Ethel Haythornthwaite: Recognition for Sheffield woman who saved the Peak District, with Women's Day walk

The work of a woman who played a major role in opening Sheffield's countryside to the public will be marked for National Women's Day.

Ethel Haythornthwaite a conservation activist who saved the Longshaw Estate from development and kept the Peak District green, will have her work remembered by the National Trust next week.

The National Trust in the Peak District marks her work on International Women’s Day with a series of stunning walks and inspiring talks, including a collaboration event with CPRE Peak District and South Yorkshire to mark their centenary year.

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Ethel’s campaigning from the 1920s and throughout her life saved much of the Peak District from development, keeping it accessible for future generations to enjoy and leading to a selection of 95 hills in the Peak District being named ‘The Ethels’ in her honour.

This year marks 100 years since Ethel founded the Sheffield Association for the Protection of Rural Scenery, which became the local CPRE Peak District and South Yorkshire branch in 1927.

The charity was founded to protect the countryside from development and was instrumental in saving the now popular 747-acre Longshaw Estate from development in 1928, now in the care of the National Trust.

The conservation charity will celebrate Ethel’s legacy with a series of guided walks over some of the 95 ‘Ethels’ from 15 March until 10 May.

Covering some of the most beautiful areas of the High Peak, these walks will offer participants spectacular far-reaching views of the Peak District as well as information about Ethel’s life and work.

On International Women’s Day on March 8, Cassa Townsend from CPRE Peak District and South Yorkshire will be giving a talk on Ethel’s pioneering work.

This will include her founding of the charity, and how her activism saved the Longshaw Estate, protecting the nature and wildlife that call this place home and preserving this special place for future generations. This will be followed by a guided walk up to the panoramic views of Higger Tor, a beautiful ‘Ethel’ on Longshaw’s Estate.

Sebastian Chew, Senior Visitor Experience Officer for the National Trust, sees Ethel’s impact on the High Peak in the Peak District every day and explained why this is the perfect time to tell her story.

“We really wanted to highlight the exceptional pioneering work of this incredible woman. Ethel’s legacy can still be felt today, not just because of her role in saving land now cared for by the National Trust, but also in preserving the area that became Sheffield’s green belt in 1938.”

“With this year being the 100th anniversary of the founding of CPRE Peak District and South Yorkshire, International Women’s Day 2024 seemed like the perfect opportunity to celebrate Ethel’s achievements. We want to highlight why she is such an inspirational figure for us, giving us the opportunity to be bold with the conservation work we do at the National Trust.”

“We see people from all walks of life exploring the Ethels in the High Peak and enjoying the freedom of the outdoors. It is our hope that this series of walks and events will raise the profile of Ethel Haythornthwaite even further and make more people aware of her as they join us to scale some of the spectacular hills in the High Peak named in her honour.”

The Walk the Ethels events will take place from Friday March 15 – Friday May 10. Tickets are £7.50 per person. Tickets for these are available at Events at Kinder, Edale and the High Peak (nationaltrust.org.uk) International Women's Day: Talk on Ethel Haythornthwaite and Higger Tor Walk takes place at Longshaw on Friday March 8 at 10am – 1pm. Tickets are £7.50 per person.