Penistone ( ) is a
market town and
civil parish in the
Metropolitan Borough of Barnsley, in
South Yorkshire, England. It had a population of 10,101 at the 2001 census.
Historically within the
West Riding of Yorkshire, it lies west of the town of
Barnsley, north-east of
Glossop, north-west of
Sheffield, the nearest city and east of
Manchester in the foothills of the
Pennines. The highest point in the surrounding area is at Hartcliffe Tower at 1,194 ft (364 m) above sea level, which has views over the Woodhead bypass and the
Dark Peak. The surrounding countryside is predominantly rural with farming on rich well-watered soil on mainly gentle slopes rising to the bleak
moorland to the west of the town centre. Dry stone walls, small hamlets and farms surrounded by fields and livestock are synonymous with the area. The area is known for its rugged breed of sheep, the
Whitefaced Woodland.