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Around Longnor

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Our view

"Ramble over hills and dales in the footsteps of some of television's favourite doctors."

Walk directions

From the square take the road towards Buxton. Take the first right to turn into Church Street, and then go immediately left, up Lane Head and right up steps to the footpath. Follow the waymarkers, behind some houses, over a stile and along a wall. Cross another stile, go downhill and turn left onto a farm road.

Go straight on and turn right onto the road. Just before the bend towards the bottom of the hill, take the farm road on the left. At the end, continue through a gate onto the footpath, through a gap stile, downhill, across a bridge and continue straight ahead. Eventually go through a gate and turn left onto the road.

Fork left onto a farm road, following the waymarked path. Cross a bridge by a ford and turn left to follow the river bank to the road. Turn right, through Hollinsclough, following the road to the right and uphill. Turn right onto a bridleway, go through a gate and downhill.

After 50yds (46m) fork left by two stones and continue along the flank of the hill. Cross a stile and continue until the path meets a stone wall, then veer left and uphill. At the top, turn left at a stone gatepost, and walk through Moorside Farm, through a kissing gate to the road. Turn right then cross a stile to a public footpath on the left.

Follow a line downhill from the fingerpost, aiming for the gate in the field beyond the trees and the brook. In very wet weather this is a quagmire. Cross a stile and the brook and head uphill, through a gap in the wall by a gate at the top and turn left through Willshaw Farm. Fork right for the well-signposted path to Hill Top Farm.

Follow the path over stiles and past the farm to the road. Go straight over for the track signposted ‘Heathylee House Farm’. Approaching the farm go right, steeply downhill, over a stile and follow the path along the wall. Just before the stream, cross a stile on the left and head uphill to the left of some trees.

Continue walking uphill, through a gate in a stone wall to a ruined building. Follow the track to the next farm, bear left after the barn, then go left onto a footpath uphill.

Go through a stile and follow the wall uphill to the road. Turn left then right towards Longnor. Just as the road bends left, cross a stile on the right, go downhill and over several stiles and gates to a farm road. Turn right and follow this back to the village and your car.

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Location

Nearest postcode:

Additional information

Terrain - Some on road, otherwise good footpaths; can be muddy; many stiles

Landscape - Valleys, hills and meadows

Dog friendliness - Suitable for dogs, but keep on lead near livestock

Parking - Longnor village square

Toilets en route - Longnor village square

Walks in Staffordshire Dog-friendly walks in Staffordshire

About the walk

Longnor, a charming Peak village situated on a high ridge between the Dove and Manifold rivers, developed as a meeting place on the ancient trade routes that once crossed these hills from Sheffield, Chesterfield, Nottingham and the Potteries. More recently it became famous as the location of the... television drama Peak Practice. First screened in 1993, the series put Peak District scenery on the television map and attracted countless visitors. The earlier episodes took many different parts of the area to establish fictional Cardale – particularly Crich. Real life in Longnor, though, is somewhat quieter than the TV version, which ceased filming in 2002. There is plenty that will be familiar to viewers of the series. The fine brick frontage of the fictional Cardale Tearoom is actually a Georgian hotel built to serve the needs of the Harpur-Crewe Estate; it was used as a meeting place for the local farmers when they came to pay their annual rents at the end of March. The Horseshoe had the honour of being the TV doctors’ local, the Black Swan. Dating back to 1609, it was an important staging point for the packhorse and carriage trade that crossed these hills. Both the Crewe & Harpur Arms and The Horseshoe are now self-catering establishments. The one remaining pub in the village, Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese Inn, in the village, had its origins as a cheese store in 1464 and it still has a reputation for fine food. The ancient pubs and cobbled market square are a reminder of Longnor’s importance in days gone by as a market town. The turnpike roads with their tolls, and the lack of a railway link, prevented Longnor’s development as a major trading centre, but the village retains its Victorian market hall. Now a craft centre and coffee shop, it still has the old market toll charge board, with a list of long-forgotten tariffs, above the front door. One of the highlights of a visit to Longnor is the churchyard of St Bartholomew’s. Although the church is 18th-century, the churchyard has some ancient graves, including that of the remarkable William Billings, who lived to the ripe old age of 112. Born in a cornfield, he was at the capture of Gibraltar in 1704, saw action at the Battle of Ramillies in 1706 and fought against the Stuarts in the Jacobite Risings of 1715 and 1745.

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About the area

Staffordshire features lofty moors, deep dales and tremendous views of both. Further south are the six sprawling towns that make up Stoke-on-Trent, which historically have had such an impact on Staffordshire’s fortunes, not to mention its culture and countryside.

Route details

Difficulty:

Medium

Gradient:

Moderate

Distance:

6 miles (9.7kms)

Ascent:

459ft (140m)

If you like this walk, you can try more routes in the area.

Find more walks in Staffordshire

Around Longnor

Recommended by

Our view

"Ramble over hills and dales in the footsteps of some of television's favourite doctors."

Walk details

Difficulty:

Medium

Gradient:

Moderate

Distance:

6 miles (9.7kms)

Ascent:

459ft (140m)

Walk directions

1 of 8

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3 of 8

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6 of 8

Continue walking uphill, through a gate in a stone wall to a ruined building. Follow the track to the next farm, bear left after the barn, then go left onto a footpath uphill.

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Location

Starting point

Nearest postcode:

Additional information

Terrain - Some on road, otherwise good footpaths; can be muddy; many stiles

Landscape - Valleys, hills and meadows

Dog friendliness - Suitable for dogs, but keep on lead near livestock

Parking - Longnor village square

Toilets en route - Longnor village square

Walks in Staffordshire Dog-friendly walks in Staffordshire

About the walk

Been on this walk?

Send us photos or a comment about this route. Or recommend a route of your own.

Find out more

Walking in Safety

Read our tips to look after yourself and the environment when following this walk.

Learn more

Get an AA guide

Explore our range of ‘50 Walks in’ guides - they’re the ideal companion for a ramble.

Learn more

Been on this walk?

Send us photos or a comment about this route. Or recommend a route of your own.

Find out more

Walking in Safety

Read our tips to look after yourself and the environment when following this walk.

Learn more

Get an AA guide

Explore our range of ‘50 Walks in’ guides - they’re the ideal companion for a ramble.

Learn more

About the area

Staffordshire

Around Longnor

Been on this walk?

Walking in Safety

Get an AA guide

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Walking in Safety

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Around Longnor

Been on this walk?

Walking in Safety

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