Hiking Highlight
If it’s views you’re after in this region, hiking up Stoodley Pike puts you above the winding Rochdale Canal with patchwork fields unravelling across undulating landscapes. A family-friendly walk to the towering monument on a clear day reveals views stretching over Todmorden and Hebden Bridge and across the south Pennines in every direction.
Many hiking trails criss-cross Stoodley Pike’s flat summit and you can explore far and wide across to Langfield Common and further south until your stomach calls you to a nearby eatery. The hill is easy to access from any of the surrounding towns and villages with paths ranging from gentle to steep.
Being pulled along by the Pike
Stoodley Pike monument can be seen from miles around and, as you make your way along the trail, the sight of it draws you along past fields and over stiles. The monument itself stands at 121 feet (37 m) on top of the hill which tops out at around 1,300 feet (400 m).
Should you walk from historic Hebden Bridge, you’ll pass the once-cutting edge farm of Erringden with its perfectly organised field system. Once at the summit, you can get an even more magnificent view by heading up the stairs within the monument and standing on the viewing platform at the top. Don’t forget your torch as the stairs are unlit and pitch black.
You can hike Stoodley Pike at any time of year although due care should be taken in difficult weather conditions. The landscape sees snow sometimes in winter, lighting up the hills and emphasising the monument’s presence.
All the facilities you could need are available in nearby Hebden Bridge and Todmorden with plenty more villages and towns in the surroundings too.
Stoodley Pike Monument is a stone obelisk monument erected in 1856 to mark the end of the Crimean War. It sits atop a 1,300-foot (396 m) hill and commands attention for miles around. It's a pleasant walk up Stoodley Pike and you are treated to breathtaking views from the summit ridge over Todmorden, Hebden Bridge and the Calder Valley.
May 21, 2019
A steady climb up from the valley at Todmorden is well worth the 400 metres of elevation, to take in the stunning views at Stoodley Pike. Designed by James Green the 38 metre structure was completed in 1856. Replacing the existing monument that was struck by lightening previously. The monument was built to commemorate the defeat of Napoleon at the Battle of Waterloo. The descent down follows the Pennine Bridleway, to a well deserving beer in Hebden Bridge.
June 2, 2021
Standing 1,300 feet (396.2 m) above sea level, and at a physical height of 120 feet (36.57 m), the first monument was 113 feet (34.44 m) high. Stoodley Pike was first erected in 1814 to commemorate the end of the Napoleonic Wars. Samuel Greenwood, Thomas Sutcliffe and Richard Ingham were granted permission to erect a monument to celebrate peace in Great Britain on 22nd September 1814 at the Golden Lion Inn, Stones.
The first monument collapsed in 1854 and was rebuilt by public subscription two years later. Some maintenance worked was carried out in 1889. The second obelisk was designed by local architect John Green, and built by Lewis Crabtree at a cost of £750. £820 was originally raised by 203 subscribers. The restoration work in 1889 cost £160. The inner staircase has 39 steps.
It is a Grade II Listed Building.
June 15, 2022
Good mixed hike with several eating/drinking stops in the area (when the lockdown allows).
February 3, 2021
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