Peak District
Freeholds Top
454M
1490FT
About Freeholds Top
Rising above the Calder Valley near Cornholme, this South Pennine summit offers a quintessential moorland experience. Expect rough, peat-scarred ground and wide-open skies. While often overlooked for its more famous neighbours, it provides a quiet, breezy vantage point to watch the weather roll across the sprawling wind farms of the Rossendale boundary.
Key Statistics
Rank
99th Highest in Peak District
Parent Range
The Peak District
Prominence
?
154.8
Nearest Town
Cornholme
Geology
You’re stepping on layers of sturdy sandstone, silt, and mudstone. These rocks, part of the Darwen Flags and Pennine Coal Measures, form the fell’s rugged foundation.
Classifications
Nearby Fells
Find It
OS Grid Reference
SD906218
Latitude
53.6926°N
Longitude
2.1438°W
Did You Know?
- •The name Freeholds likely refers to historical land tenure in the South Pennines, where specific tracts of moorland were held as 'freehold' property rather than being part of the common land or manorial estates found in the valleys below.
- •The hill is located just north of the Mary Towneley Loop, a 47-mile section of the Pennine Bridleway that serves as a key artery for walkers, cyclists, and horse riders traversing this high ground.
- •From the summit, the stone obelisk of Stoodley Pike is a prominent landmark to the east, while the unmistakable profile of Pendle Hill dominates the horizon to the northwest.
- •The surrounding plateau is home to the Reaps Moss Wind Farm, where the scale of the turbines provides a stark, industrial contrast to the ancient, boggy terrain of the moor.
- •Navigating the plateau after a heavy Pennine downpour offers a practical lesson in 'peat-hopping,' where a single misplaced step can lead to a very personal and damp encounter with the local geology.