Stoodley Pike

Wikipedia - Stoodley Pike is a 121-foot monument that stands on a prominent Pennine hill, also known as Stoodley Pike, on the moors ofTodmorden, West Yorkshire, Northern England. The current structure was designed by local architect James Green in 1854 and the building was completed in 1856 when peace was declared at the end of the Crimean War.

An earlier monument had existed on the site, started in 1814 to commemorate the defeat of Napoleon and the surrender of Paris then completed in 1815 after the Battle of Waterloo (Napoleonic Wars). This structure collapsed in 1854 following an earlier lightning strike and ongoing wear and tear from the elements. The replacement was therefore (rather wisely) built slightly further from the edge of the hill. During repair work in 1889 a lightning conductor was added. The Pike has since been struck by lightning on numerous occasions without any notable structural damage. There is evidence to suggest that some sort of structure existed on the site before even this earlier pike was built.

The inscription above the entrance is worn and covered with lichen but it is legible and reads:

STOODLEY PIKE

A BEACON MONUMENT

ERECTED BY PUBLIC SUBSCRIPTION

COMMENCED IN 1814 TO COMMEMORATE

THE SURRENDER OF PARIS TO THE ALLIES

AND FINISHED AFTER THE BATTLE OF

WATERLOO WHEN PEACE WAS ESTABLISHED IN 1815.

BY A STRANGE COINCIDENCE

THE PIKE FELL ON THE DAY THE RUSSIAN

AMBASSADOR LEFT LONDON BEFORE THE

DECLARATION OF WAR WITH RUSSIA IN 1854.

WAS REBUILT WHEN PEACE WAS RESTORED IN

1856

RESTORED AND LIGHTNING CONDUCTOR FIXED

1889

The structure contains a spiral staircase of 39 steps accessed from the north side. In 1889, during repairs, a grill was added to the top step to allow some light in, so only 6 or 7 steps are actually in total darkness. There are no windows. The exit from the staircase onto the balcony, some 40 feet above ground level, is on the west face. There is no way to ascend above balcony level.

The walk to Stoodley Pike starts on the cobbled lane outside the railway station.

Under the railway line and onto the track leading upwards.  The first half hour or so is all up hill.

Every so often the view down into Hedbden Bridge is glimpsed through the trees.

Soon off the lane and into a wood.  Not sure which is the worst walking. Along the lane or sinking into the leaf mould. 

Across a couple of fields and I am now looking down on Heptonstall on the other side of the valley.

A few more yards and Stoodley Pike comes into view.  It is still a long way off and even higher still.

One slightly odd thing is the fact that even with all the stone walling around there is enough stone left over to build walls around the trees.

And would you believe it.  The damn supermarket trolleys get every where.

The footpath is well posted and after a couple of isolated farm houses and onto the footpath. Even the flat bits are still going upwards.

then its through the stile and the last part of the walk up to Stoodley Pike.

With nothing around to compare it to the pike really is massive.  There is a spiral stair up to the viewing platform which is around 40 foot of the ground

Graffiti is nothing new but M H B must have been one of the first to carve his initials here.

The view back along the path

The view from this high up is impressive and way in the distance is Todmorden.

There are paths going in all directions 

Checking out the rocks that are everywhere here I spotted  small splash of colour. This is I think Cladonia diversa (only a couple of cm high) and there are lots of it all around the base of the pike

A bit cooler up here and wind blowing soon cools you down after the uphill walk so I head back the way I came.

Once back through the stile its back on to the path that is being reinstated to allow drainage under it. Bit of a scar on the landscape at the moment but it will soon weather and fit in.

The work is still going on and the digger etc look well out of place. The path goes passed the farm then its left for a different return to Hebden Bridge.

A bit of a walk along farm tracks and the path then heads for the woods. On the left is a small steam which we follow.

Within minutes the stream is out of sight and a long way below us while the path goes along the top of the woods

Must be getting near to the end now as the path has turned into a cobbled lane as I look at the route I walked the other day and Hell Hole Rocks across the valley.

The lane gets even steeper as I near Hebden Bridge.  Its only a matter of minutes from the woodland path.

At the bottom of the hill is Hebble End and the canal.