Longstone Moor

About Longstone Moor

Rising above the White Peak village of Great Longstone, this broad limestone plateau offers a quieter alternative to the nearby Monsal Trail. The ground is characterized by historic lead mining scars, providing a rugged setting for views that stretch across to the gritstone ramparts of Curbar Edge and down into Monsal Dale.

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Did You Know?

• •The name stems from the 'long stone' (Old English lang and stan), likely referring to a prehistoric standing stone or an ancient boundary marker that once stood near the villages of Great and Little Longstone on the southern slopes.
• •The moor is a landscape of industrial archaeology, defined by 'rakes'—deep trenches where lead miners pursued veins of galena through the limestone. The massive spoil heaps of High Rake remain some of the most impressive industrial remains in the White Peak.
• •Looking south-west, the view is dominated by the Iron Age hill-fort of Fin Cop, while to the east, the contrast between the white limestone of the moor and the dark gritstone skyline of Curbar and Froggatt Edges is starkly visible.
• •Though it stands at a modest 395 metres, its status as a Hump—a hill with at least 100 metres of prominence—ensures it commands a surprisingly dominant position over the surrounding limestone dales.
• •The moor’s squeeze stiles are a fine test of one’s lunch choices; many were built to narrow limestone dimensions that suggest 18th-century lead miners were either exceptionally thin or remarkably motivated to reach the village below.