Longshaw > Bole Hill Quarry

Wandering among the silver birch you will stumble upon the crumbling remains of Bole Hill’s industrial past – the detritus of an industry that provided millions of tons of rock for the nearby Derwent and Howden dams in the early 20th Century. Amongst the tracks that carried the old railway you’ll find the remnants of buildings, platforms and the occasional abandoned or broken millstone.

Also known as Yarncliffe quarry this is a place where you can sit or roam in solitude, contemplating the dual impact of industry and nature as you watch climbers scale the scoured out sides of the quarry.

The strange and eerie atmosphere of Bole Hill, cloaked in silver birch, conceals the quarry workings, now silent, of an industry that provided millions of tons of rock for the nearby Derwent and Howden dams in the early years of the 20th Century. The infamous millstones can also be found here

The history information below is for the whole area of Longshaw.

Archaeologists argue about the origins of the stone circle on Lawrence field at the north-west corner of the estate, though most agree there is evidence of tree clearance and enclosures dating certainly to the Vikings and possibly as far back as the Bronze Age.

Longshaw - literally ‘long wood’ - Lodge was built as a shooting box for the then Duke of Rutland. Over the centuries the area has been a centre for charcoal burning to provide fuel for Sheffield’s smelting industries and millstone quarrying for the local cotton and woollen mills. In the early 20th century it provided stone for the reservoir dams in nearby Derwent Valley. It has also been an important trading route for salt, silk, wool, and lead.

Discover more about the Peaks past from prehistory to the modern day with our history timeline..

The habitat information below is for the whole area of Longshaw.

The semi-natural woodlands of the Longshaw Estate are very special in that they represent the best surviving example of the oak-birch woodland that once covered much of the Dark Peak. Some of the trees may be as old as three hundred years, though they’re surprisingly small because of the way they are rooted in thin soils amongst huge blocks of scree. Beneath the tree canopy is a rich assemblage of lichens and mosses, while up above breeding birds – more often heard than seen – include pied flycatcher, wood warbler, redstart and hawfinch.

Explore these habitats and learn more about the wildlife that inhabit them by selecting the links below:
Oak Woodland   Moorland   

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