Shining Tor

About Shining Tor

As the highest point in Cheshire, this broad gritstone ridge offers an expansive sense of space. The summit is marked by a stone wall and trig pillar, usually reached via stone flags from the Cat and Fiddle. It serves as a high-altitude gateway, balancing industrial views to the west with wild moorland to the east.

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Did You Know?

• •The name is thought to refer to the reflective quality of the gritstone outcrops on the western face, which catch the afternoon sun and appear to 'shine' when viewed from the lowlands of the Cheshire Plain.
• •Although the summit is the highest point in the historic county of Cheshire, the boundary with Derbyshire runs directly through the summit trig pillar, making it a shared peak.
• •The view westward is remarkably distinct; the massive white dish of the Lovell Telescope at Jodrell Bank is clearly visible, often set against a backdrop of the Mersey Estuary and the Clwydian Range in Wales.
• •The hill is frequently climbed from the Cat and Fiddle, which sits at 515 metres above sea level; formerly the second-highest pub in England, the building now serves as a high-altitude distillery.
• •Looking east from the ridge, the land drops sharply into the Goyt Valley, offering a bird's-eye view of the Errwood and Fernilee reservoirs and the Victorian ruins of Errwood Hall hidden in the valley trees.
• •The summit ridge is so thoroughly paved with gritstone flags that it remains navigable in the foulest weather, ensuring your boots stay remarkably clean while the Pennine winds attempt to relocate your hat.