Mow Cop Castle is a sham ruin, built in 1754 for the Wilbraham family of Rode Hall as a romantic eyecatcher on the ridge along the Cheshire and Staffordshire border. The hill is also the cradle of Primitive Methodism: Hugh Bourne held the first open-air camp meeting here on 31 May 1807, and an engraved stone below the folly commemorates it. Quarrying scarred the summit until 1937, when the land passed to the National Trust. The Trust's short trail climbs from the car park to the folly, then crosses the road to the Old Man o'Mow, a rock pillar resembling a seated figure. Reviewers come for views that on a clear day reach the Peak District, Jodrell Bank and Manchester. Tips from regulars: the small free car park fills early at weekends and closes in the evening; the path is steep and rocky with unfenced drops; and there are no toilets.
