Our work on the Longshaw Estate and Eastern Moors

A ranger helps a girl learn to tie knots at an event in the woods, with a friend in the background.

Take a look at how we're looking after the landscape at Longshaw, Burbage and the Eastern Moors. Watch our video to discover more about the wildlife and habitats we're protecting.

Woodland work

Over the next five years our rangers will be managing a programme of woodland work at Longshaw; opening up some glades, felling many of the old scots pine plantation trees and planting native species.

More woodland edges and open parkland will mean better habitats for lots of insects and birds. A lot of work has already been done around Sheffield Plantation, and we're already seeing the benefit for wildlife. You can see birds such as kestrels and redstarts, and wildflowers more than ever before around where the plantation used to be.

A beautiful redstart captured by Volunteer Photographer Kev
A beautiful redstart captured by Volunteer Photographer Kev
A beautiful redstart captured by Volunteer Photographer Kev

Improving the visitor journey

We've doubled the number of spaces in our Woodcroft car park and created an all-weather surface with better drainage. There are now several accessible spaces and a coach parking bay for the Moorland Discovery Centre. We also have our beautiful new Welcome Building where visitors can be greeted by our friendly staff who are on hand to help you plan your day, learn more about National Trust membership and there are also drinks, snacks and ice creams available here for visitors on the go.

At the moment, we’re building a new home for our electricity substation, which you might be able to see from the back drive. This project will also create a ramped access into the Kitchen Garden in time for summer and relocate our Estate Office to free up space for our café development.

Early in 2019, we gained planning approval for our café development. We’re now working on the detailed design and are hoping to start building it in 2020.

Our shiny new Welcome Building is complete - pop in for a look.
Our shiny new Welcome Building is complete - pop in for a look.
Our shiny new Welcome Building is complete - pop in for a look.

A snapshot of our work

Here's a quick round up of some of the jobs we get stuck in with:

  • woodland restoration
  • working with education groups
  • events, walks, talks and more
  • running our tea-room and shop
  • planting memorial trees
  • maintaining our holiday cottage
  • dry stone wall building and restoration
  • fencing
  • haymeadow monitoring
  • membership recruitment
  • tree surveys
  • christmas tree sales
Ranger Chris carefully repairing a dry stone wall
Ranger Chris carefully repairing a dry stone wall
Ranger Chris carefully repairing a dry stone wall

Working partnerships

Located within the Peak District National Park, on the fringes of Sheffield, the Eastern Moors are managed by us and our partners RSPB. In January 2011, after detailed negotiation, the Partnership signed the lease to manage the Moors on behalf of the Peak District National Park, with whom we retain a key relationship.

The Eastern Moors Partnership is part of a wider vision for the area under the Sheffield Moors Partnership (SMP). This enables joined up thinking between adjacent land management, benefiting wildlife and people on a greater scale.

Watch the video below for more information about the wildlife and habitats we're protecting at Longshaw: