Winter Hill by munki-boy

Winter Hill

Winter Hill is the highest point in the West Pennine area and towers over Rivington and its surroundings, although it is not tall enough to be classed as a mountain. Winter Hill is really a large, raised plateau of moorland with several summits named as hills in their own right, one being Rivington Pike. There are several other notable hills including Counting Hill, Noon Hill, Crooked Edge Hill, Adam Hill, Brown Hill and more. The summit of Winter Hill itself is rather understated and tucked away at the very end of the mast road behind the smaller radio masts and is marked by an OS trig point.

The name Winter Hill is probably derived from Old Norse, the first recorded name for the hill being Wintyrheld which would mean literally Winter Hill. However, “winter” and its variations certainly had the meaning “wet” in the old times and therefore means “the wet hill”, rather than our modern associations of cold or snow. Colloquialisms like “winter pasture” meaning poor agricultural land, probably at one time meant wet land that could not be farmed but could be used for pasture if necessary.

Between those times and now, it seems Winter Hill was shown as Egberden Hill on antique maps,, which would be derived from the Egbert’s Dean, which is the area now known as the Smithills Estate. The valley (dean from OE denu) reaches quite far up the hill and was once a prosperous area so passing cartographers seem to heard the place referred to as Egbert’s Dean Hill. Egbert’s Dean has a defined boundary in the SE quarter of the hill and should really refer to that area only.

Created: 4 September 2016 Edited: 19 August 2024

Misty Sunset on Winter Hill

Secrets of Shaly Dingle

Over the Two Lads on Crooked Edge Hill

Mist, Mines and Ruins

Wild Roe Deer

Winter Hill Details

Winter Hill is a 456 metre high hill in Greater Manchester.

Winter Hill

Adam Hill

A relatively small hill on the south side of Winter Hill.

Burnt Edge

Burnt Edge is a gritstone ridge on the south part of Winter Hill,

Crooked Edge Hill

Crooked Edge Hill, or Two Lads is a small peak on the southwestern slopes of Winter Hill.

Hole Bottom

Hole Bottom was once a quaint hamlet perched atop Winter Hill.

Noon Hill

High on the summit of the often foreboding Noon Hill is a Bronze Age round cairn topped by a more recent cairn of uncertain age

Priests Crown

Although accessioned as a natural feature by the English Heritage NMR after archaeological examination in the 1950's; this curious feature in the landscape is worthy of some consideration.

Prospect (ruin)

An ruined farmstead below Brown Hill, overlookng the town of Horwich.

Reservoir Of Dean Mills

This was once a pair of small reservoirs that served Dean Mills down in the valley below at Barrow Bridge.

Rivington Moor Bell Pits (ruin)

A group of possibly quite ancient 'bell pits' on Rivington Moor together with an old, stone sheep pen.

Shaly Dingle

Part of the West Pennine Moors, Winter Hill itself is a well-known area for hiking and other outdoor activities, but tucked away on the north slopes, on the edge of the open-access area, Shaly Dingle not so much.

The Great Knoll

Said to be a glacial mound, The Great Knoll is found on the northern slope of Winter Hill, overlooking the village of Belmont.

Three Nooked Shaw Clough

Whimberry Hill

Whimberry Hill is a small peak, off the eastern side of Winter Hill.

White Brow Cairn

A prehistoric round cairn located on a local high point 280m west of Old Harpers Farm

Wildersmoor Pit Kilns (ruin)

A remains of a series of primitive 'pit kilns' beside a footpath leading up Wildersmoor on the south slope of Winter Hill.

Winter Hill Boundary Wall

There is a huge boundary wall running the length of Winter Hill, roughly North to South.

Winter Hill Mines

Winter Hill has been mined extensively since before historic records begin and evidence of several historic types of mine can be found in the local area, including early 'bell pits', primitive tunnels, extensive 19th century underground workings and more recent open cast mining remains.

Winter Hill Summit

The summit of Winter Hill marked by an OS trig point.

Winter Hill Tumulus

A prehistoric round cairn towards the summit of Winter Hill.

Winter Hill Water Tunnel System

From the top of Winter Hill radiate a network of stone built water conduits and wells of an indeterminate age that certainly pre-date the large scale reservoir building period of the mid 19th century.