Stoodley Pike

Stoodley Pike

Stoodley Pike is a 402 m hill in the South Pennines, above the Calder Valley between Todmorden and Hebden Bridge. The natural summit is ground beside a boulder, about 110 m southeast of the conspicuous peace monument. Approaches climb from the valley towns or the hamlets of Mankinholes and Lumbutts, using moorland paths, old packhorse causeways and sections of the Pennine Way.

Summit and monument

The natural high point is ground beside a boulder at SD 97361 24108. The Grade II-listed peace monument stands about 110 m northwest, at SD 97306 24206, and is about 37 m tall. Its viewing gallery is a separate built feature, reached by a dark spiral staircase when the entrance is open.

Complete walking routes

Hebden Bridge and Withens Clough circuit

Start and finish at Hebden Bridge railway station. Follow the canal through Calder Holmes Park to Hebble End, climb New Road towards Horsehold and join the Pennine Way above Callis Wood. Continue past Lower Rough Head to the monument and the separate 402 m summit by the boulder to its southeast. Continue south on the Pennine Way, then turn onto the Calderdale Way down to Withens Clough Reservoir. Return via Stony Royd, the rim of Broadhead Clough, Erringden Moor, Spencer Lane and Wood Top Lane to the station. Published walking time is 3 hours 30 minutes to 4 hours 30 minutes. Expect uneven moorland paths and a substantial climb.

Distance: 13.68 km.

Difficulty: Moderate.

Todmorden, Lumbutts and Rochdale Canal circuit

Start and finish in Todmorden town centre. Follow the Calderdale Way through Lumbutts and past Heeley Dam to Withens Gate, then turn north along the Pennine Way to the monument. Visit the natural summit beside the boulder at SD 97361 24108, southeast of the monument, and return to the monument. Descend west to London Road, cross it and continue via Stoodley Grange, Middle Stoodley and the woodland path to the Rochdale Canal. Turn west along the towpath and return to Todmorden town centre. The descent is steep and includes rough paths and a stream crossing; the towpath has unguarded water edges.

Difficulty: Moderate.

Mankinholes via Withens Gate, out and back

Start and finish at the walled-lane junction in Mankinholes near the youth hostel (SD 960235). Climb the grassy walled lane to the flagged Calderdale Way causeway and continue uphill to Withens Gate. Turn north along the Pennine Way to the monument. Visit the separate natural summit by the boulder at SD 97361 24108 to the southeast, then return to the monument. Retrace the Pennine Way to Withens Gate and descend the same causeway and walled lane to Mankinholes. Expect steep stone flags, rough moorland and exposed conditions.

Difficulty: Moderate.

Mytholmroyd and Cragg Vale circuit

Start and finish at Mytholmroyd railway station. Climb from Cragg Road via Nest Lane, Spencer Lane and Old Chamber, then join the Pennine Bridleway towards Swillington and the Pennine Way to the monument. Visit the natural summit by the boulder at SD 97361 24108 and return to the monument. Follow the Pennine Way south to Withens Gate, then descend east past the Te Deum Stone on the permissive bridleway to Withens Clough Reservoir. Follow Rudd Lane to the Hinchliffe Arms, cross the brook and follow the downstream paths through Paper Mill Wood, Spa Bridge and Clough Foot Bridge to Dauber Bridge. Turn left down Cragg Road to the station. Expect exposed moorland, narrow lanes and uneven riverside paths.

Difficulty: Moderate to Challenging.

Lumbutts heritage circuit via London Road

Start and finish at Lumbutts Methodist Chapel. Follow the cobbled bridleway by the water tower, pass Top Brink and continue through Mankinholes to London Road. Follow this contouring track to the signed Pennine Way ascent at Swillington, then turn at the wall junction towards the monument. Visit the separate natural summit by the boulder at SD 97361 24108 and return to the monument. Head south on the Pennine Way, then take the left branch to the ladder stile and follow the wall-side path to the Te Deum Stone. Go through the gate to Withens Stoop and descend the flagged packhorse causeway to the chapel. Expect rough, steep and wet ground. The separate Heyhead and Rake End extension is excluded.

Difficulty: Moderate.

Terrain and safety

Open moorland, rocky ridge and escarpment edges, boggy paths, steep stone-flagged causeways, rough tracks, grassy field paths, gates and stiles, woodland paths, narrow lanes and canal towpaths on valley circuits.

Rain makes causeway stones slippery and moorland paths wet or boggy. Snow and ice make the ridge and steep approaches more difficult, and short winter days leave less time for a valley circuit. Low cloud can obscure the monument and route junctions; exposed ground offers little shelter from strong wind.

• The open ridge is exposed to strong wind and low cloud; carry navigation equipment and weather protection.

• Stone flags, rocks and steep paths become slippery when wet or icy; moorland sections can be boggy.

• The monument has an unlit spiral staircase with 39 steps to the gallery. Carry a torch, use care on the stairs and enter only if access is open.

• Keep away from steep escarpment edges. Longer circuits include road crossings, narrow lanes, stiles, stream crossings and unguarded canal or brook edges.

• Keep dogs on leads around livestock and on Yorkshire Water land. Do not swim in Withens Clough Reservoir or light fires or barbecues there.

Access and facilities

Todmorden and Hebden Bridge are the nearby valley towns; Mankinholes and Lumbutts lie below the western slopes.

For the Lumbutts approach, the Milestone Society identifies roadside parking by Lumbutts Methodist Chapel (SD 95824 23333); leave gates, driveways and passing space clear. On the eastern side, Yorkshire Water provides a free car park on Rudd Lane/Withens New Road, HX7 5TD, about 300 m before the Withens Clough Reservoir dam. These are different starting points. There is no vehicle access to the monument.

Railway stations at Todmorden, Hebden Bridge and Mytholmroyd provide valley starts. TLC buses T6 and T8 link Todmorden with Lumbutts and Mankinholes. During bus-station works from 3 September to 29 October 2026, these buses depart and terminate at Todmorden Health Centre, stop 45032191. There is no direct bus to Withens Clough Reservoir.

Carry food and water for the moor. Nearby refreshments include the Top Brink Inn at Lumbutts and the Shepherd’s Rest Inn on Lumbutts Road; Todmorden and Hebden Bridge have town services. There are no summit toilets. Hebden Bridge station toilets are available when the station is staffed; Todmorden station has no toilets.

Geology and views

The hill belongs to the Carboniferous Millstone Grit landscape of the South Pennines. Lower Kinderscout Grit forms the west-facing escarpment at Stoodley Pike and Langfield Edge. Below the Pike, faulting exposes sandstone and shale beds between the Lower Kinderscout Grit and Todmorden Grit. Resistant sandstone edges contrast with the softer beds beneath.

The open moorland and monument overlook Todmorden, the Calder Valley and the surrounding South Pennine hills. Views depend on visibility; the exposed ridge provides broad outlooks without climbing the monument.

Names and history

Pike denotes a hill with a pointed summit. The word is also used locally for the Stoodley monument.

The first peace monument was begun in 1814 to commemorate the surrender of Paris and completed in 1815 after Waterloo. It collapsed in 1854. The present monument was rebuilt by public subscription in 1856, when peace returned after the Crimean War, and restored in 1889. It is a Grade II-listed landmark.

Nearby landscape

Langfield Edge, Withens Gate and its old packhorse causeway lie south of the monument. Withens Clough Reservoir is to the southeast; the Rochdale Canal follows the Calder Valley below. Mankinholes and Lumbutts retain historic stone buildings and route-side waymarkers.

Nearby summits include Blake Moor (422 m) and Crow Hill (383 m).