Great Longstone
OS Grid ref:- SK210720
The village of Great Longstone is situated around 2 miles from the town of Bakewell in the Peak District National Park.
Mentioned as Longsdune in the Domesday Book it is recorded as then being owned by Henry de Ferrers.
The village church of St Giles dates from the thirteenth century, a Grade I listed building, its imposing fifteenth century carved oak roof is its most notable feature . A medieval cross stands in the churchyard, the head of a cross is built into the wall of the vestry.
The church contains memorials to the Wright and Eyre families and a tribute to Dr Edward Buxton, who in the early part of the nineteenth century, sacrificed himself to tend the villagers during an outbreak of typhoid fever.
Great Longstone has a number of charming eighteenth century cottages and a traditional pub. The cross on the village green dates back to the time of Flemish weavers who set up a stocking industry in the area and is now the meeting point for the weekly market. Great Longstone Hall dates back to 1747 and is one of the more attractive of the smaller country houses in Derbyshire. It was once the home of the Wright family.
Great Longstone lies on the Monsal Trail, a poular long distance trail for walkers and cyclists which is 8.5 miles (13.7 km) in length. The trail stretches from the old Bakewell station almost as far as Buxton and can be accessed at several points along the way. The village railway station (pictured right) , built by the Midland Railway in 1863, and designed to match the nearby Thornbridge Hall, survives as a domestic residence, the trackbed through the station is part of the Monsal Trail.
The village lies beneath Longstone Edge, a 5 mile long ridge which rises to 1300 feet at Bleak Low and provides spectacular views over the Peak District. Nearby Monsal Head is arguably the best viewpoint in the Peak District and it’s famous feature is the striking railway viaduct which sits across the River Wye.
Nearby places of interest
Chatsworth House known as "The Palace of the Peak" is the country seat of the Duke of Devonshire and is situated on the banks of the River Derwent, 3.5 miles to the northeast of Bakewell in the heart of the Peak District National Park.
Haddon Hall is an architectural gem. Dating back to the eleventh century, the hall has been described as "the most complete and most interesting house of [its] period", it is the finest example of a medieval manor house currently in existence in England.
Lathkill Dale, a Peak District beauty spot in the truest sense of the word, is one of Britain's finest limestone valleys, it is situated about 3 miles from Bakewell.
Arbor Low, sometimes referred to as ‘The Stonehenge of the North' is a prehistoric site of unique archaeological and cultural interest.
Monsal Head, a justly famous beauty spot, commands superb views down Monsal Dale and up the Wye Valley