Gapes Valley
Valley in the Canterbury Region, New Zealand
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Gapes Valley is a valley in the Canterbury Region in the South Island of New Zealand. It is about 6 kilometres (3.7 mi) west of Geraldine and located on the Geraldine Fairlie Highway. The valley is nestled between the Waitohi Hill and the Rocky Ridges[1] and is described as being 4 miles (6.4 km) long with the flat land of exceptional quality.[2] Today Gapes Valley consists of a sparse grouping of houses, the hall and a recently established brewery.
History
The valley was named after William Gapes (born in Saffron Walden, Essex, England; twin brother of James Gapes[3]), who after working throughout the region settled on an 123 acres (50 ha) farm in the valley.[4] The valley was once home to a small post office. The Gapes Valley School was opened in 1882[5] though would later close with students moving to the nearby Hilton School.[4]
Many roads in the area bear the names of pioneer families, such as: Halls, Loves, Patricks, Slacks and Wells.[1]
