Peak District
The Cloud
343M
1127FT
About The Cloud
Rising abruptly above the Cheshire plain, this heather-clad gritstone outcrop offers a rugged character that belies its modest height. A popular Marilyn on the Peak District fringe, the summit plateau features a prominent trig point and provides a commanding perspective over the River Dane and the nearby town of Congleton.
Key Statistics
Rank
344th Highest in Peak District
Parent Range
Peak District
Prominence
?
Data coming soon
Nearest Town
Staffordshire Moorlands
Geology
The Cloud sits on a foundation of layered sandstone, siltstone, and mudstone. These rocks provide the solid ground you are walking on today.
Find It
OS Grid Reference
SJ904636
Latitude
53.1687°N
Longitude
2.1400°W
Did You Know?
- •The name is derived from the Old English word 'clud', which translates as a mass of rock or a boulder, referring to the hill's gritstone outcrops rather than the weather.
- •From the summit, the Lovell Telescope at Jodrell Bank is clearly visible to the west, while the urban sprawl of Greater Manchester and the industrial landscape of the Potteries can be seen to the north and south respectively.
- •The hill is a key landmark on the Gritstone Trail, a 35-mile long-distance path that follows the edge of the Peak District from Disley to Kidsgrove.
- •Despite sitting just outside the official Peak District National Park boundary, it is classified as one of the 95 'Ethels' — hills within the region named after the environmental campaigner Ethel Haythornthwaite.
- •The steep northern approach through the woodland is frequently used by locals as a barometer for their hill-fitness; if you can reach the trig point without stopping to 'admire the view' prematurely, you are doing better than most.