Minninglow

Minninglow is a hill in the Peak District National Park in Derbyshire, standing in the White Peak area. A clump of trees crowns the summit, hiding a Neolithic chambered tomb and two Bronze Age bowl barrows. The tomb is Derbyshire’s largest surviving chambered tomb, built from limestone slabs arranged in an oval cairn. Nikolaus Pevsner called it one of the most impressive prehistoric burials in Derbyshire. The site was excavated by Thomas Bateman in the 1840s and 1850s, revealing multiple chambers and finds from different periods. The barrows date from the Early Neolithic to the Roman period, showing continuous use over centuries. Bateman’s work uncovered artefacts that link the site to Late Neolithic, Bronze Age, and Roman activity. Despite its importance, the hilltop has no public right of way, but since 2007 the landowner has allowed concessionary access. A marked path from the High Peak Trail leads to the site, guided by wooden signs and markers along the route. Nearby, about one kilometre northwest, stands the Minninglow Embankment on the former Cromford and High Peak Railway. This Grade-II-listed structure was built in the 1820s from local limestone and earth. It is a pre-Victorian example of large-scale civil engineering and forms part of the High Peak Trail. A car park and picnic site lie a short distance along the trail, providing access to the embankment and its sweeping views of the surrounding landscape.