Description:Mow Cop Castle was originally built as a folly (false) castle by Randle Wilbraham of Rode Hall in 1754. It was used by the family as a summerhouse, and a focus of his wife's paintings. It also marks the origins of Primitive Methodism (1807), a doctrine that continues until this day.
Beginning in 1800, there were various arguments about the castle and the land it was built on. Ralph Sneyd of Keele Hall insisted that part of the castle belonged to him as it was built partially on his land. The arguments led to a court case in 1850, where it was ruled that the castle should be maintained by both parties as a public monument, as it sat in the middle of the county boundaries.
In 1923, the land was purchased from the Wilbraham family by Mr Joe Lovatt, for quarrying. It was hotly contested by the general public, who wanted the site to remain open for public use and in its natural state. The debates, protests and quarrying continued until 1937, when the deeds to the castle and the land were handed over to the National Trust for repairs.
In 1999 the National Trust added fences and barriers to the cliffs surrounding the castle to prevent accidents and began a reconstruction project in 2002 to strengthen the remaining walls. It was finished in early 2003.