serves pupils aged 11 to 16 from the town, from nearby Whaley Bridge, and the surrounding villages.-History:...
, Hope Valley College
Hope Valley College
Hope Valley College, Castleton Road , Hope, Hope Valley, Derbyshire is a comprehensive school, adjacent to the Peakshole Water, in the High Peak district for students in years 7 to 11.-History:...
, The King's School in Macclesfield and Stockport Grammar School
Stockport Grammar School
Stockport Grammar School is a co-educational independent school in Stockport, England, founded in 1487 by the 1482 Lord Mayor of London Sir Edmund Shaa.The school motto is "Vincit qui patitur" – He who endures, conquers....
.
Religious sites
The Church of EnglandChurch of England
The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England and the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The church considers itself within the tradition of Western Christianity and dates its formal establishment principally to the mission to England by St...
parish of Whaley Bridge has two churches. St James, Taxal stands on a site a mile from the town centre and was established in the 12th century. Parts of the tower may date back to that time, although much of the church was rebuilt in the 17th and 19th centuries. Holy Trinity, Fernilee was established near the town centre in 1905. Parts of the town are included in the Cheshire parish of St John, Disley, and are served by the Church of St John the Divine, Furness Vale.
The Roman Catholic Church of the Sacred Heart, Whaley Lane, serves the parish of Whaley Bridge and Disley.
The United Reformed Church
United Reformed Church
The United Reformed Church is a Christian church in the United Kingdom. It has approximately 68,000 members in 1,500 congregations with some 700 ministers.-Origins and history:...
and Methodists
Methodism
Methodism is a movement of Protestant Christianity represented by a number of denominations and organizations, claiming a total of approximately seventy million adherents worldwide. The movement traces its roots to John Wesley's evangelistic revival movement within Anglicanism. His younger brother...
formed a local ecumenical partnership
Local ecumenical partnership
In England and Wales, a local ecumenical partnership is a partnership between churches of different denominations. First piloted in 1964, over 850 now exist to promote unity between different Christian denominations....
, the "Whaley Bridge Uniting Partnership" in 1983, subsequently joined by the Baptists
Baptist Union of Great Britain
The Baptist Union of Great Britain, despite its name, is the association of Baptist churches in England and Wales. -History:...
. The partnership has three places of worship: Whaley Bridge Uniting Church, Fernilee Methodist Church and Kettleshulme Chapel.
The Good News Church is an evangelical church based in the Gospel Hall, Old Road.
Whaley Hall is a large detached Victorian house near Toddbrook Reservoir. Since 1979 it has been a retreat house and conference centre run by the "Community of the King of Love": an ecumenical community of men and women.
Festivals and traditions
Whaley Bridge has an annual carnival month during which the 'Whaley Water Weekend' (W3), started at the Millennium, takes place. The W3 started out as a minor community event based directly on the canal basin. In 2009 the tenth W3 was held. The event attracted 1,400 visitors and included both free short canal boat rides and a longer Heritage Trip, with an historic commentary, to Bugsworth BasinBugsworth Basin
Bugsworth Basin is a canal basin at the terminus of the Peak Forest Canal. It is located at Buxworth in the valley of the Black Brook, close to Whaley Bridge...
. On shore there was Punch and Judy
Punch and Judy
Punch and Judy is a traditional, popular puppet show featuring the characters of Mr. Punch and his wife, Judy. The performance consists of a sequence of short scenes, each depicting an interaction between two characters, most typically the anarchic Punch and one other character...
, a fairground, craft and plant stalls, food and ice cream and a variety of music and traditional dancing on stage. This longer boat trip is run in cooperation with New Horizons from Marple, a 72-foot boat built especially for those with limited physical capabilities. As of November 2009 the future of the event was in doubt due to an ageing committee, but the event was secured and remains a fixture in the June calendar. The weekend of W3 is followed by the Well Dressing
Well dressing
Well dressing is a summer custom practised in rural England in which wells, springs or other water sources are decorated with designs created from flower petals...
Weekend, a traditional Derbyshire event in which the local well is decorated with large collages of cones, flower petals, etc. The events end with a Rose Queen Procession and Festival Parade where groups of local young people from the town process through the main streets in their finery and on decorated floats. In 2009 a Fell Race, known as The Whaley Waltz, was added to the Rose Queen programme and annually attracts over 180 runners. Organised by Goyt Vally Striders the race starts in the centre of the village and climbs 900ft to Windgather Rocks. It finishes after crossing the River Goyt on Forge Road.
The final event of the year is the switching on of the Christmas tree lights outside the Jodrell Arms Hotel, close to Whaley Bridge railway station
Whaley Bridge railway station
Whaley Bridge railway station serves the town of Whaley Bridge in Derbyshire, England.The station is on the Manchester-Buxton Line 26 km south east of Manchester Piccadilly....
. This is usually done by the chair of the Town Council and is accompanied by seasonable music from members of Whaley Bridge Brass Band. Father Christmas
Father Christmas
Father Christmas is the name used in many English-speaking countries for a figure associated with Christmas. A similar figure with the same name exists in several other countries, including France , Spain , Brazil , Portugal , Italy , Armenia , India...
traditionally arrives at the Transhipment Warehouse on the Whaley Wharf of the Peak Forest Canal on a canal boat and processes to the Mechanics' Institute accompanied by his helpers. Businesses make their contribution to the town's Christmas decorations by way of small trees above their shop windows and bright lights around their shop fronts.
The Town Council erects two large trees each year, the second being by the Soldier Dick public house at Furness Vale.
Notable residents
- Clive Beddall OBE, journalist, broadcaster and editor of The GrocerThe GrocerThe Grocer is a British market leading magazine devoted to grocery sales, published by William Reed Business Media. It has been published since 1862. Its readership encompasses every aspect of the industry, from directors of the large multiples to independent retailers...
magazine, was born in Whaley Bridge. - Abraham BennetAbraham BennetAbraham Bennet FRS was an English clergyman and physicist, the inventor of the gold-leaf electroscope and developer of an improved magnetometer...
, scientist, was baptised in Taxal. - Jack BondJack BondJohn David "Jack" Bond, born in Kearsley, near Bolton, Lancashire, on 6 May 1932, is a former cricketer who played for Lancashire and, for one season, for Nottinghamshire....
, Lancashire and Nottinghamshire cricketer, was landlord of the Jodrell Arms. - Betty DriverBetty DriverElizabeth Mary "Betty" Driver, MBE was an English singer, actress and author, best known for her role as Betty Williams on the British soap opera, Coronation Street, appearing in more than 2,800 episodes...
MBEMBEMBE can stand for:* Mail Boxes Etc.* Management by exception* Master of Bioethics* Master of Bioscience Enterprise* Master of Business Engineering* Master of Business Economics* Mean Biased Error...
, actress and author, most famous for her role as Betty WilliamsBetty Williams (Coronation Street)Elizabeth "Betty" Williams is a long-standing fictional character from the British ITV soap opera Coronation Street, portrayed by former music hall star Betty Driver. Driver was cast as Betty in 1969, after first auditioning for the role of Hilda Ogden...
on the British soapSoap operaA soap opera, sometimes called "soap" for short, is an ongoing, episodic work of dramatic fiction presented in serial format on radio or as television programming. The name soap opera stems from the original dramatic serials broadcast on radio that had soap manufacturers, such as Procter & Gamble,...
Coronation StreetCoronation StreetCoronation Street is a British soap opera set in Weatherfield, a fictional town in Greater Manchester based on Salford. Created by Tony Warren, Coronation Street was first broadcast on 9 December 1960...
, was once the landlady of Whaley Bridge's Cock Inn. - Michael Heathcote, Groom of the Pantry and Yeoman of the Mouth (food taster) to King George III.
- William 'Bill' JonesBill Jones (footballer)William Henry "Bill" Jones was an English international footballer who played for Liverpool F.C..-Life and playing career:...
, Liverpool and England footballerEngland national football teamThe England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
and Military MedalMilitary MedalThe Military Medal was a military decoration awarded to personnel of the British Army and other services, and formerly also to personnel of other Commonwealth countries, below commissioned rank, for bravery in battle on land....
winner, was born in Whaley Bridge in 1921.
Literary references
Whaley Bridge features in the novel The Manchester Man (1876) by Isabella BanksIsabella Banks
Isabella Varley Banks , also known as Mrs G. Linnaeus Banks or Isabella Varley, was a 19th-century writer of English poetry and novels, born in Manchester, England...
.
The fictional Coronation Street
Coronation Street
Coronation Street is a British soap opera set in Weatherfield, a fictional town in Greater Manchester based on Salford. Created by Tony Warren, Coronation Street was first broadcast on 9 December 1960...
character Minnie Caldwell retired to become a housekeeper in Whaley Bridge in 1976.
See also
- Peak District National ParkPeak DistrictThe 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....
- Whaley Bridge railway stationWhaley Bridge railway stationWhaley Bridge railway station serves the town of Whaley Bridge in Derbyshire, England.The station is on the Manchester-Buxton Line 26 km south east of Manchester Piccadilly....
In the travel section of The Sunday Telegraph, a headline article 'My Top Ten Train Trips' by Tony Robinson
Tony Robinson
Tony Robinson is an English actor, comedian, author, broadcaster and political campaigner. He is best known for playing Baldrick in the BBC television series Blackadder, and for hosting Channel 4 programmes such as Time Team and The Worst Jobs in History. Robinson is a member of the Labour Party...
writes of the Manchester to Derby journey, "It is not a trip to do all in one go; stop off at the dramatic little town of Whaley Bridge and have a stroll around the historic Peak Forest Canal Basin".