English
Français
Hail Storm Hill, also known as Cowpe Moss, is the highest point of the Rossendale Valley, England, an area of moorland and hill country situated between the West Pennine Moors and the South Pennines. It is wholly within Lancashire, although the administrative county boundary with the Metropolitan Borough of Rochdale passes just a kilometre to the south-east of the summit. Scout Moor Wind Farm now spans Hail Storm Hill. The Forest of Rossendale also contains the Marilyn of Freeholds Top and the summit of Great Hameldon.
Nearby Places View Menu
1.2 km
Scout Moor Wind Farm
Scout Moor Wind Farm is the second largest onshore wind farm in England. The wind farm, which was built for Peel Wind Power Ltd, produces electricity from 26 Nordex N80 wind turbines. It has a total nameplate capacity of 65 MW of electricity, providing 154,000 MW·h per year; enough to serve the average needs of 40,000 homes. The site occupies 1,347 acres (545 ha) of open moorland between Edenfield, Rawtenstall and Rochdale, and is split between the Metropolitan Borough of Rochdale in northern Greater Manchester and the Borough of Rossendale in south-eastern Lancashire. The turbines are visible from as far away as south Manchester, 15–20 miles (24–32 km) away.
A protest group was formed to resist the proposed construction, and attracted support from the botanist and environmental campaigner David Bellamy. Despite the opposition, planning permission was granted in 2005 and construction began in 2007. Although work on the project was hampered by harsh weather, difficult terrain, and previous mining activity, the wind farm was officially opened on 25 September 2008 after "years of controversy", at a cost of £50 million.
In 2012 Peel Energy sold its 50% share in the facility to Munich Re's asset management division MEAG. The other 50% holding was also purchased by MEAG from HgCapital Renewable Power Partners.
In November 2024, Cubico Sustainable Investments unveiled plans to expand Scout Moor Wind Farm with 21 new turbines, aiming to generate over 100 MW of electricity. This expansion would make Scout Moor the largest onshore wind farm in England. The project would power 100,000 homes and contribute over 10% of Greater Manchester's domestic energy needs, marking a key step toward the UK's goal of doubling onshore wind capacity by 2030.
1.4 km
Cowpe
Cowpe is a hamlet in Rossendale, Lancashire, England. It lies in the South Pennines, north of Scout Moor Wind Farm, by the Pennine Bridleway. Rawtenstall is to the west, Bacup to the east and Waterfoot to the north. Directly south over Brandwood and Scout Moors, is Rochdale. 'Cowpe' is thought to derive from 'Cow Pastures'.
Cowpe is renowned for its scenery, as is the whole of the Rossendale valley, and houses farms supplying crops and livestock. The village has a Sunday School, and a park, designed by residents and opened in 2002 and a B & B (Tippet's Farm). Cowpe Reservoir is used by fishermen and has footpaths to the moors and is popular with walkers and mountain bikers.There is a Christmas tree farm, Lench House Farm.
The village's only public house, The Buck, was purchased and deliberately run down by "property developers", closing in 2012 for conversion to private housing.
Cowpe has a mixture of terraced houses, cottages, farmhouses, renovated houses and semi detached. They include Cowpe Lodge, Asten Buildings, Brooklands, Ivy Bank, The Linney, Daisy Bank, Springside, Spring Gardens, Co-operative Buildings, Crag View, Moor View, Bottoms Row, Holmes Cottages and Boarsgreave Lane. The village has been steadily growing over the last decade with many of the outlying derelict farms and barns being brought back into use.
Cowpe gained media attention when filming took place for the BBC1 television show Survivors, which used farms and gardens for filming.
A key landmark of Cowpe, the 19th century Kearn's Mill eventually closed in 2002 when repeated flash flooding caused problems maintaining business insurance. Following several changes of ownership due to problems with site contamination, access and bad weather.
It was demolished in 2015 to make way for a 22 property housing development by Skipton Properties.
It is part of the Rossendale and Darwen constituency, with Andy McNae having been the Member of Parliament since July 2024.
1.5 km
Borough of Rossendale
Rossendale () is a local government district with borough status in Lancashire, England. Its council is based in Bacup and its largest town is Rawtenstall. It also includes the towns of Haslingden and Whitworth. The borough is named after the Rossendale Valley, the upper part of the valley of the River Irwell.
The neighbouring districts are Burnley, Hyndburn, Blackburn with Darwen, Bury, Bolton, Calderdale and Rochdale.
2.4 km
Waterfoot railway station
Waterfoot railway station served Waterfoot, Rossendale near Rawtenstall, Lancashire, England from 1848 until the line closed in 1966.