Calder Web
Stoodley Pike
After many, arduous, daily walks from valley to tops we finally made our initial target. We have now completed one of the most popular walks in Calderdale to the Stoodley Pike Monument -- we did, however, do it the hard way by walking up the sheer side and I was carrying an extra 25 Ib in my rucksack.. We have viewed and photographed the monument from all areas of the upper and lower Calderdale area. The Pike stands a very impressive 110 feet tall and at first site close up it put me immediately in mind of Cleopatra's Needle (Although the specially designed cigar shaper container that brought Cleopatra's Needle to London in January 1878 was itself only 93 feet long). The existing, Pike, monument, built in 1814, is the second to be erected as the first one fell to the ground in 1854 after being struck by Lighting.
The original Pike Obelisk was built to commemorate the defeat of Napoleon's armies at the Battle of Leipzig and coincidentally Cleopatra's Needle was erected to Celebrate Britain's defeat over Napoleon (However, the needle was erected 63 years after the said event).
The countryside views from Stoodely Pike are amazing especially the views from the balcony that is reached after climbing the 39 steps inside the monument.
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Last Updated: 17/11/2007