Crompton Moor

About Crompton Moor

Rising above the town of Shaw, this rugged moorland offers an atmospheric escape on the Peak District's western fringe. A mix of open peat, pine plantation, and old gritstone quarries, the summit at Crow Knowl provides a stark contrast between the industrial Manchester skyline and the rolling Pennine ridges.

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Did You Know?

• •The summit point is locally known as Crow Knowl, while the wider plateau is Crompton Moor. The name Crompton derives from the Old English 'crumb' (crooked) and 'tun' (farmstead), likely describing the uneven, undulating terrain of the surrounding valleys.
• •The moor is heavily marked by industrial history, featuring several disused gritstone quarries and the Brushes Clough Reservoir, which was constructed in the 19th century to supply water to the burgeoning mill towns below.
• •From the trig pillar, a clear day reveals the distinctive white dish of the Jodrell Bank Lovell Telescope to the southwest, while the high, dark plateau of Kinder Scout is visible to the southeast.
• •The landscape is a unique mosaic for the area, where the Forestry England plantations of Pinworth Wood meet the open, windswept heath typical of the South Pennine moors.
• •Despite the sense of isolation on the high plateau, you are never truly alone; the constant, low-frequency hum of the M62 motorway serves as a persistent reminder of the urban world nearby.