Prior to the arrival of a Mr. Samuel Oldknow in the 1780s the road from Stockport forked at the Jolly Sailor, Norbury Smithy. One road went up Church Lane and the other went to Marple Bridge. The road now known as Stockport Road from the Jolly Sailor, through marple and on to New Mills did not exist.
Samuel Oldknow built the road to enable him to access the mill he was building on the banks of the River Goyt. The 'Roman Bridge' lakes are the mill ponds for this mill.
It became a turnpike by and Act of Parliament in 1793. The following year, 1794, an Act of Parliament was passed enabling the Peak Forest Canal to be built.
If the public house did exist in 1791 it would not have been called the Navigation and the 'Navigators, would not have arrived until at least 1794.
