Stoodley Pike Monument: The colossal obelisk in Yorkshire which was destroyed by a lightning strike

Today’s Stoodley Pike, visible from across a wide area of the South Pennines, is a replacement built after the first monument was destroyed following a lightning strike.

A worn inscription on the stonework states that by a “strange coincidence” the collapse happened on the same day in 1854 that the Russian Ambassador to Great Britain had left London at the outbreak of the Crimean War.

Another public subscription raised £820 to built a new monument, and it was decided to locate it further back from the edge of the steep northwest-facing slope above the hamlets of Lumbutts and Mankinholes.

Whereas the 1814-15 structure was a 113-ft high conical tower, the new one designed by local architect John Green and built by Lewis Crabtree in 1856 was a 121-ft obelisk.

Inside is a spiral staircase of 39 steps - no relation to the John Buchan novel and Alfred Hitchcock film of that name - which can be accessed from an entrance on the north side.

The steps lead to a viewing balcony 40ft above ground level.

Repairs costing £160 were necessary in 1889. At the same time a grille was provided to allow light into part of the staircase and a lightning conductor was added.

More recent work has included the re-paving of the monument’s entrance and the provision of a seat.

A popular objective for walkers, the monument lies on the route of the Pennine Way National Trail.