Back Tor

About Back Tor

Situated on the high gritstone escarpment of Derwent Edge, this summit provides a rugged alternative to the busier southern peaks. Weathered gritstone stacks offer a perfect vantage point over the Derwent and Ladybower reservoirs, while the approach across the high, wild moorland captures the isolated character of the Dark Peak’s eastern fringes.

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Did You Know?

• •Confusion often arises because there are two hills named Back Tor in the Peak District. While the tor on the Great Ridge is more famous, this 538m summit on Derwent Edge is significantly higher and serves as the highest point of the eastern gritstone moors.
• •The summit is almost always visited alongside its immediate neighbour, the Lost Lad cairn. Local legend suggests the cairn marks the spot where a young shepherd boy, lost in a blizzard, scratched the words into the stone before dying of exposure.
• •The view from the top is exceptionally broad, spanning the deep troughs of the Derwent Valley to the west and the expansive plateau of Kinder Scout. To the east, the gritstone edges of Stanage and Bamford lead the eye toward the distant, hazy skyline of Sheffield.
• •The terrain surrounding the summit consists of classic 'Dark Peak' peat hags and heather moorland. While the main approach along the edge follows a well-maintained flagged path, venturing just a few yards off the track toward the northern cloughs reveals some of the most difficult, boggy ground in the National Park.
• •Standard procedure at the summit involves a brief scramble up the gritstone blocks to reach the actual highest point, an act usually performed solely to ensure you are taller than the trig pillar on the next hill over.