Peak District
Old Man of Mow
337M
1106FT
About Old Man of Mow
Standing as a striking gritstone pillar on the edge of the Cheshire Plain, this Tump is a prominent remnant of historic quarrying. Its position on the sandstone ridge offers expansive views over the Potteries and the Jodrell Bank Lovell Telescope, making it a sharp, rewarding detour from the Gritstone Trail.
Key Statistics
Rank
357th Highest in Peak District
Parent Range
The Peak District
Prominence
?
143
Nearest Town
Mow Cop
Geology
The ground beneath you consists of sandstone, siltstone, and mudstone. These layered rocks form the geological foundation of this fell.
Classifications
Nearby Fells
Find It
OS Grid Reference
SJ858575
Latitude
53.1145°N
Longitude
2.2136°W
Did You Know?
- •The name Mow likely derives from the Old English 'muga', meaning a heap or mound. The 'Old Man' specifically refers to the 65-foot gritstone stack left behind by millstone quarrymen, who excavated the surrounding rock but left this pillar standing as a remnant of the ridge's industrial history.
- •Positioned on the boundary between the Staffordshire Moorlands and the Cheshire Plain, the summit offers a vantage point where the massive white dish of the Lovell Telescope at Jodrell Bank is clearly visible to the west.
- •The hill is a key landmark on the Gritstone Trail and sits just north of Mow Cop Castle, a 1754 mock-Gothic folly built by Randle Wilbraham to improve the view from his home at Rode Hall.
- •This ridge has deep religious significance; in May 1807, the first Primitive Methodist Camp Meeting was held on the slopes here, drawing thousands and leading to the birth of a new denomination.
- •While the gritstone stack is a popular challenge for local climbers, most visitors find that maintaining their dignity while peering over the steep eastern edge is accomplishment enough.