Holme Moss

Holme Moss
Holme Moss
Start	Holmfirth
Gain in altitude	394 m (1,293 ft)
Length of climb	7.0 km (4.3 mi)
Maximum elevation	524 m (1,719 ft)
Average gradient	5.6 %
Maximum gradient	11 %

Holme Moss
Holme Moss
	Holme Moss towards Holme Moss transmitting station
Highest point
Elevation	524 m (1,719 ft)
Coordinates	53°31′58.87″N1°51′26.61″W / 53.5330194°N 1.8573917°W
Geography
	Holme Moss Location of Holme Moss in West Yorkshire
Location	Holme Valley,; West Yorkshire,; England
Parent range	Peak District
OS grid	SE095040

Last updated August 19, 2024

Holme Moss (1,719 feet or 524 metres a.s.l. ^[1]) is high moorland on the border between the Holme Valley district of Kirklees in West Yorkshire and the High Peak district of Derbyshire in England. Historically on the boundary between the West Riding of Yorkshire and Cheshire, it is just inside the boundary of the Peak District National Park. The A6024 road between Holmfirth and Longdendale crosses the moor near its highest point close to Holme Moss transmitting station's prominent mast.^[1]

Watershed

Water seeping from the surrounding moorland into Rake Dike is the source of the River Holme. Rake Dike rising from Kay Edge on the moor flows through the village of Holme into Brownhill Reservoir, about a mile below the moor, and passes down through the Holme Valley to Huddersfield, where it flows into the River Colne. The upper part of the moor continues into Black Hill which is crossed by the Pennine Way north–south footpath.

Transmitting station

Holme Moss transmitting station is the highest in England. When erected it transmitted television signals that travelled much further than its intended service area. They were received on the Isle of Man and in parts of the Irish Republic, mainly Dublin and Wicklow. Now it provides VHF coverage for FM and DAB to a wide area around the transmitter including Derbyshire, Greater Manchester and West Yorkshire. The FM signals operate at 250 kW from one of the most powerful transmitters in the country with reception available as far north as the Borders, as far south as Birmingham, and to the east and west coasts. Emley Moor (55.44°, 15.53 km) and Moorside Edge (348.22°, 11.56 km) transmitters can be seen from the location.

Transport

In the winter Holme Moss frequently gets a covering of snow and the road over the moor is often the first in the area to be blocked. Kirklees Highways department clears the road as far as the border with Derbyshire. Derbyshire County Council Highways Authority is responsible for clearing the southern side.^[2]

Sport

Athletics

Holmfirth Harriers Athletics Club organise an annual "Holme Moss Fell Race" on and around Holme Moss in the summer. The race starts at Cartworth Moor cricket ground, crosses Ramsden Clough to Holme Moss, crosses and descends to Crowden before returning via Bareholme Moss, Laddow Rocks and Black Hill.

Cycling

To British cycling enthusiasts, Holme Moss has become synonymous with the A6024 (Woodhead Road) which crosses the moor, between the village of Holmbridge to the north and the Woodhead Reservoir to the south. The northern side in particular is one of England's best known bicycle ascents, and has acquired a reputation as among the country's more difficult climbs. It has often been used for domestic competition in British road racing ^[3] and mountain biking.^[4]

Climbs

Starting from Holmfirth, to the north, the climb is 7 km (4.3 mi) long, gaining 394 m (1,293 ft) in altitude, at an average gradient of 5.6%, although the penultimate kilometre is at a gradient of 11%.^[5]

From the south, the climb starts at the junction with the A628, from where it is 4 km (2.5 mi) long, with a height gain of 274 m (899 ft) at an average gradient of 6.9%.^[6]

"Le Col de Moss"

Although not comparable in distance with the cols of European bicycle racing, the length and difficulty of Holme Moss relative to other British climbs has made it a frequent and popular inclusion in British races, including the Tour of Britain. For many years the (now defunct) Leeds Classic race saw internationally renowned riders (many of them, such as Bjarne Riis, veterans of the Tour de France) tackling the climb.^[4]^[7]

Tour de France

The second stage of the 2014 Tour de France followed the route across the Pennines to Derbyshire.^[8] The leader over the summit was Blel Kadri from France.^[9]

Related Research Articles

Holmfirth is a town in the Metropolitan Borough of Kirklees, West Yorkshire, England. It is located 6 miles (9.7 km) south of Huddersfield and 14 miles (23 km) west of Barnsley; the boundary of the Peak District National Park is 2 miles (3.2 km) to the south-west. The town is sited on the A635 and A6024 roads in the Holme Valley, at the confluence of the River Holme and Ribble. It mostly consists of stone-built cottages nestled on the eastern slopes of the Pennine hills.

Meltham is a town and civil parish within the Metropolitan Borough of Kirklees, in West Yorkshire, England. It lies in the Holme Valley, below Wessenden Moor, 5 miles south-west of Huddersfield on the edge of the Peak District National Park. It had a population of 8,089 at the 2001 census, which was estimated to have increased to 8,600 by 2005. The population assessed at the 2011 Census was 8,534. It has 12 elected council members who meet up around every 6 weeks.

The Pennines, also known as the Pennine Chain or Pennine Hills, are a range of uplands mainly located in Northern England. Commonly described as the "backbone of England" because of its length and position, the range runs from Derbyshire and Staffordshire in the North Midlands to Northumberland in North East England, near the Anglo-Scottish border. The range starts near the valley of the River Trent to the south and extends northwards across the Peak District, South Pennines, Yorkshire Dales, and North Pennines, ending at the Tyne Gap. Beyond the gap are the Border Moors and Cheviot Hills, which are included in some definitions of the range.

Dunford Bridge is a remote hamlet in the civil parish of Dunford, lying northwest of Sheffield in South Yorkshire, England, 1.3 miles (2 km) from the border with West Yorkshire and 2.3 miles (4 km) from the border with Derbyshire. It lies in the Peak District, 5 miles (8 km) west of Penistone and 5 miles (8 km) south of Holmfirth, within the Metropolitan Borough of Barnsley. Before the Local Government Act 1972 the area covered by South Yorkshire was part of the West Riding of Yorkshire.

High Peak is a local government district with borough status in Derbyshire, England, covering a high moorland plateau in the Dark Peak area of the Peak District National Park. The district stretches from Holme Moss in the north to Sterndale Moor in the south, and from Hague Bar in the west to Bamford in the east. The population of the borough taken at the 2011 Census was 90,892. The borough is unusual in having two administrative centres for its council, High Peak Borough Council; the offices are in Buxton and Glossop. Other towns include Chapel-en-le-Frith, Hadfield, New Mills and Whaley Bridge.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bleaklow</span> Gritstone moorland in the Derbyshire High Peak

Bleaklow is a high, largely peat-covered, gritstone moorland in the Derbyshire High Peak near the town of Glossop. It is north of Kinder Scout, across the Snake Pass (A57), and south of the A628 Woodhead Pass. Much of it is nearly 2,000 feet (610 m) above sea level and the shallow bowl of Swains Greave on its eastern side is the source of the River Derwent.

Black Hill, in the Peak District, is the highest hill in West Yorkshire, England. Its summit rises to an elevation of 582 m (1,909 ft) above sea level. It is surpassed in height by only two other major summits in the Peak District.

Colne Valley is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 2024 by Paul Davies of the Labour Party.

The Pennine Bridleway is a National Trail in Northern England.

Snake Pass is a hill pass in the Derbyshire section of the Peak District, crossing the Pennines between Glossop and the Ladybower Reservoir at Ashopton. The road was engineered by Thomas Telford and opened in 1821. The pass carries the A57 road between Manchester and Sheffield, but it is no longer the main signposted route between those two cities, with traffic instead directed through the Woodhead Pass to the north.

The Holme of the Holme Valley, West Yorkshire, England is a tributary of the River Colne, West Yorkshire. The source is via Digley Reservoir, fed firstly by the run-off from Brownhill Reservoir, then by Dobbs Dike. Banks along the upper valley are mostly urbanised and are in the Holme Valley civil parish.

Holme is a village in the Holme Valley civil parish of Kirklees in West Yorkshire, England. The village straddles the A6024 road between Holmbridge and Lane village, 2.5 miles (4 km) south-west of Holmfirth. It is close to the boundaries of Derbyshire and the Peak District National Park: some properties lie outside of the National Park. Holme Moss, an area of high moorland with a prominent transmitter mast, overlooks the village from the south-west.

Jackson Bridge is a small village in the civil parish of Holme Valley in the Metropolitan Borough of Kirklees in West Yorkshire, England and within the postal district of Holmfirth. It is situated next to the A616, Huddersfield to Penistone, road.

Netherthong is a village and former civil parish, now in the parish of Holme Valley, and the metropolitan borough of Kirklees in West Yorkshire, England. The village is near the town of Holmfirth, and on the B6107 road to Meltham from the main A6024 Woodhead Road through the Holme Valley from Honley to Holmfirth. It has an estimated population of 1,738 (2018).

Lane Village is a small hamlet 3 miles (4.8 km) southwest of Holmfirth and approximately half a mile southwest of Holme Village on the A6024 Woodhead Road. It lies on the edge of Holme Moss just inside the Peak District National Park boundary. The rainwater springs seeping from Holme Moss and Kaye Edge provide the source of the River Holme.

The A616 is a road that links Newark-on-Trent, Nottinghamshire, to the M1 motorway at Junction 30, then reappears at Junction 35A and goes on to Huddersfield, West Yorkshire.

Thongsbridge is a small village in the Kirklees district of West Yorkshire, England. It is in the semi-rural Holme Valley and the village boundaries merge into the neighbouring communities of Holmfirth, New Mill and Wooldale. According to the 2001 Census, it covers an area of 124.7 hectares.

The Holme Moss transmitting station is a radio transmitting station at Holme Moss in West Yorkshire, England. The mast provides VHF coverage of both FM and DAB to a wide area around the mast including Derbyshire, Greater Manchester, South Yorkshire and West Yorkshire.

Holmbridge is a small village on the A6024 to the southwest of Holmfirth and south of Huddersfield in West Yorkshire, England. It is in the parish of Holme Valley and the metropolitan borough of Kirklees.

The Peak District Boundary Walk is a circular 190-mile (310 km) walking trail, starting and finishing at Buxton and broadly following the boundary of the Peak District, Britain's first national park. The route was developed by the Friends of the Peak District and was launched on 17 June 2017.

References

1 2 OL1 Dark Peak Area (Map). 1:25000. Explorer. Ordnance Survey. Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 12 September 2012.
↑ "Roads and traffic". Derbyshire County Council. Retrieved 15 July 2014.
↑ "Snake Pass & Holme Moss Loop". British Cycling.org.uk. Retrieved 15 July 2014.
1 2 "Le Col de Moss". Mountain Bike Rider. Retrieved 15 July 2014.
↑ "Holme Moss - Holmfirth". climbbybike. Retrieved 14 July 2014.
↑ "Holme Moss - A 628 - Barnsley". climbbybike. Retrieved 14 July 2014.
↑ "Tour de France 2014: Stage 2 – Steep stuff with 33% at Jenkins Road". Cycling Stage.com. Retrieved 15 July 2014.
↑ Fortheringham, William (17 January 2013). "Tour de France 2014: Leeds chosen for start as English route is unveiled". The Guardian. Retrieved 18 January 2013.
↑ "Shark attack in Sheffield". Tour de France. Amaury Sport Organisation. 6 July 2014. Archived from the original on 14 July 2014. Retrieved 14 July 2014.

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.

[os-1] 1 2 OL1 Dark Peak Area (Map). 1:25000. Explorer. Ordnance Survey. Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 12 September 2012.

[2] "Roads and traffic". Derbyshire County Council. Retrieved 15 July 2014.

[3] "Snake Pass & Holme Moss Loop". British Cycling.org.uk. Retrieved 15 July 2014.

[mbr-4] 1 2 "Le Col de Moss". Mountain Bike Rider. Retrieved 15 July 2014.

[5] "Holme Moss - Holmfirth". climbbybike. Retrieved 14 July 2014.

[6] "Holme Moss - A 628 - Barnsley". climbbybike. Retrieved 14 July 2014.

[7] "Tour de France 2014: Stage 2 – Steep stuff with 33% at Jenkins Road". Cycling Stage.com. Retrieved 15 July 2014.

[8] Fortheringham, William (17 January 2013). "Tour de France 2014: Leeds chosen for start as English route is unveiled". The Guardian. Retrieved 18 January 2013.

[9] "Shark attack in Sheffield". Tour de France. Amaury Sport Organisation. 6 July 2014. Archived from the original on 14 July 2014. Retrieved 14 July 2014.

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

[7]

[8]

[9]