Longford village is in a rural setting, situated on an old Roman road, Long Lane, about 8 miles north west of Derby, off the A52. It lies on the banks of a small stream, over which there are 2 bridges.

Longford consists of scattered homes and farms. There is a pump house which was once the main source of water for the village, and a village school, which also caters for the children from Hollington, Alkmonton and Rodsley.

There is also a post office cum shop and a pub called the Ostrich, which bears the Coke family coat of arms, the Coke family being the residents at Longford Hall for hundreds of years.

A mill was built in Longford in the 11th century, though nothing remains, but in 1837 Arkwright also built a mill here. It was in working order until 1956, but the machinery has now been handed over to the Arkwright Society in Cromford.

Opposite the mill stood a cheese factory, the first to be built in England. It was built with local support and acted as a co operative, under its initial manager Cornelius Schermerhorn, until it was closed down due to heavy competition, particularly from abroad.

Longford Hall is a late medieval house, Georgianised by Pickford in 1762 and restored after a bad fire in 1942. It had been the family seat of the Cokes of Derbyshire, related to the Earls of Leicester, who had taken over the Hall from the De longford family. The Hall stands in its own grounds, adorned with stately limes and yews. The Longfords had settled here in the 12th century and the church, which is close to the hall, was built then. Called St Chads, it is also set in magnificent lime trees. It still retains many of its Norman parts, though the tower was added in the 15th century. Some of the windows are Victorian.

It contains an interesting array of monuments, some of which were restored and placed in their present position in the north aisle between 1983-5. There are some fine monuments to both the Cokes and their predecessors the Longfords in the church.