March 6, 2024.
OLD GLOSSOP, SHELF MOOR, HIGHER SHELF STONE, PLANE WRECKAGE SITE, GLOSSOP LOW, COCK HILL, THE QUEENS AT OLD GLOSSOP
Distance: 9.5 miles.
Difficulty: Strenuous.
Weather: Mild with blue skies and sunshine.
Walkers: Peter Beal, Andy Blease, Mike Cassini, Colin Davison, Mark Gibby, Alan Hart, Julian Ross, Keith Welsh, Simon Williams, Cliff Worthington.
Apologies: Alastair Cairns (Daisy poorly), Tom Cunliffe (hamstring still sore), Mark Enright (w^*king), Jim Riley (celebrating birthday), Dean Taylor and Dave Willetts (attending funeral)
Leader: Davison. Diarist: Hart.
Starting point: Far end of Shepley Street, Old Glossop SK13 7SG.
Starting time: 9.52am. Finishing time: 2.48pm.
After a six-week absence your diarist was hoping to ease his way back into Wednesday wanderings. Mark also returned after two months convalescence with the same desire. However we were thrown straight into the metaphorical deep end with one of our more challenging routes.
On a mild March morning of blue skies, sunshine and fluffy white clouds, conditions were perfect for such a tough journey. Peter, another recently-recovered invalid, announced at the outset that he might not complete the course. In the end we all crossed the finishing line after a punishing test of our fortitude. We were uninjured and finished like exhausted but relieved marathon runners feeling rather pleased with ourselves.
It is extraordinary to recall that back in December Tom suggested we might choose a short flat route so that fragile Colin could be tempted back into the fold. Six years ago he had dropped out of our main group on the basis that we walked too far, too quickly and too high. Yet here he was a few weeks after his comeback leading us on such a relentless climb.
One can only wonder whether he has paid a secret visit to Lourdes.
Apart from the open moorland we walked through the strewn wreckage of a military plane which crashed on Shelf Moor in 1948 with the loss of all 11 crew members. On a cheerier note we also spotted a mountain hare near the summit. As a further bonus Mark treated the five of us who called in The Queens to a double round of drinks to celebrate both his 62nd birthday and the birth of his first grandchild Rosemary. Double congratulations, Mark.
From the end of Shepley Street and its turning circle we followed a footpath uphill, soon reaching a brook below on our right. This was the start of a steady climb which lasted 103 minutes and took us all the way to the Trig Point at Higher Shelf Stones. This stands 621 metres above sea level.
On our way we went straight ahead through a metal gate (8mins) and crossed a wooden stile (80mins) before continuing up Shelf Moor until we reached the Trig Point (103mins) at Higher Shelf Stones. This provided a photo opportunity.
Here we stopped for Pietime and were grateful when Mike distributed squares of his home-made flapjack. Is there no end to this man's talent ?
By turning diagonally left after the TP we were able to follow a path leading to the wreckage of an historic aeroplane (109mins).
This Boeing B-29 Superfortress had been built originally as a bomber but had been modified to become a reconnaissance aircraft within the 311th Air Division of the USAAF. On November 3, 1948, it was on a routine flight from RAF Scampton in Lincolnshire for the allied airbase at Burtonwood, near Warrington.
In low cloud it failed to clear the summit and crashed on Shelf Moor at 610metres (11 metres below the peak). The plane burst into flames and all 11 American crewmen were killed.
The aircraft was carrying $7,400 in wages which were recovered from the wreckage by US Military Police.
The plane, nicknamed Overexposed, had taken photos during testing of the atomic bomb at Bikini Atoll and landed supplies during The Berlin Airlift earlier in 1948.
During the course of World War 11 six military planes crashed on these hills and 21 crew members were killed. The deaths in this Superfortress after the war was the heaviest single toll of casualties on the wider area known as Bleaklow Moor.
From the wreckage we yomped across moorland following Colin until we reached a pathway across us where we turned left (125mins). The path became flagged with square stones (132mins) and where they petered out we took the right fork to pick them up again (135mins) and continued.
This brought us to a giant cairn surrounding a pole at Bleaklow Head where Colin took another group photograph (154mins)
Andy, Mike, Cliff, Simon, Alan, Julian, Keith, Mark and Peter
Beyond the cairn we turned left along a path which took us across a stream by stepping stones up to a yellow arrow where we turned right (188mins). Shortly after we turned left following a path across Glossop Low and stopped for lunch at an unroofed ruin (227mins)
We then headed left downhill to Cock Hill (236mins). From here the route was downhill and the paths were easy to follow apart from one fork where we went right to reach the track which brought us back to Old Glossop, turning left into Shepley Street with The Queens on our right and returning to our cars to de-boot (277mins). We had been walking for nearly five hours without a pint so the Wainwrights' cask bitter in The Queens went down smoothly and quickly.
Next week's walk will start at 9.45am from the layby next to Ridgegate Reservoir near Leather's Smithy pub on Clarke Lane, Sutton, Macclesfield SK11 0NE. We plan to head through Macclefield Forest to Shutlingsloe, passing The Crag Inn and The Hanging Gate on the way to The Ryles Arms, Hollin Lane, Sutton SK11 0NN for a livener around 12.30pm, finishing back at Leather's Smithy at about 2.15pm.
Happy wandering !
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