Clinging to the western ramparts of the gritstone edges at an altitude of around 1000 feet overlooking the Derwent Valley above Grindleford lies the Longshaw Estate.
Whilst seemingly remote and inaccessible the property lies only 10 mins from Sheffield, and despite appearances has infact been fashioned and manipulated over considerable time by man. Indeed it is this close association with man, over approximately 8000 thousand years, which has bestowed many of its unique features.
With its dramatic location, topography and climate there is atmosphere of wilderness that gives the Longshaw Estate special attraction to many hundreds of thousands of visitors. Special mention must also be made of the famous viewpoint at Surprise View where the Derwent Valley is revealed stretching west towards Hope and Castleton as you top the gritstone escarpment travelling from Sheffield.
Lying beyond the core of the estate are several outlying properties which are important in their own right. They do in many cases assume a significance of their own which is not fully described here. These include:
- Outseats - Perched below Stanage Edge
- Curbar Edge - An extension of the Gritstone scarp extending from Froggatt Edge
- Riley Graves - Linked to the great plague of Eyam
- Taddington Woods - A classic example of native Ash Lime woodland near Taddington
- Ravenstor - A diverse limestone habitat with a wealth of flora and fauna. Of particular significance here is Bellamy's bank - one of the finest examples of a long sward calcareous grassland in the Peak.
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