Longnor

Longnor sits high on a ridge between the River Dove and the River Manifold, right on the Staffordshire side of the Peak District border with Derbyshire, midway between Buxton, Bakewell and Hartington. It is an old place: there is evidence of settlement here since around 700AD, and the village appears in the Domesday Book of 1086. For centuries it thrived as a market town serving the farms scattered across this high, exposed country, and its cobbled square, narrow lanes and stone-built cottages still carry that history in every wall.

What strikes most visitors first is the quiet. Longnor has no traffic lights, no chain shops and no crowds jostling for photographs. What it has instead is a genuine working village character, a Grade II-listed market hall at its heart, and some of the finest walking country in England on its doorstep, with the limestone dales of the Manifold and Dove valleys dropping away on either side into classic White Peak scenery.

Top things to do in Longnor

Longnor rewards a slow pace. Most of what makes it special is on foot, within a few miles of the market square.

• Longnor Market Hall — Built in 1873, this handsome Victorian building once regulated trade for the whole district, and a board listing the old market tolls for buying and selling livestock still hangs on its wall. It now houses a craft centre and coffee shop, giving visitors a reason to step inside rather than just admire the facade.
• The cobbled Market Place — The heart of the village, ringed by stone cottages and small independent shops, and still recognisably the trading square it was two centuries ago.
• St Bartholomew's Church — A church has stood on this site since the 13th century, though the current building dates from 1781. Its churchyard and interior are worth a look for anyone interested in the village's long history.
• Manifold Valley walks — A short walk west of the village drops into the steep-sided Manifold Valley, with paths following the old Manifold Valley Light Railway trackbed towards Wetton and Thor's Cave.
• Dove Valley walks — To the east, footpaths lead down towards the River Dove and on towards Hartington and Beresford Dale, some of the gentlest and most photographed limestone scenery in the Peak District.
• Longnor Races — Held annually at nearby Waterhouse Farm, this village race day has run in various forms for more than 140 years, evolving from informal farmers' races in the 1880s into a proper meeting with harness racing, a gymkhana and the well-loved runners' chase.
• High Peak Trail and Tissington Trail — Both former railway lines, now traffic-free cycling and walking routes, are within easy reach for a longer day out on foot or by bike.

Getting to Longnor

Longnor lies just off the B5053, around 8 miles south of Buxton and roughly 7 miles from Leek, making it an easy drive from either the Staffordshire Moorlands or the Derbyshire side of the National Park. Buxton is the nearest town with a mainline railway station, on the line from Manchester, and from there Longnor is a short taxi or bus journey. There is limited public transport directly into the village itself, so most visitors arrive by car; roadside and small car parks near the market square provide access on foot to the surrounding footpaths.

Best time to visit Longnor

Late spring through early autumn (May to September) gives the longest days and the best conditions for walking the Dove and Manifold valleys, and coincides with Longnor Races and other village events. Summer brings the wildflower meadows around the village into full colour. Autumn paints the steep valley woodland in colour and is quieter on the footpaths, while winter can be atmospheric but exposed, with this high ground catching wind and occasional snow well before lower parts of the Peak District.

Where to stay in Longnor

Longnor itself offers a scattering of stone-built cottages and holiday lets around the market square and along its lanes, many dating from the village's time as a market town and now converted for self-catering stays. For campers and glampers, Longnor Wood Holiday Park sits just outside the village, an adults-only site with touring and tent pitches, glamping pods and hot-tub lodges set in the folds of the Peak District countryside. Further options in Hartington, Buxton and the surrounding villages extend the choice for anyone using Longnor as a base for a longer stay.

Food and drink in Longnor

For a village of its size, Longnor punches above its weight for places to eat. The Cobbles Cafe on the Market Place serves breakfasts, lunches and cakes made with locally sourced produce, and is a popular stop for walkers coming off the surrounding footpaths. The Longnor Craft Centre and Coffee Shop, housed in the old Market Hall itself, bakes its own cakes and makes its own soups for a simple lunch menu, alongside browsing the crafts and furniture on display. Both make the most of Longnor's quiet, unhurried pace, and are well placed for refuelling before or after a walk into the Dove or Manifold valleys.