Buxworth
Encyclopedia
Buxworth is a village in the High Peak of Derbyshire
, England. The area, which was once an important centre for the limestone
industry, became the terminus
of the Peak Forest Canal
. Its pub, the Navigation Inn, was once owned by Coronation Street
actress Pat Phoenix
.
The village lies almost two miles from Whaley Bridge
and about eighteen miles southeast of Manchester
.
In 1999 the local High Peak Borough Council council spent £350 to organise a ballot of the 600 members of the local population. The result was 233 to 139 to keep the name as Buxworth. However, the village is still generally referred to as 'Buggy' by locals.
terminates here at Bugsworth Basin
(the renaming of the village had no effect on the name of the canal basin), which was re-opened on 26 March 2005 having been restored by the Inland Waterways Protection Society
, and, once again, the canal now ends at its original terminus. It is used entirely for recreational purposes.
The canal never reached Peak Forest
but limestone from quarries near Dove Holes was, between 1796 and 1922, transported to the basin by way of the Peak Forest Tramway
– a distance of some six miles. Its trackbed can still be discerned in places (e.g. at Whitehough, close to Chinley
, and just beyond the end of the bypass on the way south to Buxton
).
A main railway line (Sheffield
to Manchester
) passes north of the village. The railway was originally the Midland Railway
's main line to London, built in 1867 as part of the extension of its Manchester, Buxton, Matlock and Midlands Junction Railway
, and in 1894 the Midland built the line from Dore
, which today is the Hope Valley line
. Almost as soon as it was built a landslip destroyed the viaduct. Some four hundred men made drainage channels and built a new timber viaduct, which served until 1885 when the present one was built. A tunnel to the north of the station collapsed during building, trapping a gang of navvies, who were close to death by the time they were rescued. In 1903, when the line upgraded to four tracks, the tunnel was opened out into a cutting.
There was a station at Buxworth
, also originally called Bugsworth, renamed on 4 June 1930, seven weeks after the village was renamed. This closed on 15 September 1958, but the building and parts of the platforms remain to this day. All through the station's existence it has experienced a peculiar anomaly in that reconstructing the collapsed viaduct also involved realigning the railway line a little way to the north. As a result the tracks have always run past the "wrong side" of the station building, where the approach road was originally intended to be, with a new approach road hastily laid where the tracks were originally supposed to be.
The village is split into two by the Whaley Bridge
–Chapel-en-le-Frith
bypass (A6), constructed in the 1980s.
in 1898, murdered his wife in Bugsworth basin after drinking heavily in the Rose & Crown (now demolished) at Bugsworth.
team, which was founded around 1848, play in the Derbyshire & Cheshire League. Former Buxworth player Alan (Bud) Hill went on to play for Derbyshire
for over fourteen seasons, scoring more than 12,000 first-class
runs at an average of 30.89.
. Other members of the Clayton family followed him and eventually they settled in a valley at the foot of Mount Diablo, some 30 miles from San Francisco, California
where they founded Clayton
. Buxworth and Clayton are now twinned.
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. The area, which was once an important centre for the limestone
Limestone
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....
industry, became the terminus
Bugsworth 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...
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:...
. Its pub, the Navigation Inn, was once owned by 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...
actress Pat Phoenix
Pat Phoenix
Patricia "Pat" Frederica Phoenix was an English actress who became one of the first sex symbols of British television through her role of Elsie Tanner in Coronation Street.-Early life and career:Born in Ireland to Anna Maria Josephine Noonan and Tom Manfield, but moved to Manchester before...
.
The village lies almost two miles from Whaley Bridge
Whaley Bridge
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 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...
and about eighteen miles southeast 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...
.
Name change
The village was originally called Bugsworth, but in the early 20th century some residents began to dislike the name of their village; their cause was championed by the local vicar, Dr J R Towers, and the village school headmaster, Mr W T Prescott. As a result of the efforts of these two residents, Bugsworth officially became Buxworth on 16 April 1930. No regard was paid to the ancient origins of the village name, which can be traced back to Norman times.In 1999 the local High Peak Borough Council council spent £350 to organise a ballot of the 600 members of the local population. The result was 233 to 139 to keep the name as Buxworth. However, the village is still generally referred to as 'Buggy' by locals.
Transport
The Peak Forest CanalPeak 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:...
terminates here at Bugsworth Basin
Bugsworth 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...
(the renaming of the village had no effect on the name of the canal basin), which was re-opened on 26 March 2005 having been restored by the Inland Waterways Protection Society
Inland Waterways Protection Society
The Inland Waterways Protection Society was founded on the 21 April 1958 by the late Mrs Bessie Bunker of Sheffield, who became its Secretary....
, and, once again, the canal now ends at its original terminus. It is used entirely for recreational purposes.
The canal never reached Peak Forest
Peak Forest
Peak Forest is a small village on the main road the from Chapel-en-le-Frith to Chesterfield in England.The village grew from the earlier settlement of Dam at the conjunction of Perrydale and Damdale. There is an inn, a village shop and a Primary School...
but limestone from quarries near Dove Holes was, between 1796 and 1922, transported to the basin by way of the Peak Forest Tramway
Peak Forest Tramway
The Peak Forest Tramway was an early horse- and gravity-powered industrial railway system in Derbyshire, England. Opened for trade on 31 August 1796, it remained in operation until the 1920s. Much of the route and the structures associated with the line remain...
– a distance of some six miles. Its trackbed can still be discerned in places (e.g. at Whitehough, close to Chinley
Chinley
Chinley is a rural village in High Peak Borough, situated on the western edge of the Peak District National Park in Derbyshire, England, with a population of around 2000. Before the railway, the area was economically dominated by agriculture and quarrying. Three textile mills were established in...
, and just beyond the end of the bypass on the way south to 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"...
).
A main railway line (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...
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...
) passes north of the village. The railway was originally the Midland Railway
Midland Railway
The Midland Railway was a railway company in the United Kingdom from 1844 to 1922, when it became part of the London, Midland and Scottish Railway....
's main line to London, built in 1867 as part of the extension of its Manchester, Buxton, Matlock and Midlands Junction Railway
Manchester, Buxton, Matlock and Midlands Junction Railway
The Manchester, Buxton, Matlock and Midland Junction Railway ran from a junction with the Midland Railway at Ambergate to Rowsley north of Matlock and thence to Buxton....
, and in 1894 the Midland built the line from Dore
Dore railway station
Dore and Totley railway station is a small, one platform railway halt near the Sheffield areas of Dore and Totley in South Yorkshire, England...
, which today is the Hope Valley line
Hope Valley Line
The Hope Valley Line is a railway line in England linking Sheffield with Manchester. It was completed in 1894.From Sheffield, trains head down the Midland Main Line to Dore, where the Hope Valley Line branches off to run through the Totley Tunnel .It emerges in the stunning scenery of the Hope...
. Almost as soon as it was built a landslip destroyed the viaduct. Some four hundred men made drainage channels and built a new timber viaduct, which served until 1885 when the present one was built. A tunnel to the north of the station collapsed during building, trapping a gang of navvies, who were close to death by the time they were rescued. In 1903, when the line upgraded to four tracks, the tunnel was opened out into a cutting.
There was a station at Buxworth
Buxworth railway station
Buxworth railway station was an intermediate stop on the Derby–Manchester line of the Midland Railway. It was open between 1867 and 1958.-History:...
, also originally called Bugsworth, renamed on 4 June 1930, seven weeks after the village was renamed. This closed on 15 September 1958, but the building and parts of the platforms remain to this day. All through the station's existence it has experienced a peculiar anomaly in that reconstructing the collapsed viaduct also involved realigning the railway line a little way to the north. As a result the tracks have always run past the "wrong side" of the station building, where the approach road was originally intended to be, with a new approach road hastily laid where the tracks were originally supposed to be.
The village is split into two by the Whaley Bridge
Whaley Bridge
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 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...
–Chapel-en-le-Frith
Chapel-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...
bypass (A6), constructed in the 1980s.
Local murder
John Cotton, the last man to be hanged in Derby GaolDerby Gaol
The term Derby Gaol historically refers to the five gaols in Derby, England. Today, the term usually refers to one of two tourist attractions, the gaol which stood on Friar Gate from 1756 to 1846 and the cells of which still exist and are open to the public as a museum, and the 1843 to 1929 Vernon...
in 1898, murdered his wife in Bugsworth basin after drinking heavily in the Rose & Crown (now demolished) at Bugsworth.
Cricket
Buxworth cricketCricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
team, which was founded around 1848, play in the Derbyshire & Cheshire League. Former Buxworth player Alan (Bud) Hill went on to play for Derbyshire
Derbyshire County Cricket Club
Derbyshire County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the England and Wales domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Derbyshire...
for over fourteen seasons, scoring more than 12,000 first-class
First-class cricket
First-class cricket is a class of cricket that consists of matches of three or more days' scheduled duration, that are between two sides of eleven players and are officially adjudged first-class by virtue of the standard of the competing teams...
runs at an average of 30.89.
Links with the USA
Brierley Green adjoins Buxworth and in the early 19th century it was the home of the Clayton family. The eldest son, Joel Henry Clayton, emigrated to the USA to live with an uncle at Pittsburgh, PennsylvaniaPittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh is the second-largest city in the US Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Allegheny County. Regionally, it anchors the largest urban area of Appalachia and the Ohio River Valley, and nationally, it is the 22nd-largest urban area in the United States...
. Other members of the Clayton family followed him and eventually they settled in a valley at the foot of Mount Diablo, some 30 miles from San Francisco, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
where they founded Clayton
Clayton, California
Clayton is a city in Contra Costa County, California, United States. The population was 10,897 as of the 2010 census.- Geography :...
. Buxworth and Clayton are now twinned.