Blakelow Hill

About Blakelow Hill

Overlooking the historic lead-mining village of Winster, this limestone height is an accessible Tump characterized by its industrial past. The slopes are marked by ancient lead rakes, leading to a summit that offers clear, expansive views across the White Peak plateau and north towards the gritstone edges of the Dark Peak.

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Did You Know?

• •The name Blakelow stems from the Old English 'blæc', meaning black or dark, and 'hlāw', meaning a hill or burial mound. This likely refers to the darker vegetation that once contrasted with the surrounding white limestone or a specific barrow on the ridge.
• •The hill’s flanks are scarred by 'rakes'—deep, linear trenches where lead miners followed veins of galena through the rock. These workings were part of the rich Bonsall Moor and Winster mining fields, active for centuries.
• •A prominent telecommunications mast dominates the summit, making Blakelow Hill a useful navigational landmark for those walking the nearby Limestone Way or the High Peak Trail.
• •On a clear day, the view north includes the distinctive tree-topped barrow of Minninglow, while looking east provides a perspective over the Derwent Valley towards the distant heights of Stanton Moor.
• •It is the highest point on the limestone plateau between the River Derwent and the River Dove, though the summit experience is somewhat dominated by the impressive array of telecommunications equipment.