Discover Longnor

Longnor brings together traces of its former role as a market centre with medieval and later buildings. On a walk, you can discover hidden lanes and passageways; from Longnor, you can also explore the Dove Valley. If you’re looking for hotels for a trip to Longnor, this combination offers practical points to consider when choosing your destination: you can focus your interests on local history, buildings and landscape. Longnor’s Victorian market hall is now used as a café; check the opening hours before stopping in.

Market Square and Historic Markets

An old cobbled square is evidence of Longnor’s former role as a market centre. Regular annual fairs were held in the town from the late Middle Ages, up to four a year. This is distinct from the authorisation John Harpur received in 1595 for a Tuesday market in Longnor. One reference describes recurring annual fairs and their maximum number per year; the other specifies a particular day of the week, a person and a year. Together, they offer different insights into the town’s market history.

The historic Longnor Craft Centre overlooks the cobbled market square and was formerly a 19th-century market hall. This connects the market history both to the surviving square and to a former market building.

Moat House and St Bartholomew’s Church

At the south-eastern edge of Longnor is a monument featuring earthworks and buried remains of a medieval fortified site, along with an associated fishpond. Moat House is a well-preserved monument of this kind and includes a standing late medieval hall house. It was probably built in the early 13th century; this date is not certain. The date refers to the fortified site, not the late medieval hall house, allowing the two construction phases of Moat House to be distinguished chronologically.

The present St Bartholomew’s Church is a rebuilding in grey stone dating from 1780–1781. Its font is the only evidence of a Norman church. The building and the font therefore point to different periods.

Lanes and Landscape

On a walk through Longnor, you can discover hidden lanes and passageways. This draws attention not only to individual buildings or the cobbled square, but also to less obvious routes through the town.

From Longnor, you can explore the Dove Valley. Edge Top is accessible from Longnor and offers views of the surrounding area. This brings together two distinct landscape experiences: exploring the Dove Valley and enjoying views of the surroundings from Edge Top.

Discover more destinations: Whitmore, Burton-upon-Trent, Burntwood, Hanchurch, Brocton, Dunston, Ecton, Trentham.

For the wider travel overview: Staffordshire.