Tag: Mow Cop Castle

A Walk from Kidsgrove to Biddulph via Mow Cop

Mow Cop’s craggy high point is crowned with Mow Cop Castle, an artfully ruined folly, constructed on the instruction of Randle Wilbraham, the lord of nearby Rode Hall ,in 1754. Since 1937 the castle and the gritstone rocks it sits upon have been owned and managed by the National Trust. These days the site is a country park.

Beneath Mow Cop Castle, it is very evident where gritstone was quarried over the centuries. These days, the village appears to be a quietly affluent place, but historically, quarrying meant that it was once an industrial hub.

Kidsgrove – Biddulph

Mow Cop, the birthplace of the Primitive Methodist Church, and Biddulph Grange Gardens will help to make North Staffordshire’s Industrial Landscape a World Heritage Site.

Mow Cop Castle

Do You Know Who Painted This Picture?

While researching Mow Cop’s heritage, we came across this old print of Mow Cop Castle, indicating there may be more truth than we realise in the many legends surrounding its building history.

We think the print is one of a series of local views painted by an artist whose nom de plume was Jotter. North Staffordshire Heritage is trying to trace the publisher, Picturesque Staffordshire. Please get in touch if you can tell us more about the castle or help identify Jotter.

Our email address is northstaffordshireheritage@outlook.com

Since our post was written, we have been told that the view of Mow Cop, which is on a postcard, was painted by Walter William Young (1868-1920). Can anyone give us more information about him?