The name is first recorded as Mowel around 1270 AD, and is believed to derive from either the Anglo-SaxonMūga-hyll, meaning "heap-hill", with copp = "head" added later, or the Common Celtic ancestor of Welsh moel, with Anglo-Saxon copp added later. At the village's summit, men once quarried stone to make into querns, used since the Iron Age for milling corn; this trade ended during the Victorian period. The village also has a long history of coal mining. A rock feature called the Old Man O'Mow in one of the quarried areas is believed to be the site of an ancient cairn. The village was served by a railway station, opened by the North Staffordshire Railway on 9 October 1848 and closed in 1964.
The Castle
The most dominant feature of the village is Mow Cop Castle, a folly of a ruined castle at the summit of the hill, built in 1754. Both Mow Cop Castle and the Old Man O'Mow are under the management of the National Trust, and on the route of the Cheshire Gritstone Trail, a long-distance walking route.
Birthplace of Primitive Methodism
Mow Cop is noteworthy as the birthplace of the Primitive Methodist movement. Starting in 1800, Hugh Bourne from Stoke-on-Trent and William Clowes from Burslem began holding open-air prayer meetings. On 31 May 1807, a large 14-hour camp meeting was held, leading to the founding of the Primitive Methodist Church in 1810. These camp meetings became a regular feature at Mow Cop, being held to celebrate the 100th, 150th and 200th anniversaries of the first camp.
In the arts
The village and castle are featured prominently in the 1973 novel Red Shift, by Alan Garner. This novel was filmed by the BBC in the 1970s, and later released in a restored HD DVD in 2014. Mow Cop and its castle also feature in Alan Garner's 1966 photo-story book for children, The Old Man of Mow. The castle has also been a magnet for artists, and can be seen in everything from local watercolour and oil paintings and postcards, to ceramics made in the nearby Potteries. An engraving of it also featured on a Royal Mail stamp book in 1981.
Running and cycling
Since the late 20th century, Mow Cop has been known for its Killer Mile, a one-mile running race from the railway level crossing on the western side of the hill up to the castle. The race was first organized in the early 1980s by John Britton. The climb is also well known among local cyclists and features in the 100 Greatest Cycling Climbs in Britain.
Jack Simcock, artist, known for "a long series of bleak, sombre oils on board" of the Mow Cop area where he lived.
Allen John Tankard, English former footballer who played 519 league games, 275 for Port Vale. After retiring he worked in Mow Cop at a minibus and coach hire company which he now co-owns.
