Meltham Cop

Overlooking the village of Helme on the northern fringes of the Peak District, this modest Tump provides a short, sharp climb. Though barely surpassing the thousand-foot mark, its isolated position offers a commanding perspective over Meltham and a clear view across the valley to the gritstone plateau of West Nab.

• •The name 'Cop' derives from the Old English 'copp', meaning a rounded summit or head, a common topographical term used across Northern England for distinct, dome-shaped hills.
• •From the summit, the view south-west is dominated by the dark gritstone mass of West Nab, while looking east provides a clear sightline to the Emley Moor transmitting station, the UK's tallest free-standing structure.
• •Meltham Cop serves as a topographical transition point, sitting where the rugged, peat-covered moorland of the South Pennines begins to descend into the greener, farmed landscapes of the Holme Valley.
• •The hill is classified as a Tump because it possesses at least 30 metres of prominence, a feat it achieves by dropping away steeply toward the Meltham Mills reservoir and the valley floor.