Monument record MDR11984 - Braided hollow way, Wild Moor, Hartington Upper Quarter

A major braided hollow way can be traced from the south of Bunsal Cob, winding up the eastern valley side, to the top of long hill. Some of the braids are deep and the swathe of tracks is up to 300m wide. It was part of the main traditional route through the valley, from Buxton to Macclesfield to Bollington. It has origins as a medieval salt way. The main route crossed the Goyt and continued westwards [See SMR 31679 and 31682]. The northern branch went to Bunsal Farm [SMR] and can be traced on 19th century maps. A bridge [See SMR 7178] under the Cromford and High Peak Railway was incorporated in the incline when it was built in the 1820's. Features on the route west of the bridge were destroyed in the 1960's at the time Errwood Reservoir was built. The main swathe of the hollow way, west of the Bunsal Incline, ran down to the upper wall of fields and then turned sharply to the north-east, presumably to avoid pre-existing enclosed fields. The 1899 OS map shows the main hollow way ran down to the river, suggesting it was forded here rather than upstream at Goytsbridge. This part of the route probably fell out of use at a relatively early date as the enclosures on the east side of the river that block it were built between 1614 and 1804. (1)