Longnor brings together traces of its former role as a market town and buildings from different centuries. The cobbled square, the fortified site of Moat House and St Bartholomew’s Church provide tangible points of reference for the town’s history. The surrounding countryside offers a different focus: from Longnor, you can explore the Dove Valley; Edge Top is also accessible from here and offers views of the local area. When planning your trip, the town’s history and its countryside therefore stand side by side as distinct, equally tangible themes.
Market history around the cobbled square
The old cobbled square preserves Longnor’s former role as a market centre. Regular fairs were held in the town from the late Middle Ages, with up to four a year. John Harpur was granted permission for a Tuesday market in 1595. The grant specifies a particular market day; the fairs represent recurring events in the town’s history. The historic Longnor Craft Centre overlooks the cobbled market square. Its building was formerly a 19th-century market hall. The historic market traditions and a former market building can therefore be understood as distinct aspects of Longnor’s market history.
Moat House: fortified site and hall house
Moat House lies on the south-eastern edge of Longnor and is a well-preserved monument of a fortified site. It comprises earthworks and buried remains of a medieval fortification, as well as an associated fishpond. The monument also includes a standing late medieval hall house. The site was probably built in the early 13th century; the hall house, by contrast, is late medieval. These dates refer to different parts of the monument: the fortification and the hall house.
Church, layers of history and alleyways
Today’s St Bartholomew’s Church is a rebuilding in grey stone dating from 1780 to 1781. The font is the only evidence of a Norman church, pointing to a different historical period from the present rebuilding. A walk around Longnor also reveals hidden alleyways and passageways. This adds the smaller routes through the town to the view of its individual buildings.
Comparing the buildings also shows how differently Longnor’s history can be traced: Moat House comprises a fortified site with a late medieval hall house; St Bartholomew’s Church is a rebuilding from the late 18th century, while its font is the only evidence of a Norman church. For anyone interested in historic architecture, these offer different points of reference in time rather than a single building phase.
From Longnor to the Dove Valley
You can explore the Dove Valley from Longnor. Edge Top is also accessible from Longnor and offers views of the local area. The two landscape destinations offer different experiences: the focus at the Dove Valley is on exploring the valley, while at Edge Top it is on views of the surrounding area. When planning, you can therefore decide whether to focus more on the town’s market and architectural history, exploring the Dove Valley, or the views from Edge Top.
Discover more destinations: Uttoxeter, Madeley, Stone, Lichfield, Hilderstone, Brocton, Endon, Oakamoor
For the broader travel overview: Staffordshire.
