It was clearly a place venerated as much for its maternal shape as for the miracle of a fresh water spring quite near to the summit. The name “Mam Tor” literally means “mother hill”, from the celtic language spoken in these parts during the Iron Age. On a sunny day with the shadows of clouds flitting across the heather-clad slopes, there can be no finer sight in Derbyshire. The other major view, which starts to open out to the North as you begin to climb, is of Edale, with the village of Edale nestling below the dark moors of the Kinder plateau. Even this can be said to provide a punctuation mark in a fantastically green vista.

Mam Tor sits at the head of the beautiful Hope Valley and one of the views is down to Castleton village in the near distance, with the ruins of Norman Peveril Castle just above it, beyond to Hope itself and the slightly less picturesque quarry and cement works at Bradwell, with its tall white chimney. But these improvements make for a very easy visitor experience and it is common to find family groups of all ages making for the hilltop. So popular is it, in fact, that The National Trust, in whose estate Mam Tor sits, have had to make steps and a veritable highway of old paving stones all along its ridge, in order to combat very serious erosion from countless pairs of boots. You will not find yourself alone, however, as its accessibility, proximity to the tourist honey pot that is Castleton and wow-factor of the views to be enjoyed all the way to the summit, make it a highly popular destination.

If you have to choose just one hill in the Peak District to climb and perhaps have a limited amount of time, then Mam Tor would be the obvious choice.

Mam tor edale high peak district