Peak District
Ilamtops Low
339M
1112FT
About Ilamtops Low
Sitting quietly above the village of Ilam in the White Peak, this modest limestone tump offers a peaceful alternative to the crowds of Dovedale. Primarily agricultural land, the summit features a triangulation pillar and provides clear, earned views across to the distinctive profiles of Thorpe Cloud and Bunster Hill.
Key Statistics
Rank
349th Highest in Peak District
Parent Range
The Peak District
Prominence
?
45
Nearest Town
Damgate
Geology
The ground beneath you is the Hopedale Limestone Formation. It consists of classic limestone and a magnesium-rich variety called dolomitic limestone.
Classifications
Find It
OS Grid Reference
SK135526
Latitude
53.0705°N
Longitude
1.8000°W
Did You Know?
- •The name 'Ilamtops' refers to the high ground overlooking the village of Ilam, while the suffix 'Low' is a characteristic Peak District term derived from the Old English 'hlāw', which usually denotes a hill or a burial mound.
- •The summit is marked by an Ordnance Survey triangulation pillar, offering an excellent vantage point to look down upon the neo-Gothic towers and Italianate gardens of Ilam Hall in the valley below.
- •To the east, the hill provides a clear perspective of the 'reef knolls' of Thorpe Cloud and Bunster Hill, the two limestone giants that flank the southern entrance to Dovedale.
- •While the surrounding valleys are often busy with tourists, the ascent from the nearby hamlet of Damgate remains a relatively quiet walk through traditional limestone pastures and drystone wall corridors.
- •The summit serves as a functioning sheep pasture, meaning the primary challenge of reaching the top is often less about the gradient and more about navigating the high-density livestock population.