Bowden Bridge Car Park - Farlands - Cluther Rocks (Dog Stone) - Red Brook (Post Box) - Kinder Downfall - Baby Face Stone - Kinder Gates - Fairbrook Naze & Bothy - Boxing Glove Stones - Turtle Rock - Ashop - Aircraft Crash Site - Sandy Heys - Kinder Reservoir - Booth Farm - Hill Houses - Bowden Packhorse Bridge - Bowden Bridge Car Park

After a short stop and admiring the lovely view back to Kinder Reservoir we carried on up to the Kinder Edge path. Shortly after gaining access to the path we came across our second “secret” of the day - one of the 4 Post Boxes around Kinder Scout at Red Brook. The post boxes are not the traditional red box that you may normal see but are in fact are small boxes or tins containing a book, a stamp and various other bits and bobs. The idea is that you write a message in the book and then if you had your own book you would stamp that and then move on to the next post box.

After looking at the “post box” we move on to arrive at Kinder Downfall. I could not believe it – once again the flow of the waterfall was going upwards – just the same as I saw it on a walk last year. It must be something to do with the wind and the location of the rocks. While at Kinder Downfall we also saw a cave which could easily house several people. It certainly would be very good for sheltering out of any adverse weather conditions. The walk then continued to Kinder Gates. As we left Kinder Downfall one of the walkers in our party had a problem with their boots. The sole of one of their boots almost fell off!! This was temporarily repaired by a cord out of one of the Rangers rucksacks. At this point we had lost a few walkers who went back with 2 of the Rangers. This meant we were left with 2 Rangers and the majority of our group to cross the Kinder plateau. Just before arriving at Kinder Gates there is a Stone on the right hand side called the Baby Face Stone. It can only be seen if you turn around the way that you have just come. We had our lunch break at Kinder Gates.

After being fed and watered we picked our way across the groughs and hags of the Kinder plateau towards Fairbrook Naze. It was not as boggy today (although there were some slippy areas at times) and in fact the peak was quite springy in places. While crossing we saw 2 hares. We soon arrived at the top of Fair Brook without any problems. There is a bothy in the rocks at this point. Across the valley (on Seal Edge) is the Chinese Wall. We continued to Fairbrook Naze where there were excellent views across Black Ashop Moor.
The next section of the walk took us across the northern edges of Kinder Scout. Places of interest along this path are the Boxing Glove Stones and the Turtle Rock.

Eventually we left the main path to ascend to an aircraft crash site near Ashop. The aircraft wreakage was from two RAF Sabre F.Mk 4s XD707 & XD730 from 66 Squadron which crashed on 22nd July 1954 while on exercise from Linton on Ouse. Flying Officer Jim Horne and Flight Lieutenant Alan Green descended through low cloud to check ground position. It is thought that they collided whilst climbing to fly above Kinder Scout. Both aircraft clipped the top of the hill above Kinder Reservoir and spilled on to the Ashop Moor side of the hill leaving debris on Kinder Scout and on Black Ashop Moor below. There were no survivors.

We all then continued along the Kinder Edge path (Pennine Way) to Sandy Heys. From here we could see another bothy and Charged Rock with its religious connections. Leaving Sandy Heys we descended steeply down to Kinder Reservoir. Listening carefully we could hear the call of the Curlew. Our return to the start was via Kinder Reservoir, Booth Farm, Hill Houses, and Bowden Bridge which is an old Packhorse Bridge. In the end it was a great days walking with good company. Well done to the National Park Rangers.

Reference Books Used