Peak District
Bole Hill
357M
1170FT
About Bole Hill
Rising above the villages of Birchover and Stanton-in-Peak, this sandstone summit marks the high point of Stanton Moor. It is a landscape of heather-clad gritstone and rich archaeological heritage, where the Nine Ladies stone circle sits nearby. From the top, look across the Derwent Valley toward the limestone plateau of Lathkill Dale.
Key Statistics
Rank
319th Highest in Peak District
Parent Range
The Peak District
Prominence
?
51.3m
Nearest Town
Bakewell CP
Geology
Bole Hill rests on the Monsal Dale Limestone Formation. This sturdy landscape is made of solid limestone, including some distinctively darker layers of the rock.
Find It
OS Grid Reference
SK182677
Latitude
53.2058°N
Longitude
1.7275°W
Did You Know?
- •The name 'Bole' is derived from a Middle English term for a primitive lead-smelting hearth. These were historically built on exposed ridges like this one to harness the prevailing winds, which provided the necessary draught for the smelting process.
- •The moor is home to the Nine Ladies, an Early Bronze Age stone circle; local folklore claims the stones are nine women turned to rock for dancing on the Sabbath, with the 'King Stone' standing nearby as their fiddler.
- •A prominent wind-eroded gritstone pillar known as the Cork Stone stands on the southern side of the moor, featuring iron rungs that allow walkers to scramble to its top for an elevated view of the heather.
- •On the northern edge sits the Earl Grey Tower, also known as the Reform Tower. It was built by the Thornhill family in 1832 to celebrate the passing of the Reform Act, which expanded the right to vote.
- •Despite the name suggesting a tree trunk, any substantial timber that once grew here was likely sacrificed centuries ago to feed the insatiable lead-smelting fires that gave the hill its name.