The old man of Mow

He sits alone in his old arm chair,
the guardian of all he surveys.
His quarried featureless expressions,
are a constant in an un-certain time.
A world where he has no voice,
only time to kill and weather to storm.
He lives only for the now.
His ancient morals like granite stand,
the mighty man of Mow.


This poem has now been published in AD LIB 2012 - A poetry collection from Rising Brook Writers.
ISBN 978-0-9557086-9-5



The Old Man O’Mow is situated on the site of an ancient cairn that was said to be a burial mound, and linked to the Bride Stones of Cloud End, approximately 3 miles away to the North. However it is more likely to have been just a boundary marker separating two counties and two manors on the Cheshire side of the hill, Rode Hall Estate and Moreton Hall Estate. It was described in about 1530 as a `Roke of old stones that of old times have been reared'.
The cairn disappeared as centuries of stone quarrying took its toll; this however does not give us much insight as to just why a large rock edifice of some 65ft in height was left. I have heard several theories as to why it was left, the first to aid lifting the large grit slabs, the second that the stone was not of the right quality. It is more likely however that it was just left as ground marker, out respect for the old cairn. If any reader can offer me proof for any of the above it would be appreciated.
The top of the Old Man O’Mow stands 65 ft high, with its top some 1100 ft above sea level. Its shape from certain angles does look like the form of some giant man, thus giving us its name

http://www.mowcop.info/htm/industry/oldman.htm