www.newmillstowncouncil.gov.uk www.highpeak.gov.uk of New Mills Town Council and New Mills Walkers are Welcome. are Walkers Mills New and Council Town Mills New of W1 Goytside Meadows W2 Historic New Mills W3 Edith Nesbit support the with panel this produced Council Borough Peak High 3 1 Distance: 1 /4 miles / 1 hour Distance: 1 mile / /2 hour Literary Trail www.visitnewmills.co.uk Terrain: An easy ramble with one short steep climb Terrain: Surfaced paths and roads throughout, and can be and two steep flights of steps. completed in ordinary footwear website: the visit please town, Parking: Town centre. Start: New Mills Heritage & Information Centre, Rock Mill Distance: 9½ miles / Allow 5 hours the on information more For Start and New Mills Heritage and Information Centre, Lane, New Mills SK22 3BN Terrain: A lengthy circular walk from New Mills Heritage Finish: Rock Mill Lane, New Mills SK22 3BN Finish: Spring Bank Arts Centre, Spring Bank, & Information Centre, mostly on roads and well- New Mills SK22 4BH defined paths and tracks, but with some significant climbing and cycling including activities other ascents and descents. A ramble through New Mill’s Goytside Parking: Town centre and Thornbrook Road. heritage industrial fascinating a Parking: Town centre. lovely meadows. cafés and shops pubs, restaurants, quality Inside the Centre, the diorama of the town as miles 12 to mile 1 from walks 5 It is believed that Edith Nesbit, author of it was in 1884 demonstrates just how much 1 Turn left from the Heritage Centre and go down the The Railway Children, set her famous book steps. On reaching the bottom of the steps, turn left. influence The Torrs sandstone gorge had around Strines Station and the railway history. fascinating a - road trunk A6 the on the development of New Mills. The pulpit line between Marple and New Mills. The and lines railway three Canal, Forest Peak the by served 2 Pass under the Union Road Bridge. The path brings was Mills New printing. calico and bleaching spinning, you to the remnants of Torr Mill, within which is the from which John Wesley preached, housed in contrasting landscape of isolated hilly upland Community Hydro Scheme. Walk beside this to the the Centre, indicates the important role that with industrial activity in the valleys appears cotton for then mining, coal for noted first Heritage, wooden bridge – the Millward Memorial Bridge – religion also played in the town. to have inspired the author in her writings. Industrial Britains in part significant a play Mills New which will take you over the River Sett. Derbyshire. 3 Follow the path, keeping to the path beside the River of rest the and network canal the Park, Lyme nearby Goyt, and pass under the Queens Bridge and the District, Peak the to gateway a is town the Plateau, railway viaduct in turn. This brings Goytside Farm into 9 Turn left along Meal Street where you will pass the rear Three Chimneys to Strines Kinder the of views outstanding with mills, and mining view. entrance of the George Hotel. Initially, Meal Street was of heritage the in blending semi-rural, is Mills New 19 From Three Chimneys, retrace your steps to the junction called New Street, and then later was called Th’Under 4 At Goytside Farm, there are three possible tracks to opposite Paradise. Take the first road on the left. Road possibly because of the sound of carts on the follow. Just beyond the farm buildings, turn right, heart.’ your in place a finds always Mills New cobbles as an easier route for horses pulling heavy 20 Pass Bull Hill Farm on the left-hand side and the golf signed as Goyt Way by the red sign on the post to the visit, to sites interesting of dozens ‘with course on the right-hand side, where the road becomes left of the track. Follow the path until it brings you to loads uphill than High Street. At the end of Meal Street, a rough track. Keep straight on down the track running the metal bridge across the River Goyt. turn left up High St for a few yards and pause to look 10 at the Masons Arms public house. It was from here alongside the wall for a short way. 5 Cross the river and Goytside Meadows is beyond the that the Mercury Coach to Stockport ran, twice weekly, 21 Turn left through an old gatepost, with a view including fence on your right. Enter the nature reserve through before the advent of the railways put an end to the the site of the former Strines Printworks. Pass through the gate. The Pasture Path takes you up the hillside business. A plaque on the rear wall of the car park was a cluster of cottages (The Banks). on your left. (If the weather has been wet, the Meadow once mounted above the pub’s front door. 22 Turn left and continue straight ahead, along a narrow Path, which lies ahead of the gate across the meadow, 11 As you walk downhill, you pass the Christian Revival New Mills to Thornsett pathway bordered by fences. might be slightly less muddy.) Church on the right. Originally built as a Wesleyan 1 Starting at New Mills Heritage Centre, turn left down the 23 The path ends at The Cottage. Take a sharp right and 6 Follow the path uphill to the gate. Through the gate, 1 Having left the Heritage and Information Centre, take Methodist Chapel, the building was the first home of the steps into the Torrs, then turn left under the arches of the follow the path downhill to Strines Railway Station. the path threads its way across the side of the hill. a few moments to look out over Torr Vale Mill and the pulpit seen at the start of the walk in the Heritage and Union Road Bridge. Reaching the top of the hill, you have a choice. The Millennium Walkway alongside the River Goyt. The oldest Information Centre. 24 Walk under the bridge and follow the road until you get more obvious gate will continue the Pasture Walk. part of the mill complex is the Old Mill facing you, built 12 At the bottom of the hill, stop and look around. The 2 Pass to the left of Torrs Hydro and take the upstream (left- to the B-road between New Mills and Marple. bridge over the River Sett conceals the remains of a hand) of the two footbridges over the River Sett. Alternatively, slightly above and to the left lies another around 1790. Torr Vale Mill is the only building in New Strines to New Mills medieval packhorse bridge, the arches of which can still gate which will bring you out onto the canal towpath. If Mills to be listed at the second highest grade, II* due to 3 Climb the steps to Hyde Bank Road and turn left. its national significance; being an important example of be seen from certain angles. 25 Cross the main road and walk up the track opposite you choose this option, turn right out of the gate. 4 At the entrance to New Mills Leisure Centre, turn right and towards the canal. the complete evolution of the cotton spinning industry. To your right, and running parallel to the river, there 13 right again, down steps onto the Sett Valley Trail. 7 Continuing the Pasture Path brings you to another 2 Now turn right and walk along Rock Mill Lane behind the used to be a roadway, called Brookside. On the opposite 26 Just before the aqueduct take the stile on the left-hand gate which lies at the top of the hill and also brings bus station, the location of Torr Top Hall, the first known bank of the River Sett, the large building (Woodside 5 Turn left and walk past the Leisure Centre and Medical side and walk onto the canal. Turn left and continue on you onto the canal towpath. Turn right. site of worship in New Mills when the Society of Friends Garage) is a former cotton mill (Salem Mill) built in Centre before crossing Church Lane. the canal passing bridges 23 to 28. Walk along the canal until you have nearly passed held their meetings here. The Hall was dismantled to the late eighteenth century. Next to it, the flat topped 6 Follow the path through the dip up to St. George’s Road, 27 Pass Brunswick Mills and turn left onto Victoria Street, the marina. (You will pass a bench by the side of the make way for the Union Road and Bridge which linked building is the site of the very first mill in New Mills. It cross over the road, and continue on the trail, with the opposite the marina. the two halves of the town New Mills and Newtown in was a corn mill owned by the Duchy of Lancaster and towpath, and ahead of you a bridge crosses the canal housing estate on your right and the river on your left. 28 Walk down Victoria Street and turn right onto Albion by the Swizzels Matlow works – breathe in and you 1884. known as the New Mill having been rebuilt in 1391. The town’s name can be traced back to this first mill. 7 Continue on the trail, passing over Watford Bridge Road, Road. may just detect the sweet smell of their products.) 3 Cross directly over Union Road at the end of Rock Mill until the next gate at High Hill Road, where you come off Turn right.