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Browse through our blog posts to find out what life is like at Hoe Grange Holidays along with some great ideas for days out in the Peak District.
Butterflies at Hoe Grange Quarry
July 20, 2025Archives
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Did you know we have a nature reserve for butterflies and wildlife right on our doorstep? Hoe Grange Quarry used to belong to our farm but was sold off many moons ago for quarrying. Take a short walk from your log cabin or glamping pod and you will discover a peaceful haven brimming with wildlife. A fabulous idea for a car free day out - take a picnic with you!
Hoe Grange Quarry Butterfly Reserve
The quarry was disused in the 1970's and over the years has returned to it's natural state; a short limestone grassland rich in flowers. This makes it an ideal nature reserve, particularly for butterflies and moths. Longcliffe Quarries who now own the quarry work together with The Derbyshire Wildlife Trust and Butterfly Conservation to maintain and improve the site.
Fluttering butterflies make you think of sunshine, warmth, and meadows full of colourful wildflowers teaming with life. However butterflies are fragile which makes them quick to react to change, so their struggle to survive is a serious warning about our environment.
To date volunteers have recorded 28 species of butterflies at Hoe Grange Quarry. A real success story!
This is fantastic news as areas rich in butterflies and moths are also rich in other invertebrates. These collectively provide a wide range of environmental benefits, including pollination and natural pest control.
Also moths and butterflies are an important element of the food chain and are prey for birds, bats and other insectivorous animals.
Hoe Grange Quarry
The quarry covers 4.75 hectares made up mainly of unimproved grassland that hasn't been reseeded, fertilised or drained. Whilst less 'productive' the soil here supports a huge range of species. There are over 150 species of plants and you will see many thriving flowers including green-winged orchid, snake's head fritillary, bird's-foot trefoil and pasque flower.
The dew pond at the site entrance has been restored providing a haven for water species. The quarry boundaries have taller grasses and woodland. The varied habitats are home to a wide range of insects, which are in turn prey for birds and mammals.
Birds of prey, such as barn owls and kestrels can be found hunting along the margins and adders slither through the grass. Keep your eyes peeled and you'll be amazed what you will find.
Amongst the butterflies are some BAP species (Biodiversity Action Plan) which are conservation priorities because of their rarity and rate of decline. These include the Dingy Skipper, the Wall Brown, and Small Heath.
It’s also fantastic to see that there are some local species including Dark Green Fritillary and the Peak District version of Brown Argus. The most prevalent species is a large colony of Common Blues due to its food plant, Bird's-foot-trefoil, colonising the entire quarry floor.
Join the Big Butterfly Count
The Big Butterfly Count is a UK-wide survey aimed at helping us assess the health of our environment simply by counting the amount and type of butterflies. Following the results of the Big Butterfly Count 2024 Butterfly Conservation have declared a butterfly emergency so your help is needed this year more than ever.
Download the identification chart and get involved between 18th July and 11th August. Spend just 15 mins watching for butterflies in your chosen spot, record the species you see and upload on the interactive map. Remember it's just as important to record if you don't see any butterflies. There is also a free app making it easy to count and submit all in one go.
Take a walk on the wild side
Why not leave the car behind at your cabin or glamping pod and take a short walk to Hoe Grange Quarry? You can explore the different levels and habitats. It's a peaceful, quiet site and you'll be amazed what you will find if you look hard enough! The quarry is also home to a large population of moths.
Fifteen fascinating facts about Butterflies
- It is estimated that there are about 24,000 species of butterflies, and they are found on every continent except Antarctica.
- Butterflies are not just attractive colourful insects, but valuable pollinators of plants, fruit and vegetables.
- I love the fact that a group of butterflies is sometimes called a flutter.
- Butterflies vary in size from a tiny 1/8 inch to the largest species reaching a massive 12 inches across. Females are larger than males and also live longer!
- Butterflies eyes are made of 6,000 lenses and can see ultraviolet light. They rely on their eyesight for vital tasks, like searching for mates of the same species and finding flowers to feed on.
- Butterfly wings move in a figure of 8 motion and the top butterfly flight speed is 12 miles per hour, which is slow compared to some moths that can fly 25mph!
- Butterflies are cold blooded and air temperature has a big impact on their ability to function. They cannot fly if their body temperature is less than 86 degrees.
- Butterflies and insects have their skeletons on the outside of their bodies, called the exoskeleton, to protect them and keep water inside their bodies so they don’t dry out.
- Butterflies have taste receptors on their feet so they can find out whether the leaf is good enough food for their caterpillars before they lay their eggs on the leaf with special glue.
- A butterfly’s life cycle is made up of four parts, egg, larva (caterpillars), pupa (chrysalis) and adult.The process by which a caterpillar magically transforms into a butterfly is completed in 10 to 15 days, depending on the species.
- The story of the Very Hungry Caterpillar is true to life as from hatching to pupation, a caterpillar increases its body size 30,000 times!
- Fully grown caterpillars attach themselves to a suitable twig or leaf before shedding their outside layer of skin to reveal a hard skin underneath known as a chrysalis.
- An adult butterfly will eventually emerge from the chrysalis where it will wait a few hours for its wings to fill with blood and dry, before flying for the first time.
- Adult butterflies only feed on liquids, usually nectar and can live from between just one week and a year, depending on the species.
- Despite popular belief, butterfly wings are clear – the colors and patterns we see are made by the reflection of the tiny scales covering them.The Painted Lady is the most commonly found butterfly in the world.
We hope you have enjoyed our fascinating facts about butterflies. Here at Hoe Grange Holidays we encourage the butterflies and bees by growing flowers in the gardens - it's a win, win - butterflies thrive on the nectar before the flowers are cut, then our holiday guests can enjoy the vibrant scented blooms in their log cabins!
Why not make space in your garden for butterflies and bees by planting flowers to create a pollinators paradise?
Felicity
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Hoe Grange Holidays Tripadvisor Comments...
- Thesamps
Another great holiday at Hoe Grange - such a great place for us all to holiday as a family - this time with a baby, a 3 yr old, a... read more 
October 4, 2019Peachey167 Recently spent a week in "Pinder" and had a lovely time. The location is stunning - the site is nestled in a beautiful valley on the edge of the Peaks... read more
July 16, 2019EJYork2013 For the second year running, we have had a great family holiday at Hoe Grange. We had one cabin for the week, for two sisters and our elderly wheelchair-using... read more
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