Thorpe Cloud is an isolated

limestone Limestone ( calcium carbonate ) is a type of carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of . Limestone forms whe ...

hill (a

reef knoll A reef knoll is a land-based landform that comprises an immense pile of calcareous material that accumulated on a previously existing ancient sea floor. At the time of its accumulation it may have had enough structure from organisms such as sponges ...

) lying between the villages of Thorpe and Ilam on the

Derbyshire Derbyshire ( ) is a ceremonial county in the East Midlands, England. It includes much of the Peak District National Park, the southern end of the Pennine range of hills and part of the National Forest. It borders Greater Manchester to the nor ...

Staffordshire Staffordshire (; postal abbreviation Staffs.) is a landlocked county in the West Midlands region of England. It borders Cheshire to the northwest, Derbyshire and Leicestershire to the east, Warwickshire to the southeast, the West Midlands Cou ...

border at the southern end of

Dovedale Dovedale is a valley in the Peak District of England. The land is owned by the National Trust and attracts a million visitors annually. The valley was cut by the River Dove and runs for just over between Milldale in the north and a wooded r ...

. It is a popular hill amongst the many

day-tripper A day trip is a visit to a tourist destination or visitor attraction from a person's home, hotel, or hostel in the morning, returning to the same lodging in the evening. The day trip is a form of recreational travel and leisure to a location tha ...

s who visit the area, and provides a fine viewpoint north up the dale and south across the Midland plain. Like much of the dale, including

Bunster Hill Dovedale is a valley in the Peak District of England. The land is owned by the National Trust and attracts a million visitors annually. The valley was cut by the River Dove and runs for just over between Milldale in the north and a wooded r ...

on the opposite bank, it is in the ownership of the

National Trust The National Trust, formally the National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty, is a charity and membership organisation for heritage conservation in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. In Scotland, there is a separate and ...

, and is part of their

South Peak Estate The White Peak Estate (previously known as the South Peak Estate) of the National Trust comprises several land holdings in the Southern Peak District. The holdings, totaling some , are managed from the estate office in Ilam and comprise: *Ilam ...

. These Dovedale properties were acquired by the Trust in 1934. A

double sunset A double sunset is a rare astro-geographical phenomenon, in which the sun appears to set twice in the same evening from a specific viewing-point. A double sunrise may also occur in a similar situation. Such phenomena may have been regarded as si ...

can sometimes be seen against Thorpe Cloud from the top of nearby Lin Dale, as captured on film by the photographer Chris Doherty. The occurrence is visible in good weather on and around the

summer solstice The summer solstice, also called the estival solstice or midsummer, occurs when one of Earth's poles has its maximum tilt toward the Sun. It happens twice yearly, once in each hemisphere ( Northern and Southern). For that hemisphere, the summer ...

and perhaps beyond, when the sun sets on the summit of the hill, partially reappears from its steep northern slope and sets for a second and final time shortly afterwards. Thorpe Cloud and Dovedale were used as locations in the 2010 film of ''Robin Hood'', starring Russell Crowe. Thorpe Cloud can be clearly made out in several scenes towards the end of the film. Thorpe Cloud also has a rifle range which local and national shooting clubs use. File:Thorpe_Cloud_view_02.jpg, View from on the top of Thorpe Cloud looking towards

File:Thorpe_Cloud_view_01.jpg, From Thorpe Cloud looking to the left of

with the Car Park in the middle Thorpe cloud.jpg

References

{{Peaks of the Peak District Mountains and hills of the Peak District Mountains and hills of Derbyshire