Trek that takes you to Second World War plane crash site frozen in time
THE Peak District holds many secrets and mysteries, but a wellpreserved wreckage of a Second World War plane might not be most people’s first guess.
Perhaps a stunning waterfall or the hidden remains of a once-grand castle come to mind, but located high on the moors near Glossop is something even more intriguing - a crash site from the late 1940s.
The battered landmark is the so-called Bleaklow Bomber, which contradictory to its name had been modified to be a reconnaissance plane prior to its sad fate.
Originally flown under the name Over Exposed, the aircraft crashed near Higher Shelf Stones on
Bleaklow in 1948, killing all of the 13 people on board.
The moorland plateau is located near Snake Pass and is a favourite with tourists in the know about the wreckage.
From Snake Pass, a lovely quieter route along a path awaits you over the moorlands as you make your way up to the crest of the surrounding hills before visiting the B-29 Superfortress crash site.
Although the walk is only around four miles, the route takes you to one of the higher spots in the Peak District meaning weather conditions can vary, with sometimes poor visibility – so come prepared.
The trail doesn’t take you right to the crash site but anyone who veers slightly off the path will be greeted by slabs of the debris, with many recognisable pieces of the plane scattered across the ground.
It is awe-inspiring how well preserved the ruins are - from a plane turbine to a portion of the body of the aircraft, it is baffling that this tragic event happened more than 70 years ago.
The only sign of human interaction is the number of wooden tribute crosses scattered across the monument and a memorial plaque installed at the site in 1988.
The aircraft was on a routine daytime flight from an RAF base in Lincoln to a US Air Force base near
Warrington.
Due to bad weather conditions, specifically low, thick cloud, visibility was very poor so the pilot of the plane was flying by instruments.
The crew believed they had cleared the high hills in the peaks, and began their descent.
At around 11am on November 3, 1948, the aircraft hit the ground 300 metres off of the summit of Higher Shelf Stones.
Engulfed in flames, the entire crew and the two passengers on board perished in the tragic accident.
In total there have been eight different military air crashes on the Bleaklow moors, claiming 36 lives.