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This is without doubt my favourite place to go walking
Bleaklow is situated on the northern side of the A 57 Glossop to Sheffield road, on the top of the Snake Pass, parking is limited and the roadside verges soft, due to the amount of peat in this area.
Take the path North past the pool, through the gate, across the Doctors
gate path and on towards the bottom of the Devil's dyke.
Apart from the badly eroded (and now largely paved) route of the
Pennine Way, which traverses from Doctor's Gate to Torside, via Hern
Clough and Bleaklow Head, there are no real paths on Bleaklow. This
makes this area a paradise for the connoisseur bog-trotter who enjoys
the challenge of crossing a trackless wilderness, possibly in cloud,
rain or snow - for the weather up here is usually wet and can be
severe. There are numerous aircraft wrecks up here, which attract
enthusiasts who attempt to locate the remains - often a difficult task
even though their location is quite well documented.
The wreck we are looking at today is the Boeing Superfortress that crashed
here on the 3rd of November 1948, that means it has been there longer than
I have been alive ( just ). The link below will take you to another site.
Bleaklow a Wreck
The Devil's Dyke
Looking left from the top of Devil's Dyke you can see High Shelf Stones, which is where the wreck
we are after is situated, but we are going to Bleaklow Head first.
Out of the Dyke and you come to some of the paving of the Pennine Way.
Following the path up from here you are on and off paving most of the time
Next you come to the bottom of Hern Clough and the path stops for most of the way, making your
way up the clough , means a bit of paddling, a bit of scrambling and a bit of path.
After emerging from the top follow the way marker's in a general northerly direction, getting lost up
here is easy, the weather changes in second's, all sorts of terrain are crossed, peat is the main thing
but sand and rocks also appear.
The nearer to the top you get the more barren it becomes , until you emerge at the head.
The cairn is at the top and you can see what the weather can be like, I have been to the
top many times but still take a compass and use it if needed.
Now it is time to cross the peat using the Groughs in a s.s.w direction down to Wain Stones
and then on to the wreck.
Leaving the head in a SSW direction takes you across the peat, this route , firstly to Wain's
stones and then to High Shelf Stones does not use a path as such, you will see tracks of other walkers from time to time but most of the time you are on your own.
Picking a path over the heather and gorse you soon realise that the tallest growing, living thing up here is you, no trees,no bushes, in fact not a lot to navigate with, as long as the visibility is good, you can for the most time keep heading for the high ground at High Shelf , but when the mist drops, which it can do at any time with very little warning. it helps to have a bearing to follow.
Passing Wain Stones ( sometimes known as the kissing stones, because of their resemblance to two heads facing each other ) keep heading straight across the peat ( well not straight, in fact very up and down ) and soon you start to ascend higher ground as you get closer to the wreck,
As you work you way higher a suprise , suddenly you will start to see bits of an aeroplane , you have arrived,
You do not need any of my words to decribe this place, it has an atmosphere of its own and is very moving.
Every year a service of remembrance is held.
When you have explored the wreck and paid your respects you can continue
to walk higher until you come to the trig point.
From here you are afforded an almost panoramic veiw, Kinder in the distance to the south, the Doctor's
gate path to the SW down the valley and at the bottom of the valley the town of Glossop.
If you now turn almost due east you can start the descent back towards the top of the Devil's Dyke.
On arrival at the top of the dyke, having made your way down, up down and up again from the trig point,
if you look to your right (south) in the distance you will see northern edge of the Kinder plateau.
As you descend the dyke keep your eye on Kinder and High Shelf Stones because as the weather
changes you will be surprised to see how quickly they disappear in to the mist.
Out of the bottom of the dyke across Doctors Gate down to the road and you have finished.
A look back at where you have been, High Shelf half hidden in the mist.
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