My second hike in the Peak District National Park climbs up to the Kinder Scout plateau from Hayfield, initially following Kinder Road, which in turn follows the Kinder River up to the start of the hiking trail.
The roughly paved hiking trail ascends gently above the Kinder Reservoir. It follows the route of the mass trespass of 1932, a protest against wealthy landowners denying access to areas of open countryside. About 400 people joined the illegal hike up to Kinder Scout on 24 April 1932. While five ramblers were arrested, this this act of civil disobedience is regarded as one of the most successful in British history, which (arguably) led to the passage of the National Parks legislation in 1949 and the establishment of the Pennine Way.
The Kinder Reservoir was constructed between 1903 and 1911 to provide a reliable water supply for the growing town of Stockport. (The long construction period was a result of project challenges, including geological and legal issues.) Swimming is prohibited in the chilly waters of the Kinder Reservoir – although in April 2022 around 400 people participated in a “mass swimming trespass” – 50 years to to the day after the Kinder Scout mass trespass.
The trail continues along the reservoir to its northern end, where it passes a small bridge over one of the reservoir’s feeder streams. The bridge is also the junction of two routes; you can cross the bridge to complete a loop around Kinder Reservoir, or continue up along the stream to the Kinder Scout plateau.
The path now starts to climb a lot more steeply up as it follows the stream up the narrow William Clough valley.
A few sheep dot the verdant landscape; it seems odd that sheep are permitted to graze in national parks and nature reserves (especially in the catchment area of a water reservoir) – but they are considered integral to the landscape.
As the trail reaches the Kinder Scout plateau, there are some nice views back down towards the Kinder Reservoir.
The trail meets the Pennine Way which traverses the Kinder Scout plateau; I’m going to head east along this popular long-distance trail. But first I turn left and head west towards Bleaklow for a short distance. (And not because I was navigationally confused, as those who know me well are probably thinking!)
The Pennine Way ascends gently over Mill Hill before it veers to the right, while I continue going straight ahead.
To the west is the the skyline of Manchester city.
My destination is the remains of USAAF B-24J Liberator aircraft which struck the hillside in bad weather during a delivery flight on 11 October 1944 – both crew members (Sgt Najvar and 2 Lt Houpt) survived the crash. At least 15 planes and helicopters have crashed on Kinder Scout – 13 of these between 1937 and 1954 – many of the accidents being attributed to the notoriously changeable weather of the Peak District’s moorland.
From here I retrace my steps back over Mill Hill, with Sandy Heys rising above Kinder Scout ahead of me. Apparently Sandy Heys is one of 19 holy mountains identified by the Aetherius Society, a worldwide spiritual movement founded in the 1950s by London cabbie George King: “In a mission called Operation Starlight, Dr George King was used as a channel to place a powerful charge of Cosmic Energy into 18 of 19 mountains around the world.”
The Pennine Way starts to ascend more steeply; there’s a nice view of the Pennine Way traversing Mill Hill below, and branching off to left is the trail down to Kinder Reservoir. From the top of Sandy Heys is a view of the Kinder Reservoir.
I’m always keen to avoid the well-trodden trails, so rather than continuing along the Pennine Way I take a rough trail that follows “The Edge”, a somewhat unimaginative name for the edge of the elevated plateau.
This turns out to be the most interesting and enjoyable part of the hike, although it strays a little from the official Kinder Scout Mass Trespass loop.
I soon reach an interesting rock formation that look a little like oversized molars protruding from the ground, and makes a good spot for a quick break.
The trail continues along The Edge for quite a bit further, but I need to make my way “inland” back to the Pennine Way.
My map shows a trail heading south; the reality is more of a goat-track that peters out from time to time, although you don’t really need a trail. What I wasn’t expecting as I make my way across the moor was a trig point to appear in front of me. Exciting times 🙂 I later discover that this is The Edge trig point, one of three trigs on Kinder Scout.
Just after passing The Edge trig I’m back on the Pennine Way, which now follows the southern edge of the Kinder Scout plateau.
There are some great views from the Pennine Way as it heads towards the Kinder Downfall. To to right are the Cluther Rocks, where roadside millstones were once quarried.
While the Kinder Downfall is a “famous and impressive waterfall”, it’s a lot more impressive after rain. Today there’s just a trickle of water dropping over the cliffs.
The Pennine Way continues along the edge of the plateau, offering continued views to the west towards the Kinder Reservoir.
The highest point of the Pennine Way is the Kinder Low trig at 633m: it’s not the highest point on Kinder Scout – but it is the highest of the three trig points.
To get to the “true summit” of Kinder Scout I take a somewhat soggy and minor trail that goes in a north-easterly direction. It’s about a kilometre of not-very-pleasant hiking to reach three stones piled on top of each other. At 636m – a full three metres higher than the Kinder Low trig – this is the peak of Kinder Scout.
Rather than re-tracing my steps, I figure my shoes can’t really get any muddier if just take a southerly bearing and head across the moor directly towards the Woolpacks rock formation.
From the Woolpacks a good trail heads back up to the Kinder Low trig, completing my short and rather pointless Kinder Scout Summit loop.
The last part of the Kinder Scout mass trespass loop from Kinder Low is the descent down from the plateau back to Hayfield via Kinderlow End. It’s initially a very gradual descent along a wide ridge…
… which get much steeper after about a kilometre (from the Kinder Low trig).
At the base of Kinderlow End is the official trailhead for this route up to Kinder Scout.
The trail now passes through multiple fields as it continues to descend.
The final kilometre follows a country lane along the River Sett before finishing at the Bowden Bridge.
This is one of many hikes you can do around Kinder Scout (although I wouldn’t recommend the side-trip to the Kinder Scout summit). I preferred this loop over a similar one a few days ago which ascended to Kinder Scout via Jacobs Ladder, although both hikes offer nice views and interesting rock formations.
Getting to Kinder Scout from Hayfield
There are many routes up to the Kinder Scout plateau and the Kinder Low trig; the traditional Kinder Scout mass trespass route starts from Hayfield. A large carpark near the Bowden Bridge (the Bowden Bridge Car Park) near the end of Kinder Road was originally a quarry, and was where the ramblers met and were addressed by 20-year-old Benny Rothman (Lancashire secretary of the British Workers’ Sports Federation) before setting off towards William Clough.
The car park requires a fee, but unlike many other trailheads there is ample (fee) parking along Kinder Road just before the official car park and bridge. Don’t drive further along Kinder Road as there is no parking. Bowden Bridge is about 20 miles (45min drive) from Manchester.
More information
- The Guardian – The right to swim: mass trespass of Kinder reservoir planned
- BBC News – Kinder Scout trespass: How mass action 90 years ago won ramblers roaming rights
- National Trust – Kinder Scout mass trespass walk
- Aircrash sites – USAAF B24J Liberator 42-52003
- The Aetherius Society – Pilgrimages to holy mountains
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