Leawood Swing bridge. The original swing bridge was constructed as part of the main canal in 1792 / 94.
Buxton Museum & Art Gallery
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Leawood Swing bridge. The original swing bridge was constructed as part of the main canal in 1792 / 94.
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Browns Swing Bridge is an original feature of the Cromford Canal. The earliest recording of the bridge is in the 1811 survey of the canal and describes it as an accommodation bridge for “Hobson’s House” later to become the Junction Inn (land owned by Arkwright).
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Colin Rodgers reminisces on the times he has visited the Buxton Opera House with his family in the audio below.
Designed by one of Britain’s finest theatre architects, Frank Matcham, this opera house dates back as far back as 1903.
Hosting live performances from it’s opening, until 1927, the theatre then was used mostly as a cinema until 1976, when it was briefly (although thought to have indefinitely) closed down. Three years later, in 1979, it was refurbished and reopened as a venue for live performance once again. Since then it has been a 902-seat opera house that hosts approximately 450 entertaining acts all year-round.
Matcham also designed some of the UK’s most famous attractions in the late 19th century to the early 20th century, such as the London opera house, the Victoria Palace, the Blackpool Tower Ballroom, the Richmond Theatre, and the London Palladium.
Click ‘Tell Me More…’ to view images of the opera house’s interior.
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Take a look inside the Conservatory and compare the view today with these postcards from our collection.
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You are exploring part of the Butterley Gangroad, first built in 1793 to link local quarries with the Cromford Canal. It was one of the first railways in the East Midlands, and maybe the world, where a steam locomotive operated successfully.
A vertical boiler chain driven locomotive was purchased by the Butterley Company in 1869 and the engine shed was probably built around this time to house the locomotive. The locomotive was known locally as the “coffeepot” and was used to return empty wagons from Bullbridge. A four coupled wing tank locomotive was purchased from Bagnalls in Stafford in 1894 and this new more powerful engine compared to the “coffeepot” was used to take wagons up the slope into Hilts quarry. The engine shed was probably extended around this time to accommodate the new locomotive.
Further information can be found at www.butterleygangroadproject.co.uk.
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Prior to 1968, Goyt’s Bridge was a picturesque hamlet and a focal point of the Goyt Valley, but it now lies beneath the reservoir, near the far side of the reservoir opposite where you are standing. The pack horse bridge and stepping stones became a popular tourist spot and were immortalized in many postcards, paintings and photographs.
This postcard depicts this popular view with the stone bridge and farm buildings in the background and a brave gentleman attempting to cross the River Goyt via the more challenging route of The Stepping Stones. His style of dress indicates that this was early in the twentieth century.
The pack horse bridge was actually saved before the reservoir was flooded. It was dismantled and moved further up the river to the south.