Monument record MDR11981 - Turnpike road, Hartington Upper Quarter

Sometime after 1767 and before 1776 (based on Burdett's map and a private enclosure map), a diversion of part of the original 1724 turnpike road between Manchester (via Whaley Bridge) and Buxton, was laid out. Later improvements were made in two places in the early 19th century, taking a more sinuous route to achieve a gentler gradient and leaving two stretches of the 1770s turnpike road abandoned. These are still visible to some extent. The northern stretch is terraced into the slope and can be seen as a raised, grass-covered causeway over much of its length, with a lynchet downslope and ditch upslope. Robbing at the southern end where it joins the present road, shown on the 1880 OS map, has exposed the gritstone cobbled make-up of the original road surface. When first built the road was unwalled but a subsequent wall was added to the eastern side. Near the northern end is a road builders' quarry adjacent to the road. The southern end of the road is now a grass-covered lane with drystone walls to either side. The original road was probably unwalled, as indicated by the northern stretch of the same road. Maps illustrate that the walls had been added by the mid 19th century. The two stretches of road were abandoned between 1812 and 1824. (1)