Peak District
Shire Hill
307M
1007FT
About Shire Hill
Rising just above the town of Glossop, this modest, tree-clad summit offers a quiet escape from the busier Dark Peak moors. While the canopy obscures some vistas, clearings reveal local views across the Longdendale Valley toward the brooding bulk of Bleaklow. It is a short, steep walk through atmospheric, established woodland.
Key Statistics
Rank
414th Highest in Peak District
Parent Range
The Peak District
Prominence
?
66
Nearest Town
Glossop
Geology
Shire Hill is composed of sturdy sandstone and finer layers of mudstone and siltstone. These rocks form the solid ground beneath your boots.
Classifications
Nearby Fells
Find It
OS Grid Reference
SK052945
Latitude
53.4472°N
Longitude
1.9232°W
Did You Know?
- •The summit plateau is the site of an Iron Age hillfort, though the defensive ramparts and ditches are now heavily masked by a dense 19th-century plantation of beech and pine.
- •Positioned directly above Old Glossop, the hill serves as a prominent natural backdrop to the town and was historically used as a grazing common before the current woodland was established.
- •While the tree cover is thick, specific gaps in the foliage offer framed perspectives of the Woodhead Pass and the sprawling gritstone edges that define the northern reaches of the Peak District.
- •Its status as a Tump—a hill with at least thirty metres of prominence—makes it a staple for local walkers looking for a quick ascent when the weather on nearby Kinder Scout turns foul.
- •Navigation on the summit is less about following a compass and more about choosing which of the many criss-crossing muddy trails won't lead you directly into a holly bush.