Overview
Longshaw
The name 'Longshaw' first appears in 1722 in a letter written by a Mr George Cooper of Hasleford, concerning a dispute over a 'sheep walke' between the manors of Hathersage and Dore. 'Shaw' is Old English for 'small wood or copse', so presumably 'Longshaw' refers to a 'long wood' (presumably Padley Gorge). However, settlement and use of the area go back long before it was given its name.
Settlement
The surrounding area was definitely settled in the Bronze Age (2,300 - 700 BC) with ring cairns and hut circles surviving on the moors above Toads Mouth and cairns and a possible stone circle on Lawrence Field, with further Bronze Age remains on the site of the Sheffield Plantation. Human occupation then appears to cease on the upland areas of Derbyshire (although, as archaeologists say, 'absence of evidence is not evidence of absence'), and it is not until the late Anglo-Saxon or early medieval period that human activity once again leaves its mark. The remains of a 10th or 11th century settlement on Lawrence Field consist of a large oval enclosure containing stone rows and clearance cairns, and two longhouses.
back to top
Access across the moors
Quarrying took place from at least 1466 when millstones were made at Yarncliffe Quarry. Transport over the moors was a necessity and the estate is criss-crossed with ancient trackways, some of which have been eroded over time to forms 'holloways'. The most obvious of these leads down from the Surprise View car park to the modern footbridge across Burbage Brook. There are two guidestoops on the estate dating from the early 18th century which were the result of an Act of Parliament aimed at making travel easier, particularly over remote areas of moorland. Later that century saw the era of the turnpike and the roads around Longshaw have an interesting history in that some of them were later moved to a different course when the Estate was taken over by the Duke of Rutland. Read about early transport links to Longshaw.
back to top
19th century
The early 19th century heralded the major era of land enclosures. The Hathersage Enclosure Award was dated 1808 but it was a long, slow process and it was not until 1830 that the enclosure map of the area was drawn. This shows allotments of land to a Mr Charles Brookfield of Sheffield, who was a founder member of the Sheffield Planting Company. This area, known to this day as the Sheffield Plantation, was a commercial enterprise by a group of Sheffield businessmen. It was not an unqualified success, however, and in 1855 the land was sold to the Duke of Rutland to add to his growing estate.
back to top
Longshaw Lodge
Longshaw Lodge was built as a shooting box by the then Duke of Rutland for use when he was visiting his shooting estate. This covered not just the area known as the Longshaw Estate today but large areas of moorland reaching up to Burbage and Ringinglow in the north, to Birchen Edge and Gardom's Edge in the south. It is this aspect of the estate's history which is probably best known today, although it does only account for approximately one of many centuries of land use in the area.
back to top
Sheep Dog Trials
A competition between the Duke's head shepherd and head gamekeeper are reputed to be the origin of the Longshaw Sheep Dog Trials, the first official one of which was held in 1898. They have been held every year since, with the exception of the years covering the two world wars, and claim to be the oldest continuous sheep dog trials in the country.
back to top
20th century
The area has not always been as green and pleasant as it is today. The first decade of the 20th century saw the removal of 1.2 million tons of stone from Bole Hill Quarry to build the Derwent and Howden dams in the Derwent Valley. The quarry is rich in industrial archaeology with old trackways on which railway lines were laid being clearly visible, as well as the remains of buildings, building platforms and the steep incline down which trucks were sent to join the railway line at the bottom. It is also a place where solitude can usually be found, even on a hot summers day when the area around Burbage Brook resembles Blackpool. Read more about the millstones that came from the Estate.
back to top
Acquisition of Longshaw Estate
The purchase of the Longshaw Estate from the Duke of Rutland took place in 1927. Initially, Sheffield Corporation purchased over three thousand acres of moorland for water collection purposes, including 747 acres on which the lodge stood. A public appeal by what is now the Sheffield branch of the CPRE raised the money to but this portion of the estate from the Corporation, and in turn handed it over to the National Trust in 1931. From 1928 the estate had been open to the public and patrolled by volunteer wardens. Working parties from a large number of rambling clubs had helped to maintain the estate and volunteers still play an important part today. Read more about the National Trust's acquisition of Longshaw.
back to top
The Lodge
Between 1929 and 1960 The Lodge was used as a guesthouse by the Holiday Fellowship and it was then turned into flats. The original estate of 747 acres has been added to over the years and now consists of 1,600 acres of open moorland and woodland. It was the first piece of open countryside in the Peak District acquired by the National Trust, 20 years before the formation of the Peak District National Park.
|
