Peak District
Cats Tor
522M
1713FT
About Cats Tor
Sitting on the high gritstone ridge above the Goyt Valley, this modest summit offers effortless walking along a paved path. It connects the distinctive rocks of Pym Chair to the higher Shining Tor, providing expansive views across the Cheshire Plain toward the distant skyline of Manchester and the Jodrell Bank telescope.
Key Statistics
Rank
31st Highest in Peak District
Parent Range
Peak District
Prominence
?
38m
Nearest Town
Kettleshulme
Geology
Cats Tor is built from layers of rugged sandstone, siltstone, and mudstone. These rocks, part of the Millstone Grit, provide the sturdy foundation beneath your boots.
Find It
OS Grid Reference
SJ994758
Latitude
53.2792°N
Longitude
2.0105°W
Did You Know?
- •The name Cats Tor likely refers to the wildcat, which would have once used the weathered gritstone outcrops as a habitat before the species was hunted to local extinction in the region.
- •The summit is a key point on the ridge walk between Pym Chair and Shining Tor, where the path is almost entirely laid with reclaimed flagstones to prevent erosion of the deep peat bog.
- •From the summit, the most striking landmark to the west is the Lovell Telescope at Jodrell Bank, which appears as a sharp white bowl against the green expanse of the Cheshire Plain.
- •To the east, the hill overlooks the Errwood and Fernilee reservoirs in the Goyt Valley, with the flat-topped plateau of Combs Moss visible on the opposite horizon.
- •The ascent from the northern approach at Pym Chair is so gentle that the transition from the car park to the summit feels more like a stroll through a park than a mountain climb.