VIP guest meets Great Great Great Grandfather to Launch Heights of Abraham's Golden Anniversary
This is a special year of celebration for Derbyshire’s award-winning visitor attraction, The Height of Abraham which is celebrating two milestone anniversaries this year – 50 years since the current owners, Andrew and Vanessa Pugh acquired the attraction and forty years since the installation of the UK’s first alpine-style cable car system upon which visitors traverse the steep incline to the top of Masson Hill.
L to R Rupert, Georgie and Vanessa Pugh with Joanna Brown and Benjamin Bryan
Joanna Brown (from Devon) pushed the “big green button” to re-start the Heights of Abraham cable cars for the 2024 season on Saturday 10th February. She was joined by her ‘great great great grandfather’, the Victorian owner of the Heights, Benjamin Bryan, recreated by living history actor, David Oxley.
Serendipitously Joanna was visiting Derbyshire last year, in search of her ancestor’s gravestone, when she visited the Heights of Abraham, once owned by Benjamin Bryan in the Victorian era.
Joanna explains in her own words: “Last September when I stepped off the cable car at the top, I was shocked to see a sign advertising daily tours by Benjamin Bryan, the very relative I was seeking. It was a wonderful feeling. I couldn’t wait to meet him again today, and to meet the current owners of the Heights too”.
Sheffield Chinese Lion Dancing Team at the Heights
The current custodians, the Pugh family, invited Joanna back to reunite with her famous relative on Saturday 10th February to start the cars again for this very special 2024 season, during which they will be celebrating two milestone anniversaries.
As Saturday also marked the start of the Lunar New Year, Joanna along with hundreds of visitors was entertained by the Sheffield Chinese Dancing Lion Team, who were visiting the Heights to perform their fabulous Lion Dance of good fortune, making this an auspicious start to this special year, and welcoming in the ‘Year of the Dragon’.
Rupert Pugh, Development Director at the Heights, said:
“2024 is a really special year for all of us here at the Heights. We are celebrating both a golden and a ruby anniversary, as it’s 50 years since my parents took over the stewardship of the estate and began their huge restoration project, and 40 years since they installed the cable car system, which transformed this estate into one of England’s leading tourist attractions”.
For more information www.heightsofabraham.com
More News From Amber Valley Info
| Derbyshire firefighting equipment gets a new lease of life Former firefighting equipment from Derbyshire is continuing to make a difference at home and abroad, raising more than £4 read more | |
| 22,000 more properties to join Amber Valley food waste collections The second phase of weekly collections begins on 30 November, following higher-than-expected participation in the read more | |
| Images released after Ripley robbery Derbyshire Police have released images of three people they'd like to speak to about a robbery in Ripley. The incident happened at around 3:40am read more | |
| Independent property brand Cope&Co celebrates exciting chapter with new Alfreton shop Derby's biggest independent property brand, Cope&Co, has opened another branch of its estate ag read more | |
| Free Business Crime Partnership Launched to Help Protect Derbyshire Businesses Police and Crime Commissioner Nicolle Ndiweni-Roberts has announced the launch of a new countywide bus read more | |
The Amber Valley Info Noticeboard
| Pottery Close Halloween Event Taking a Break This Year The popular Halloween event at Pottery Close will not take place this year, as the organisers have not had enough time to prep read more | |
| Food waste recycling is coming to Amber Valley From June 2026, Amber Valley Borough Council will introduce weekly food waste recycling across the borough as part of a phased roll-ou read more | |
| Stallholder Bookings Now Open For The Tansley Big Day Out We're excited to announce that Tansley's Big Day Out 2026 will take place on 6th & 7th June 2026! read more | |
| Christmas and New Year bin collection dates Over the festive season, bin collections will operate on revised schedules. Some collections may take place up to two days earlier than u read more | |
| Launch Of WOMBLE MANIA! At the Heights of Abraham, Opened by Marcus Robertson, Son of Wombles author, Elisabeth Beresford, officially launched WOMBLE MANIA! at the Heights of Abraha read more | |
