Stoodley Pike is a hill that overlooks the town of Todmorden, West Yorkshire. It is notable for the presence of the Stoodley Pike Monument at its summit. The hill and monument give outstanding views across the Calder Valley, with the hill's height letting you see for miles on a clear day.
The hill stands approx. 1300 feet (400m) in the South Pennines above the villages of Mankinholes and Lumbutts, not far from Withens Clough Reservoir. The monument is what makes the hill notable, as it can be seen for quite a distance along the valley bottom and even further amongst the surrounding hills.
The Stoodley Pike Monument was designed in 1854 by James Green and completed in 1856 as the Crimean War was ending. It replaced an earlier monument completed in 1815 commemorating the defeat of Napoleon, which again is thought to have replaced an even earlier monument near the site. The cause of the 1815 structure's collapse was weathering and a lightning strike. The replacement was built further away from the edge due to this. The monument was repaired in the 1890s, and during this, a lightning conductor was added. Considering its exposed position and the numerous lightning strikes that have hit it, the monument is in good structural condition.
The monument features a balcony area (approximately 40 feet above the ground) accessible via an internal spiral staircase of 39 steps. The steps are very dark, so a torch really is needed to climb up them. A grill has been added to allow some light into the stairs, but I have always found this useless. The entrance to the stairs faces north, and above it is a faded inscription that reads as follows:
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 IN
1889.
The pictures below were taken on the 19th November 2016 with a Nikon d3300, they can be seen un-watermarked on my Clickasnap portfolio. Click any image to view them on there.
The path up to Stoodley Pike, the monument visible at the summit.
I think the snow clinging to the side of the structure gives the monument a completely different feel to its usual look.
The Calder Valley and beyond towards Lancashire, taken from the base of the monument.
Looking west away from the monument, I have always liked this picture as it's gives the impression the clouds will shortly fall over the edge of the hill.
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All the pictures remain the copyright of Colin Green.
