Travel Bredbury Map

Travel to Bredbury Map

Bredbury tourist guide map of landmarks & destinations by Walkfo

Bredbury history

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Iron Age

The area must have been unattractive to the Brigantes settlers in pre-Roman Britain. The rivers flowed more fully before their waters were dammed in the 19th century. However, where the valley of the River Goyt narrows at New Bridge, passage was possible.

Roman occupation

The name ‘Bredbury’ is Anglo-Saxon and probably dates from the first permanent settlement, likely a fortification. Names found in nearby villages suggest that Norse invaders found their way into the district, probably during the 10th century.

Middle Ages

Bredbury comprised farm land bought by Lord Danton in 1014. There is no mention of Lord Danton’s manor, but the ‘lord’ of Bredbury was the pre-conquest Anglo-Saxon thane, Wulfric. It is likely that William the Conqueror’s army, on its march from Yorkshire to subdue the rebellion at Chester, followed the main highway. Virtually all the townships on the way were systematically looted, part of the Harrying of the North. Bredbury seems to have been an exception, for reasons which are unclear, but the army apparently crossed the hill into Romiley, which although not on the direct route, is duly described as “waste” in the Domesday Book of 1086. Bredbury itself was mentioned briefly in the Domesday Book as being several hundred acres of land. The only occupants listed were a duck and a sheep. Its value was placed at three pounds. Bredbury passed from the hands of Sir Richard de Vernon to the Mascis of Dunham, under whom it was held by the Fitz-Waltheofs of Stockport. A charter granted by the third Hamon de Masci, lord of Dunham, who died about the end of the reign of King John, confirms the ownership of lands in Bredbury to the Fitz-Waltheofs, and is of special interest because it affords an insight into the working of the feudal system of the period. A translation of the charter runs as follows: And I, Hamo, regrant to Robert, the son of Waltheof, Bredbury and Brinnington, with their appurtenances, as his inheritance, to him and his heirs, to hold of me and my heirs, by the service of carrying my bed, my arms or my clothing, whenever the Earl of Chester in his own proper person shall go to Wales. And I, Hamo, will fully furnish Robert, the sone of Waltheof, and his heirs, with a sumpter beast and a man and a sack, and we will find estovers (sufficient food) whilst he is with us in the field, until he shall be returned, to the said Robert or his heirs. And Robert, the son of Waltheof, shall pay to ransom my body from captivity and detention, and to make my eldest son a knight, and to give my eldest daughter a marriage portion, in consideration of which Robert has given me a gold ring. The conditions laid down in this charter were usual under the feudal system, when military expeditions into Wales were no uncommon tasks for the Earl of Chester and his underlords. By a general inquisition of tenures, taken 10 May 1288, to determine the services due to Edward I in the Welsh Wars, it was found that “Richard de Stokeport holds Bredbury of Hamo de Masci” and “makes service to our Lord the King with one uncaparisoned horse”. Some time during the 14th century the manor of Bredbury was sub-divided into two portions, the larger of which was held by the Bredburys, and passed from them, by marriage with an heiress, to the Ardernes. The remaining portion ultimately came into the possession of the Davenports of Henbury. It would appear, however, that the manor of Bredbury was still held by the Stokeports, for in the inquisition post mortem of Isabel, daughter and heiress of Sir Richard de Stokeport, taken in 1370, it was found that the manor of Bredbury, with its appurtenances, was held from Roger Lestrange, lord of Dunham Massey, by knight’s service, and that it was worth 100 shillings per annum. In the same year, another inquisition was taken on the death of Hugh de Davenport, which records that he died “seised of two parts of the manor of Bredbury, and of land in Romiley and Werneth” and that Thomas de Davenport was his son and heir, aged 12 years. These lands remained in the possession of the Davenports for several generations The manor house of the Davenports in Bredbury was Goyt Hall on the banks of the River Goyt. During the Middle Ages the wealth of the Kingdom of England arose largely from the export of wool to the Netherlands, but the district had no share in this prosperity. By Tudor times, however, conditions had changed. Continental trade had been ruined by the Dutch War of Independence and home production of cloth was encouraged. By this time too, the wolves of Longdendale had been exterminated. Great flocks of sheep grazed on the moors and hillsides of the district, sheep farmers and weavers prospered, and established families such as the Ardernes and, at nearby Marple, the Bradshaws became wealthy and influential. The local industries based on thesheep farming, in the absence of ready water power, remained domestic – mainly handloom weaving and the making of felt hats.

Modern era

The main road continued to be of importance, particularly for the transport of salt from Cheshire, throughout medieval times. In the 17th century there were as many as twelve smithies in Bredbury. The district was until late in the 19th century little more than a group of hamlets, but the Industrial Revolution brought a number of cotton mills.

Industrial Revolution

The Peak Forest Canal opened in sections in the 1790s and first decade of the 19th century. It provided a water supply and the transport of raw materials, fuel and finished products for the new mills. The coming of the railways led to further industrial development, a steady growth of population and the fusing of the separate settlements into the village.

20th century

In the 1930s, and after the Second World War, the growth rate accelerated with the coming of new industries, including engineering, chemicals, clothing and textiles. The village became an important residential area on the periphery of the Greater Manchester Urban Area. Comprehensive sewerage and sewage disposal services were completed in 1938.

  

Bredbury map & travel guide with history & landmarks to explore

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Tourist Guide to Bredbury Map

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Walkfo Bredbury travel map key: visit National Trust sites, Blue Plaques, English Heritage locations & top travel destinations in Bredbury