From the Medieval period onwards we can see how different parts of the landscape were important to the tenant farmers and landowners.  Each area was connected with the others, providing a range of resources for tenants and sometimes commercial uses for the landowners.

This field barn has a long history including use as a farm, cottage and Sunday School

Farms were dispersed throughout the valleys, usually individually or located in pairs.

Some can be dated to the Medieval period and most were occupied until they were demolished during the building of the dams in the 20th century.  A typical farm had access to inbye, intakes, moorland common and woodland.

inbye (lower green fields) intakes (higher walled fields, browner grass) and moorland (upper unwalled heathered hill)

Inbye is the most productive farm land nearest to the farmhouse on the valley bottom and lower slopes.  It is rented by the farmer and enclosed into small, irregular fields for pasture, hay and some arable.  Notice the improved (fertilised) lush green grass.

Intakes are walled fields which are enclosed on the less productive higher valley sides and improved to make them useful pastures.  The taking in (where the term 'intake' is derived) of land from 'the common' was a process all farmers undertook to increase their farm land.  This was presumably by agreement with the lord of the manor.

Above the intakes was the moorland common land, also known as sheepwalks, which were an important part of the farmer's holding.  The farmer did not rent this land but paid for rights on it as a commoner.  Rights included pasturing livestock, cutting peat for fuel, quarrying stone and cutting bracken for thatch, animal bedding and potash.  Walls were built on the moorlands, not so much to create fields as to demarcate the limits of each farmer’s rights.  Above Derwent Edge there is a complex series of peat cuts used by the occupants of Derwent hamlet.

There were numerous important woodlands distributed amongst the fields of the Upper Derwent landscape.  Like the moorlands, this was the preserve of the lord of the manor who allowed farmers the right to cut wood for fuel and buildings.  By the 18th century most of the woodland was reserved by the landowners for commercial use, such as charcoal production, and tenants had to use peat for fuel instead.

Routeways were important to allow tenants access to these different parts of the landscape.  Through fields they follow specific routes, often eroded into deep hollow-ways by use.

When the trackways reach the open commons they fan out towards pastures, peat cuts and quarries.  Some become long distance packhorse routes, crossing the moorlands towards places such as Glossop, Sheffield, Stocksbridge and Hope.

seen here paved across the moorlands

Major packhorse routes were Doctor’s Gate which ran along the Woodlands Valley between Hope and Glossop, Cut Gate to Penistone market and the Sheffield-Derwent route via Cutthroat Bridge.  These were replaced in the early 19th century by turnpike roads between Sheffield and Glossop, and Grindleford and Penistone.  Ashopton hamlet was built in the 19th century to service the needs of travellers along the Sheffield to Glossop route.

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