In this 2016 guest feature, Darcus Wolfson shares folklore and personal reports from four places around Buxton. The article has been updated with current information; the stories are not evidence of supernatural activity.
I have been digging around for unusual material for my horror website World of Wolfson, and a few more locations have bubbled to the surface. People have reported strange experiences or things they cannot explain.
4. King Sterndale
Not strictly in town but about four miles outside, this small secluded village has featured in stories of black panther sightings. I’ve heard reports of big cats across the Peak District.
The Pickford family, associated with the removals business, later owned an estate at King Sterndale. Charles Cross, who worked for Pickfords, has been proposed by some writers as a suspect in the Jack the Ripper murders; the killer’s identity remains unknown.
Nearby Thirst House Cave in Deep Dale is associated with a local goblin legend. Victorian excavations uncovered human burials; the Derbyshire Historic Environment Record describes two skeletons as Romano-British.
3. Lightwood Reservoir
The former Lightwood reservoirs were decommissioned and the valley returned to a more natural state. The site was bought by Nestlé Waters UK in 2016 and is now managed as Lightwood nature reserve by Derbyshire Wildlife Trust. On my visits I have glimpsed wildlife including a lizard, a heron and a damselfly.
Stories from the 1990s include reports of occult rituals, sheep mutilations and a two-legged goat creature. Read my blog for the stories.
Lightwood has been the location for a few local horror films such as the legendary Resi Watch, Resi Watch 2, Killer Trolley and my own controversial effort Real Nutter. The setting seems to lend itself well to matters of the macabre. In fact, oddly enough, there are probably enough cinematic endeavours for Lightwood to have its own horror film festival although the audience would probably need psychiatric care afterwards.
2. Grinlow
As far as weird stuff is concerned, this is the place that keeps on giving! Every time I publish something online about Grinlow, someone writes to me to say they’ve also had a strange experience there.
The steep rise through the woods gives way to a rocky summit crowned by Solomon’s Temple, also known as Grinlow Tower. It stands on a Bronze Age burial mound. Local stories include peculiar lights, hooded figures and a phantom hound with blazing red eyes.
You can combine a visit to Grin Low with nearby Poole’s Cavern.
1. Goyt Valley
For my money, the Goyt is the king of spooky places in Buxton. Again, you could argue that it isn’t really part of the town and actually two miles away. However, Buxton is a place surrounded by acres of wild woods and moorland. Commonly, these rural boundaries are where people see something unexplainable though some might say that the town centre on a Saturday night is far more frightening than anything supernatural!
The Goyt Valley once had its own community and industries. The reservoirs changed the valley, and the former hamlet of Goyt’s Bridge lies beneath Errwood Reservoir. Parts of the old site can emerge when water levels are very low. Other remains can still be seen above the water, including the ruins of Errwood Hall.
You can still visit the ruins of the Victorian mansion Errwood Hall. The house was demolished in the 1930s; the county’s historic environment record describes what remains. The nearby family graveyard adds to the atmosphere.
There are also stories of ghosts and other unusual encounters in the Goyt Valley. I’ve collected more tales on my blog.
If you have any curious tales of your own about the places I have written about or anywhere else, I would love to hear from you. Buxton could and should be one of the spookiest towns in the UK but I need your help compiling the evidence.
Happy Halloween!
Darcus Wolfson
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