Holme Moss
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Coordinates: 53°32′00″N 1°51′29″W / 53.5333°N 1.858056°W
| Holme Moss | |
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  Holme Moss shown within West Yorkshire |
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| Population | 0 |
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| OS grid reference | |
| Parish | Holme Valley |
| Metropolitan borough | Kirklees |
| Metropolitan county | West Yorkshire |
| Region | Yorkshire and the Humber |
| Constituent country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | Holmfirth |
| Postcode district | HD9 |
| Dialling code | 01484 |
| Police | West Yorkshire |
| Fire | West Yorkshire |
| Ambulance | Yorkshire |
| European Parliament | Yorkshire and the Humber |
| UK Parliament | Colne Valley |
| List of places: UK • England • Yorkshire | |
Holme Moss is a moor in the south Pennines of England, on the border between the High Peak District of Derbyshire and the West Yorkshire district of Kirklees. It is just inside the boundary of the Peak District National Park. The River Holme rises on the moor and flows through the village of Holme, about a mile below the moor, and the town of Holmfirth. The upper part of the moor continues into Black Hill which is crossed by the Pennine Way north-south footpath.
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[edit] "Le Col de Moss" bicycle ascent
To British cycling enthusiasts, Holme Moss has become synonymous with the A6024 (Woodhead Road) which crosses the moor, between the village of Holmbridge to the north and the Woodhead Reservoir to the south. The northern side in particular is one of England's most well-known bicycle ascents, and has acquired a reputation as among the country's more difficult climbs.
From the north, the road begins to rise from approximately 190 metres above mean sea level in Holmbridge and gains steadily towards the village of Holme. The road then sweeps round to the left and thereafter the steepness increases through a series of switchbacks. 1.5 kilometres from the summit the gradient climbs above 14%, and remains testing until the car park near the mast is reached and the summit crested. From this side the ascent is 4.8 kilometres long at an average gradient of about 7%. It is often made more challenging by the prevailing south-westerly wind.
From the south, the road begins climbing away from the Woodhead Reservoir and the A628 road at an altitude of roughly 250 metres before briefly dropping down again. It then rises more rapidly, reaching more than 14% at its steepest. The gradient eases somewhat before one final incline towards the summit. From this side, the climb is 4.3 kilometres long at an average gradient of about 6.4%.
Although not comparable in distance to the famous cols of European bicycle racing, the length and difficulty of Holme Moss relative to other British climbs (as well as its proximity to the large urban areas of Manchester and Sheffield) has made it a frequent and popular inclusion in British races, including the Tour of Britain. For many years the (now defunct) Leeds Classic race saw internationally-renowned riders (many of them, such as Bjarne Riis, veterans of the Tour de France, hence the moniker Le Col de Moss) tackling the climb. It has also been oft-used for domestic competition in British road racing and mountain biking.
[edit] Other Sports
The Holmfirth Harriers Athletics Club organise an annual "Holme Moss Fell Race" on and around Holme Moss in the summer time.
In the winter Holme Moss frequently gets a covering of snow, while the surround valleys do not. The top car park is popular spot for bringing children to do sledging, or even more serious snowsports.
With heavier snowfall, the road is always the first in the area to be blocked. This is not helped by the fact that two different local councils need to cooperate to keep the road clear of snow, and sometimes one will manage to clear their side of the hill, but the snowploughs turn around at the top, leaving the other side blocked.
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[edit] Holme Moss Transmitting Station
One of National Grid Wireless's main radio transmitting stations is located on the moor. The base of the station is 1719 ft (524 m) above sea level and the mast another 750 ft (228 m) on top of that. This gives a maximum aerial height of 2467 ft (752 m) which is one of the highest in the UK. The mast weighs 140 tons and is held up by 5 sets of stay levels. It carries the FM radio signals for the BBC's national radio stations, Radio Leeds, Radio Sheffield, and Radio Manchester (formerly GMR). At 250 kW erp Holme Moss is one of the most powerful VHF transmitters in the country.
An earlier mast at Holme Moss was used to broadcast BBC television signals on the 405 line VHF system before Emley Moor transmitter took over, when the 625-line colour television UHF system began. It was the first main transmitter for the previous system in the north of England when it opened on 12 October 1951. For some time both the new and old masts stood side by side, until the old TV mast was finally demolished in 1985.
Television signals from Holme Moss travelled much further than their intended service area. The Isle of Man and parts of the Irish Republic, mainly Dublin and Wicklow, were able to receive a signal from Holme Moss for some years. Both Emley Moor and Moorside Edge Transmitter can be seen from the location and they are ENE and NNW respectively.
[edit] Frequencies
[edit] BBC Stations
- 89.3FM - BBC Radio 2
- 91.5FM - BBC Radio 3
- 92.4FM - BBC Radio Leeds
- 93.7FM - BBC Radio 4
- 95.1FM - BBC Radio Manchester
- 98.9FM - BBC Radio 1
- 104.1FM - BBC Radio Sheffield
[edit] Other Stations
- 101.1FM - Classic FM
The BBC and Digital One digital radio stations are also transmitted from Holme Moss.
