Longshaw Lodge in Derbyshire's Peak District

Longshaw Lodge in 1927

A short drive to the south west of Sheffield, the Longshaw Estate lies on the windswept uplands of the Peak District. As well as their properties in Leicestershire and Rutland, the Dukes of Rutland owned extensive lands in Derbyshire along with Haddon Hall near Bakewell. They left Haddon Hall in favour of Belvoir Castle in the early 18th Century, closing it up for the next two hundred years, but still retained the 27,000 acres of the Haddon estate.

The Fifth Duke, John Henry Manners (4 January 1778 – 20 January 1857) bought further Peak District acres bordering the city of Sheffield in the early 19th Century and enjoyed hosting grouse shooting parties there. He built a shooting box nearby for the comfort of his guests when they were on the moors overlooking the Burbage Valley near the ancient Carl Wark hill fort. Later in the 19th Century the property was extended into a substantial lodge.

In the First World War the Ninth Duke made Longshaw Lodge available as a recuperation facility for wounded soldiers who were recovering after treatment at Sheffield hospitals. The soldiers were taken on trips to nearby parks and estates as part of their therapy, with transport laid on by local bus companies. The estate was also noted for providing moss that was dried and used in medical dressings.

Soldiers on an excursion from Longshaw in WW1

In 1927 the Duke of Rutland sold Longshaw to raise funds to manage taxes and death duties. The lodge is now private apartments and the estate is managed by the National Trust.

The following links provide further information:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Longshaw_Estate