Peak District
Pinhaw Beacon
388M
1273FT
About Pinhaw Beacon
Rising above the village of Lothersdale, this modest moorland summit offers one of the most rewarding viewpoints on the southern Pennine Way. The grassy top is marked by a trig pillar and a stone orientation table, providing a natural resting spot before the trail descends towards the village of Thornton-in-Craven.
Key Statistics
Rank
229th Highest in Peak District
Parent Range
The Peak District
Prominence
?
122
Nearest Town
Lothersdale
Geology
The ground beneath your feet is the Pendle Grit Member, a sturdy foundation made of layers of sandstone and siltstone.
Classifications
Nearby Fells
Find It
OS Grid Reference
SD944472
Latitude
53.9209°N
Longitude
2.0868°W
Did You Know?
- •The name likely derives from the Old English 'pinn', meaning a pin or peak, and the Old Norse 'haugr', referring to a hill or mound. The 'Beacon' suffix confirms its historical role as a site for signal fires used to warn of approaching invaders.
- •Positioned at a strategic point on the Pennine Way, the summit features a stone topograph. This helps walkers identify distant landmarks, including the unmistakable gritstone profile of Pendle Hill to the southwest and the fells of the Forest of Bowland.
- •On a clear day, the view to the north is particularly celebrated for revealing all three of the Yorkshire Dales' famous 'Big Three'—Ingleborough, Whernside, and Pen-y-ghent—simultaneously.
- •During the Napoleonic Wars, the hill was an integral link in a chain of beacons stretching across the north of England, intended to relay news of a French landing to the interior within minutes.
- •For northbound Pennine Way walkers, the bench at the summit is a popular place to pause and quietly celebrate the fact that the peat hags of the South Pennines are finally behind them.