This site was produced by: LOCAL AUTHORITY PUBLISHING
Publishers for local authorities throughout Great Britain. View more Official Guides at www.officialguides.co.uk

Welcome to this guide, published in 2008. And welcome to Whaley Bridge, a small attractive town, set in outstanding High Peak scenery. It has been known historically as the Gateway to the Goyt Valley, but more and more today it is a destination in itself, as a place to live, a place for holidays, days out, shopping or eating.

People are now coming to know it as Water Town, because so much of our history and physical beauty has been created by water. The canal basin, at the head of the Peak Forest Canal, is a true gateway to the Peak District for the many people who arrive by boat.

All around are signs and memories of Whaley Bridge’s part in the Industrial Revolution - a very early canal, linked to a very early rail system, that went over the hills to Cromford.
The water, by river and by two reservoirs in the locality, brings life to this day into the canal system. And it was the North West humidity that made Whaley Bridge a small, but significant, textile town.

From the canal basin, or arriving by rail, bus or car, our many visitors enjoy walking, visiting restaurants or pubs and increasingly, the specialist shopping.

The scenery is superb. You could go on a walk that lasts all day, or stay on the level for a two hour walk. There’s one just like that in this guide, with information on it by local walker David Frith.
Whaley’s population is about 7,000. Among those people are the providers of services and entertainment, those running our local organisations, primary schools, sports teams - creating the varied aspects of life in a modern town with a great deal of history.

This guide seeks to reflect this lifestyle and provide information for residents or visitors, new and old, local or from far away.

Welcome to Water Town!