Peak District
Boulsworth Hill - Lad Law
518M
1698FT
About Boulsworth Hill - Lad Law
Rising above the historic village of Wycoller, this expansive millstone grit moorland marks the highest point of the South Pennines. The summit of Lad Law is characterized by weathered gritstone outcrops and rough, acidic grassland, offering a quiet, wind-swept alternative to the more crowded trails of nearby Pendle Hill.
Key Statistics
Rank
37th Highest in Peak District
Parent Range
The Peak District
Prominence
?
335
Nearest Town
Wycoller
Geology
You are trekking across layers of tough sandstone, siltstone, and mudstone. These hardy rocks form the Millstone Grit and Kinderscout Grit that build this fell’s rugged foundation.
Find It
OS Grid Reference
SD929356
Latitude
53.8166°N
Longitude
2.1093°W
Did You Know?
- •The summit name, Lad Law, likely derives from the Old English 'hlāw', meaning a hill or burial mound. The name Boulsworth probably combines the Old English 'bold', meaning a dwelling, with 'worth', an enclosure.
- •Boulsworth Hill was originally intended to be a primary highlight of the Pennine Way when the trail was proposed in 1935, but the official route was eventually diverted to the east to avoid the peat bogs and land access issues of the time.
- •The hill is a central landmark in Brontë country; the Brontë Way passes through its lower slopes, and the nearby ruins of Wycoller Hall are widely believed to be the inspiration for Ferndean Manor in Charlotte Brontë’s Jane Eyre.
- •From the gritstone clusters at the summit, the view stretches across the Forest of Bowland to the Yorkshire Dales, specifically picking out the profiles of Ingleborough and Pen-y-ghent to the north and the sprawling industrial silhouette of Ferrybridge power station to the east.
- •While the hill offers a 360-degree panorama of Northern England, most visitors spend their time staring at Pendle Hill to the west, proving that a good legend is often more attractive than being the highest point in the area.