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New Mills is a former small cotton town on the western gritstone fringe of the Peak District between Stockport and Buxton. It is in an area of spectacular natural beauty standing astride the river Goyt at its confluence with the river Sett, both rivers incided into an impressive sandstone gorge known as the Torrs.
Mills and the ruined foundations of mills lie in the bottom of the gorge attracted to the site at the end of the eighteenth century by the water power potential. Evidence of a varied transport history is provided by several turnpike roads, the Peak Forest canal, two nineteenth century viaducts over the gorge, and several railways making use of the valley routes.
In addition there were once over thirty small coal mines scattered over the surrounding hillsides working the 'yard' seam.
The town given over almost entirely to industry has old-established textile printing and engraving works, as well as other textile mills, metal and engineering works, and manufacturers of confectionary.
On the borders of Cheshire, it lies deep in the lower valley of the Goyt and in the tributary valley of the Sett, which descends from Hayfield and the neighbourhood of Kinder Scout. Its industrialists look towards Manchester rather than to the rest of Derbyshire, but its townsfolk look out to the moorland hills around them, to Mellor Moor and Lantern Pike, to Chinley Churn and Black Hill, and the heights above the beautiful Lyme Park, in Cheshire.
A 'port of call' for many visitors to the area will undoubtedly be the Heritage Information Centre which is conveniently located near the central railway station, and adjacent to the bus station...on the track leading down to the 'Torrs' -
the Park under the Town' and provides access to an area of spectacular natural beauty. The centre is houses in a converted stone building, itself of great character, and consists of a shop and sales area, fixed and temporary display areas, an urban studies centre and a viewing platform over the Torrs gorge below.
For young visitors there is a reconstruction of a coal mine tunnel to x=crawl through. A magnificent model of the town in 1884...the year in which the Union Road high level bridge over the Torrs was built.
The Torrs Industrial Heritage Trail should certainly not be missed. For here in an area created during the ice age can be seen weavers cottagesm, stables, sluice gates, Millward Bridge, mills, and the remains of mills...an excellent example of an industrial era of interest to all. In addition many other activities now take place in The Torrs and which include rock climbing, game fishing, canoeing, not overlooking the study of its unique natural and man-made history. For many a visit here is their brief sighting of the kingfisher whose shining metallic blue plumage alerts the onlooker to its rapid flight down river. Swifts, martins, wagtails,dippers and water-fowl are common residents too.
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