Aldery Cliff

About Aldery Cliff

Rising directly above the village of Earl Sterndale, this limestone Tump offers an understated ascent compared to its jagged neighbours. While the summit is a gentle, grassy plateau, the western edge drops away sharply as a popular climbing crag, providing clear views across the valley to Chrome Hill’s distinctive spine.

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Did You Know?

• •The name likely stems from the Old English 'alr', referring to alder trees. In the local dialect of the White Peak, names ending in 'ery' or 'ry' often denote areas where specific vegetation or features once dominated the landscape.
• •The south-western face is a well-established traditional climbing venue, featuring dozens of routes on weathered limestone that are notoriously steep for their grade.
• •The summit provides a clear line of sight over the steeple of Earl Sterndale’s church toward the prehistoric reef knolls of Chrome Hill and Parkhouse Hill to the northwest.
• •Just below the cliff, the village of Earl Sterndale holds a somber distinction: its church, St Michael and All Angels, was the only one in the Peak District to be destroyed by a German bomb during the Second World War.
• •Despite its official classification as a Tump, the summit is arguably the least interesting part of the hill; most visitors are either clinging to the vertical limestone face below or heading straight to the pub in the village.