Werneth Low

{{Infobox mountain

| name = Werneth Low

| photo = Werneth Low.jpg

| photo_caption = Werneth Low, showing the cenotaph, and the Greater Manchester Urban Area in the background.

| elevation_m = 279

| elevation_ref =

| prominence = {{circa}} {{cvt|112|m}}

| location = Greater Manchester, England

| range = Pennines

| coordinates = {{coord|53|26|1.57|N|2|3|14.94|W|type:mountain_scale:100000|format=dms|display=inline,title}}

| grid_ref_UK = SJ968930

| topo = OS Landranger 109

| map =Greater Manchester

| map_caption = Location of Werneth Low in Greater Manchester

}}

Werneth Low ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|w|ɜːr|n|ɛ|θ|}}; {{respell|WUR|nəth}}) is a hill in Greater Manchester, England, and a part of the Pennines. It is located on the border of Stockport and Tameside, rising to a height of {{convert|279|m|ft|0}}. The villages of Woodley, Greave, Gee Cross, Mottram and Romiley lie on the sides of the low.

The term "low" does not refer to any lack of altitude, it being a northern English word for hill.

Werneth Low offers panoramic views over the Greater Manchester Urban Area and, in clear weather, the Winter Hill transmitting station can be seen from here. To the south, Stockport town centre, part of Wythenshawe in south Manchester and the Welsh mountains can be viewed in clear weather.

The majority of Werneth Low is administered jointly by Hyde War Memorial Trust and Tameside Council. The trust organises the Remembrance and Peace day services. It was established to be the guardian of Werneth Low, to keep it "For the people of Hyde" and provide a lasting monument to the 710 men of Hyde who perished in World War I.

Various landmarks can be seen from the top of Werneth Low, including: Manchester's Deansgate Square, Beetham Tower, the Oldham Civic Centre and Jodrell Bank Observatory's radio telescope (visible from the south-western end of the hilltop).

History

A flint knife and a Bronze Age stone mace head have been discovered on Werneth Low.Nevell (1992), p. 38. Hangingbank is the site of a possible Iron Age farmstead dating to the first millennium BC, enclosed by a double ditch and featuring crop marks.Nevell (1992), p. 51. A Roman road from Melandra to Astbury probably crosses the hill, however the exact course has not been identified.Nevell (1992), pp. 60–61. The site covers {{convert|1.23|ha|acre}}.Nevell (1992), p. 68. There is also evidence of Romano-British activity on Werneth Low; a sherd of Roman pottery dating to the 2nd century AD was discovered in the material filling one of the ditches at Hangingbank, indicating that was when the site fell out of use. There is a possible temporary Roman camp and excavations have recovered a posthole.{{cite web |title=Monument no. 1085608 |url=http://www.pastscape.org.uk/hob.aspx?hob_id=1085608 |publisher=Pastscape.org.uk |access-date=26 May 2008}} The name Werneth derives from the Welsh verno for alder meaning 'the place where alders grow'.Nevell (1992), p. 85.

The Higham family owned the land from at least 1330 and it is from them that the upper and lower Higham Farms take their name.{{Cite web |url=https://tameside.moderngov.co.uk/documents/s83703/ITEM%207%20-%20Annual%20Report%202019-20.pdf |title=Werneth Low Country Park: Annual Report 2019/2020 |date=June 2020 |first=David |last=Cannon |publisher=Tameside Borough Council |access-date=23 October 2024}} In 1920, Lower Higham Farm and all of its land was purchased by the War Memorial Committee of the Hyde Borough Council and, in 1921, Hyde's main war memorial was officially unveiled. Being dedicated to remembering and being diligent about the 710 men who lost their lives for Hyde's wellbeing.{{cite web |title=Werneth Low Country Park |url=http://www.tameside.gov.uk/tmbc2/werneth.htm |publisher=Tameside Metropolitan Borough Council |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303220128/https://www.tameside.gov.uk/tmbc2/werneth.htm |archive-date=3 March 2016 |access-date=31 October 2024}} A Royal Observer Corps monitoring post was active here from 1962 to 1968,{{cite web |title=Hyde |url=http://www.subbrit.org.uk/cgi-bin/webdata_roc.pl?fid=988264180&query=pagenum%3D1%26cgifunction%3DSearch%26County%3DCheshire&cgifunction=form |publisher=Subterranea Britannica |access-date=25 May 2008}} which was intended to give warning of hostile aircraft and nuclear attacks on the United Kingdom.{{cite web |title=Monument no. 1414423 |url=http://www.pastscape.org.uk/hob.aspx?hob_id=1414423 |publisher=Pastscape.org.uk |access-date=26 May 2008}} In the late 1980s, Greater Manchester Council, Tameside Metropolitan Borough Council and the Hyde War Memorial Trust worked together to establish Werneth Low country park, which covers {{convert|80|ha|acre}}; the park was officially opened in 1980.

Transport

Werneth Low was served by bus number 304 on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays only. With effect from 31 January 2010, GMPTE diverted this bus onto routes on which other bus services run and, as a result, Werneth Low is no longer served by any form of public transport.

Gallery

File:Croft Field - geograph.org.uk - 1022774.jpg|Croft Field with Werneth Low's visitors' centre in the background

File:Daffodils at Hanging Bank - geograph.org.uk - 1213985.jpg|Woodland near Hanging Bank

File:Footpath to Gee Cross - geograph.org.uk - 972681.jpg|From Higham Lane looking north

File:Footpath to Hanging Bank - geograph.org.uk - 1022787.jpg|Footpath to Hanging Bank

File:Gate to Rye Field - geograph.org.uk - 972647.jpg|Gate to Rye Field

File:Hanging Bank - geograph.org.uk - 1213973.jpg|Werneth Low's Hanging Bank

File:Heading Up The Low - geograph.org.uk - 835000.jpg|Towards the top of Hacking Knife

File:Mottram Church from Werneth Low - geograph.org.uk - 1515998.jpg|Looking east from Werneth Low towards Mottram with the hills of the Peak District in the background

File:Tameside Trail at Werneth Low - geograph.org.uk - 1007659.jpg|Looking west along the Low, with the Hyde Cenotaph in the background

File:View from Werneth Low - geograph.org.uk - 1121709.jpg|Looking north from Werneth Low across Tameside and Oldham

File:View of the Greater Manchester County.jpg|Looking north-west from Werneth Low towards Manchester city centre

File:Werneth Low from near Windy Harbour.JPG|Looking north-west along the top of the Low

File:Werneth Low Sunrise - geograph.org.uk - 952978.jpg|Sunrise from the top of Werneth Low

References

=Bibliography=

{{cite book |first=Mike |last=Nevell |year=1992 |title=Tameside Before 1066 |publisher=Tameside Metropolitan Borough and University of Manchester Archaeological Unit |isbn=1-871324-07-6}}

External links

[https://www.tameside.gov.uk/Countryside/Welcome-to-Werneth-Low-Country-Park Werneth Low Country Park]
[http://hwmt.org Hyde War Memorial Trust]

Category:Mountains and hills of the Pennines

Category:Geography of Tameside

Category:Tourist attractions in Tameside

Category:Geography of the Metropolitan Borough of Stockport

Category:Tourist attractions in the Metropolitan Borough of Stockport

Category:Protected areas of Greater Manchester

Category:Country parks in Greater Manchester

Category:Hyde, Greater Manchester

Category:Mountains and hills of the United Kingdom with toposcopes