Monument record MDR717 - Doctor's Gate (possible route of), through Hope Woodlands
Type and Period (1)
- ROAD (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
Protected Status/Designation
- None recorded
Full Description
Line of Doctor's Gate in Hope Woodlands parish. Marked on OS maps as a Roman road, but may be medieval. Origins unclear. (1)
Possibly a prehistoric trackway improved in Roman times. (2-3)
A survey of 1996 included part of the line of Doctor's Gate, where it takes the form of a paved path running along a natural gully. The path in this area comprises rounded gritstone slabs set into the ground on end and bordered by narrower, sharp-cornered slabs standing slightly proud of the path itself. The paved path continues to the north-west, into Charlesworth parish. To the south-east the paving disappears as the path approaches a boggy confluence of gullies above a clough. The line of the trackway cannot be traced further east, but stone revetment and wall footings may have been built to support the route as it approached a clough. The projected line of the trackway would join it with the present Snake Pass. It is possible that the projected section was destroyed by the buildings of the turnpike to deter travellers from using the packhorse route to avoid paying tolls. It is part of a major valley through-route first recorded in 1627 as "Docto Talbotes Gate" and still known today as Doctor's gate. It was the Hope to Glossop packhorse route which was replaced by the turnpike in 1821. It is also reputed to be a Roman road joining the forts at Brough and Glossop. No evidence for its Roman antiquity has been discovered. Excavations along its route south of Crookstone have found metalling. This has been taken as automatic proof for a Roman date, even though it is now known that packhorse routes were often metalled over boggy ground. (4)
Sources/Archives (5)
- --- SDR24185 Unpublished document: Wessex Archaeology. 2014. Snake Woodlands, Dr Talbotes Gate, Archaeological Evaluation: Statement of Results.
- <1> SDR19109 Bibliographic reference: Hill, R (PPJPB). 1985. Peak Park Treasures. D314.
- <2> SDR3992 Article in serial: Cockerton, R W. 1933. 'The Doctors Gate', The Derbyshire Countryside. Volume 3, pp 19-20, 39-40.
- <3> SDR19950 Bibliographic reference: Dodd, A & Dodd, E. 2000. Peakland Roads & Trackways, 3rd edition. pp 36-39.
- <4> SDR19505 Unpublished document: Bevan, B (PDNPA). 1996. Alport Moor, Hope Woodlands, Derbyshire, archaeological survey, 1996. p 7, Feature no. 1.
Map
Location
| Grid reference | Centred SK 1307 8978 (6607m by 5171m) (Centred on) |
|---|---|
| Civil Parish | HOPE WOODLANDS, HIGH PEAK, DERBYSHIRE |
Related Monuments/Buildings (0)
Related Events/Activities (2)
- EDR4016
- EDR4646
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External Links (0)
Record last edited
Mar 1 2020 8:12PM