Monday, December 01, 2008

Mist Over Mow Cop



As we left the A34 and drove up the steep incline towards the village of Mow Cop the mist deepened, the air was chill and the trees and hedges glistened white on the roadside and in front gardens. It was magical. We approached the 'castle' and entered the car park, just us and a couple of other hardy souls who were already parked and clambering to the top of the imposing mound.


The ruin was shrouded in mist and the whole vista was so atmospheric. We made our way slowly and gingerly over the frozen grass and eventually reached the top. It was on this hilltop in 1588 that a beacon was erected to give warning of possible invasion by the Spanish Armada, linking lights around the country, between the Wrekin in Shropshire and Alderley Edge in Cheshire.



The ruins, now managed by the National Trust, were once a folly or summer house built by Randle Wilbraham of nearby Rode Hall. He had the mock-gothic castle built in 1754 to enhance the eastern view from his grand house at Scholar Green. From this vantage point on a clear day you can see for miles in all directions to the Berwyn Mountains in Wales, the Shropshire hills and the Peaks of Derbyshire. You can also see quite clearly the huge round saucer of Sir Bernard Lovell's Joddrell Bank.



Yesterday, though, all we could see were the sparkling white trees in the valley and the distant tower of the church; also the unusual garden wall structure of one of the houses under the hill. This is certainly a magical and mystical place. It was here on the 31st May 1807 that Hugh Bourne of Stoke and his friend William Clownes of Burslem ventured, with many like minded people wishing to return to a simpler ways of worship, to form the Primitive Methodist movement. This was to be the first of many mass gatherings on the hill.



At the base of the mound is a stone which commemorates this event. The inscription is as follows:-

"To the Glory of God. A camp meeting near this spot on May 31st 1807, began the religious revival led by Hugh Bourne and William Clowes known as Primitive Methodism. Unveiled by the President of the Methodist Conference May 16th 1948"

As we descended the hill the air had become really cold and dank; people were hurrying back to the car park and the warmth of their cars. It was time to head for home.

15 comments:

  1. What fabulous photos!
    It's always great to join you on your trips! ;-)

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  2. Lovely atmospheric pictures.

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  3. Thank you for another delightful - and thoughtful - tour. I always enjoy "accompanying" you on your walks! Great photos.

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  4. Such interesting photos!You visit places which are so vastly different to where I live, here in the middle of a drought in Australia.You can understand how refreshing and calming these photos are on this virtual walk - and fun too!

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  5. My soul, what a wonderland! Thanks so much for the amazing photographs. I wish I could just walk into them.

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  6. Those are such beautiful pictures, Rosie! Thank you for sharing these.

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  7. You picked the perfect day to visit the ruins,it looks magical. I love the photo with the church spire coming out of the tree tops, it would make a lovely christmas card.

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  8. "Mist over Mow Cop",great title..!
    And the photos are magical,your walks are always very interesting. Thank you for sharing.

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  9. What amazing and magical photos! Thank-you for sharing these beautiful places with us.

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  10. I love castles any kind, keep the pictures coming please.....

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  11. We live very near to Rode Hall which is sometimes open to the public, especially around the time of the snowdrops, (they have a snowdrop walk). If you stand in the driveway you can see that Mow Cop is in perfect alignment, something I only learnt about recently.

    Your photographs are lovely, it must have been a chilly walk up on the hill!

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  12. Very beautiful and atmospheric photos. We visit the National Trust lots but have not been to this one.

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  13. thanks everyone for you lovely comments it is always great to have them and I do appreciate them very much.

    Valerie - we've been to see the Snowdrops at Rode Hall a couple of times over the last few years - last time we went into the little church which was decorated with snowdrops too:)

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  14. I love the photo with the frosty trees in the background. It has so much atmosphere.

    I haven't been up to Mow Cop for absolutely ages (a couple of years at least) but now that you've reminded me of it, I'll have to take a trip soon. The views really are stunning, aren't they?

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  15. Lovely photos. Somewhere I've never been, although I live not far away, in Lightwood ,near Longton. I enjoyed seeing local places from your point of view. Thank you! Amanda x

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