Shining Cliff Woods are on the west bank of the
River Derwent near to
Ambergate Derbyshire.
In medieval times "Schymynde-cliffe" was one of the seven
royal parks within
Duffield Frith and, as such, belonged to
Edmund Crouchback, Earl of Lancaster. It was an estate within the manor of
Alderwasley and in 1284 was given to William Foun who was given the job of maintaining the boundaries between the Pendleton and Peatpits Brooks.
They passed to Thomas Lowe by marriage in 1471 and in 1514 he was granted by
Henry VIII
Henry VIII (28 June 149128 January 1547) was King of England from 22 April 1509 until his death in 1547. Henry is best known for his six marriages, and for his efforts to have his first marriage (to Catherine of Aragon) annulled. His disa ...
the right to "empark and empale" his estate and enjoy "free warren" within it.
The woods include an
SSSI
A Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) in Great Britain or an Area of Special Scientific Interest (ASSI) in the Isle of Man and Northern Ireland is a conservation designation denoting a protected area in the United Kingdom and Isle of ...
. Some of the woodland is owned and managed by
Grith Fyrd Pioneers, but the Eastern part is (like
Alport Height some 2 km to the west), in the ownership of the
National Trust, and part of their
South Peak Estate. This woodland is managed by
Forestry England.
The woods contain a popular residential centre, once managed by the
Youth Hostels Association but managed independently since 2009.
The hostel stands in the lee of the Shining Cliff itself, a low gritstone rockface ().
To the east of Shining Cliff Wood stands
Oakhurst House
Oakhurst House is a derelict building in Shining Cliff Woods above the village of Ambergate in Derbyshire. The house was built in 1848 by Francis Hurt behind his iron forge in Ambergate. It was owned by the Johnson family of industrialists for ...
, a 19th-century Jacobean-Arts & Crafts country home which has fallen into partial ruin. It was built by Francis Hurt, landowner and resident of local
Alderwasley Hall. The house is in private ownership and not accessible to the public.
References
Sites of Special Scientific Interest in Derbyshire
Forests and woodlands of Derbyshire
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