Middleton Moor

About Middleton Moor

Rising above the limestone village of Middleton-by-Wirksworth, this Tump is a landscape shaped by centuries of lead mining and limestone extraction. Today, it offers a quieter vantage point overlooking the High Peak Trail, with clear views stretching south across Carsington Water and towards the gritstone crags of Black Rocks.

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Did You Know?

• •The name Middleton is derived from the Old English 'middel' and 'tūn', signifying a middle farmstead or settlement, likely positioned between the larger historic centres of Wirksworth and Brassington.
• •The ground beneath the moor is honeycombed with history; the Middleton Mine features an extensive network of over 25 miles of tunnels across three levels, once used to extract high-quality limestone.
• •Unlike many limestone areas in the Peak District, the moor sits on a 'perched' water table created by underlying volcanic rock and shale, which provided a rare and reliable upland water source for early Saxon settlers.
• •The hill is skirted by the High Peak Trail, following the trackbed of the former Cromford and High Peak Railway, which was engineered in 1831 to navigate this steep terrain using a series of stationary steam-powered inclines.
• •With 25 miles of tunnels winding through the rock below, this is one of the few hills where a significant portion of the local geography is technically located indoors.
• •A noticeable depression on the eastern side of the moor marks the spot where part of the underground mine network collapsed in the 1970s.