Longdendale lights

The Longdendale lights are mystery lights that have been observed at the upper end of the Longdendale valley and surrounding areas in the Peak District in northern England. Reports of the lights date back centuries and they have also been known as the ‘Devil’s bonfires’. Ghost lights are a recurring feature of the wider Pennines landscape.

In some cases a solitary, large, bright light is observed. In other cases, the lights appear small and in clusters. In these reports, the lights are often different colours and sometimes are observed moving rapidly. The lights have been seen by individuals as well as by large groups. On several occasions,lights described as distress flares have been reported hikers, resulting in rescue teams being called out to the area, only to find nobody during their search. Nearby Shining Clough is unlikely to be named after the mystery lights, but for the reflections on its cascades frequently visible across the valley.

Various hypotheses have been put forward to explain the origin of the Longdendale lights but there is no consensus. Amongst more traditional explanations are that the lights are witches or spirits and possibly omens of death or disaster. One local story explains the lights as being the torches of the ghosts of Roman soldiers “who tramp across the moor every year on the night of the first full moon in Spring” As no known Roman road crosses nearby moorland, this lacks any credence. Flying saucers have also been suggested.

Another explanation is geological faults causing electrical currents to build up and occasionally discharge in the sky. Paul Devereaux, author of two books on the Longdendale lights, says that “In Derbyshire there are numerous geological faults, mineral deposits, reservoirs and the weight of water on underground cracks like geological faults can cause movement of the Earth which could generate the sort of electrical magnetic forces that could produce the lights”. There is no physical evidence in the form of photographs or video of any of the claimed lights, despite being close to the very busy A628 road.

Misidentifications have also been suggested as the cause of some or even all of the sightings. The area is very isolated and the lights from far-away cars or houses could easily be mistaken for something else. Some have also suggested aeroplanes flying to and from nearby Manchester Airport as the cause of the sightings. Sightings of the planet Venus and flash lights of game keepers hunting foxes on the moors at night have also been suggested as the cause of misidentifications.

The lights are well known locally and many residents have stories of observing strange lights in the sky above them. A live webcam previously existed to allow people from outside the area to view the lights for themselves. The Distant Hills brewery, based in nearby Glossop, has brewed ‘Brights Lights’ and ‘Longdendale Lights’, both named in honour of the famous mystery lights of the area.