The ramparts around the peak remain pronounced, with both entrances remaining, while one of the bowl barrows lies beneath the trig point. Today Mam Tor is a popular walking site in the Peak District, with its prehistoric past still evident in the earthworks there. In 1636, Mam Tor was named one of the Seven Wonders of the Peaks by Thomas Hobbes alongside Chatsworth House, Peak Cavern, St Ann’s Well in Buxton, The Ebbing and Flowing Well in Tideswell, Poole’s Cavern, and Eldon Hole. Two Bronze Age burial mounds known as ‘bowl barrows’ were constructed within the fort, with such structures often constructed on hill tops, and around the summit were earthen ramparts originally covered in timber and later in stone, where two gateways at each end allowed people in and out. Their foundations, alongside pottery found at the site, indicate the settlement’s role not only as a defensive base but also a thriving village. Situated at the hill’s peak, 100 small platforms were levelled around its summit for the construction of timber huts. Mam Tor, meaning Mother Hill, is thought to have been occupied from 1200 BC onwards by an initial late Bronze Age and later Iron Age hill fort. Today it provides one of the best views over Hope Valley, with the remnants of the fort still traceable on the hilltop.
On a clear day you can even see Manchester!īeing located near Castleton, Mam Tor has a number of caverns just below it, such as: Treak Cliff Cavern, Blue John Cavern, Speedwell Cavern and Peak Cavern.Ĭastleton is a great place to stay if you want to explore the surrounding countryside and there are many circular walks for you to try.Mam Tor in Castleton is the site of a large prehistoric hill fort that once hosted a settlement of Celtic peoples. Mam Tor is the main link between the eastern end of Rushup Edge and the western end of the Great Ridge, making this one of the most-loved ridge walks in the Peak District National Park. Winnats Pass is always a favourite amongst photographers so make sure you bring your camera. Mam Tor sits on the edge of the Dark Peak (gritstone) and the White Peak (limestone) which means you get some fantastic views of the limestone parts of the National Park, such as the dry gorge of Winnats Pass.
Mam Tor, meaning ‘Mother Hill’, is a 517 metre high hill near Castleton in the High Peak area of Derbyshire and is one of the most famous walks in the Peak District that well and truly deserves a place on your Peak District bucket list!
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