Goytside Farm

 

The earliest reference to Goytside (or Goythoussis) is from 1527. Many of our local farms can be traced back to the 16th or 17th centuries. The land at this time was owned by William Beard of Beard Hall and tenanted by Renold Pott. It was at this time that a bridge was erected across the River Goyt. In 1559, Beard and Pott entered into an agreement for the crossing with Edmund Jodrell, owner of the land on the west side of the river. The bridge, which was possibly at a different location, carried an ancient route down from Higher Disley, and came to be known as Pott Bridge. The farm is located where four paths meet.

 

Extract from the Orndance Survey Map of 1914 or earlier

The Pott family, besides farming, were also dyers and weavers. At various times, dairy cattle, pigs and latterly, sheep have been kept. Today, llamas may be seen.

Ownership of Goytside has changed over time and has included the Cavendish family, the Dukes of Devonshire, the Drinkwater family, Francis, J. Sumner, and currently the Bodman family.

As with all old farms, the buildings are of various dates. There have been many alterations and additions to meet the needs of the farm. The farmhouse is separate from the barns and other outbuildings, most of which are arranged around a courtyard. The farmhouse has a large Victorian extension, known as The Dame School. There is no record of any such school in New Mills but these were often informal establishments and not recorded by local authorities.

The farmyard is paved with large stone setts and buildings are arranged on three sides. Those to the north were perhaps originally a row of farm workers cottages, now broken by later rebuilding. The large hay barn has a pit set into its floor. the sides are not parallel to the barn walls so it is thought to pre-date the building. It has been filled in although for a time, part was left open for use as a vehicle inspection pit. Roger Bodman says that this is similar to fabric dying pits that he has seen in West Africa for indigo dying of wax prints. He suggests that the Goytside pit may date from the time when the Pott family had a weaving and dyeing business here. Adjoing the hay barn is a small stone building alongside the road. This is believed to be the earliest building at Goytside. A blocked up doorway is very low. Probing the ground outside showed considerable depth before a step was reached. It seems likely that the road level was originally much lower.

The long barn on the south side of the courtyard was previously a milking parlour and still contains the stalls. Latterly this barn has been used as a lambing shed. A walkway within the barn is lower than the floor of the milking stalls and lower than the ground outside. Another indication that the land levels have risen. Christine Bodman has always known this feature as "The Gank"

 

Two small buildings once contained pig styes. On the west side of the yard is a well, now hidden in the undergrowth. To the north of the farmhouse is another well, originally linked to a pump inside the house. This was unknown to the Bodman family until a visit by a former maid who told of its existance.

An upstairs room had once been used as a bedroom. George Tomlinson,visiting the farm in the 1990s noted that on one of the walls were the markings of three dots arranged in a triangle. This is a symbol that is used in freemasonry and since the 17^th century has had the meaning, particularly in mathematics of “therefore”. Roger Bodman remarks that etched into the wall of the small stone building alongside the road, were the marks of a pair of compasses.  

The Tithe Map of 1841 details the ownership and occupancy of the lands. Each plot carries an ancient field name. The map is orientated with North to the right. Lands to the west of the river were owned by the Jodrell estates and to the east by the Cavendish family. Lloyd, Buchan and Welch, who were tenants of four of these fields, were owners of Furness Vale Print Works. Goitside at that time included three separate residences, all tenanted by women.

The Tithe Map was surveyed before construction of the Midland Railway's Manchester to Sheffield line. After one stage of construction, the drystone walls of the old irregular fields were robbed out and re-used to lay out the present day field pattern below New Mills South Junction signal box.   

Pott Bridge, the crossing over the River Goyt has been rebuilt on a number of occasions. The structure was swept away at least once, by high water levels. By 1829, the bridge had been replaced by a ford. A new bridge had been built by 1872 but this was a rather rickety structure.

image courtesy of New Mills Local History Society n01205

 

Roger Bodman remarks that the haystack in the background is in a walled enclosure which is still known as "The Stackyard".  The walls no longer exist and the view is much changed due to tree growth.

George and Martha Drinkwater were brother and sister occupants of Goytside in the early 20^th century.

 The following data is provided b Roger Bodman:

 

Ownership of Goytside Farm 1841 - 2024  (from the farm deeds)

1811            Lord George Cavendish

1845            William Frederick Cavendish

By 1875       Francis John Sumner (may have owned Wren's Nest Mill in Glossop) he died in 1907

31.10.1923   His widow, Fanny Sumner sold Goytside to the sitting tenant, George Drinkwater

6.3.1943       George Drinkwater of Goytside Farm, Furness Vale in the Count of Chester, died                                  intestate, a bachelor without parent.  His sister, Martha, inherited Goytside

10.6.1943    Edward Evans of Yeardsley Hall bought Goytside from Martha Drinkwater.  His                                           daughter,  Barbara Evans married Henry L. Potts (Harry Potts)

19.5.1955    Edward Evans sold Goytside to his son-in-law Harry Potts (father of Christine Bodman)                              who was a dairy farmer

29.4.1981    Harry Potts died intestate and Christine Bodman inherited Goytside as his onl daughter.                               Sheep were farmed.

2020            Bridget, only daughter of Roger and Christine Bodman acquired Goytside.

As far as is known, there is no connection between Harr Potts and the Pott family who were tenants at Goytside in the 16th to 18th centuries.

 

Edward Evans had a number of children. Christine Bodman's uncle, Sam Evans ran Broadhey with his son Rodney.  Christine's Aunt Dorothy married Jack Hill and they ran Diglee Farm. Christine's Uncle, John Evans worked as a salesman for Ferodo in various places in the UK before retiring to Exeter.  Christine Bodman's cousin Edward, son of Eric Evans , became a potato trader in Lincolnshire. Christine's Aunt Marjorie (married name Leah) was a teacher and moved eventually to Australia.