The Old Man of Mow is a local landmark whose origin is hidden by the sands of time.
In 1907, J. W. Harper wrote Mow Cop and Its Slopes, a local history book about Mow Cop and its surrounding villages. During the coming weeks, North Staffordshire Heritage is posting edited extracts from the book. It is out of print and difficult to obtain from second-hand bookshops.
In the first extract from Mow Cop and its Slopes, we post Harper’s description of The Old Man of Mow.
The Old Man of Mow is a great rock. It stands in a rocky dell. The quarrymen of a former age left it intact. Like many things connected with this hill, why it was left is a matter of conjecture. But there it is. It stands alone, looking down over the Cheshire Plain. It is sombre and black with the years of weather it has seen. It remains a curio unexplained for ages.
The Old Man’s rock’s circumference is 76 feet (ca. 23 m) 7 inches. It is 65 feet (ca. 20 m) 6 inches high. All the approaches to the rock are of the most rugged kind. The location appears to be an ideal rockery. It is pure and simple. There are no shrubs to relieve the monotony of stone.
Visitors to Mow Cop often try to access the rocky dell. Some climb to perilous heights on its steep sides. Few consider their visit to Mow Cop finished without a glimpse of the Old Man.
Photograph: © Copyright Colin Park, licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.
Post Edited by The History Factory 05.06.2025
North Staffordshire Heritage 