Across Kinder Plateau
Stay atop the groughs of the Peak District’s Kinder Scout, and you’ll find unexpected rocks, gates and a downfall.
This is a fabulous route if your navigational and scrambling skills are up to it! There’s a short but sharp Grade 1 scramble in Crowden Clough which is exposed on slabby rocks, but good fun in dry conditions. Then there’s a navigational challenge across a corner of the revitalised Kinder plateau, where much work has gone into restoring the fabulous wetland landscape.
Our route heads somewhat west of the original right of way (the early ‘fair-weather’ Pennine Way route) and is unmarked on OS maps. However, it’s a little easier to navigate and has some helpful rocky remnants of crossing points in the deepest groughs.
Of course, no route across any of Kinder’s interior is easy, so it wants fine settled weather with plenty of visibility. Your micro-navigation skills must be spoton; there is little to guide you, and other braiding paths and pathless sections can be confusing. And if you don’t find the easier grough crossings, you may be in for a very long rough walk!
That said, this route does its best to stay atop the groughs on the plateau. Navigate successfully across, and the memory of the day will be one to cherish!
1
SK108847 Walk up the lane to Upper Booth. After the Crowden Brook bridge, fork right onto a ‘footpath to open country’, running by the brook. Rise to a field edge, cross a footbridge over the stream, then continue up the valley on a rough path which fords the stream several times.
2
SK099868 Stay right on a grassy bank about 10-15m right of the stream
(as the main path veers left and steeply up the valley side). Approaching a large steep headwall, a path on the left bank rises up over steep blocks, then there’s a short but committing scramble over a rock band. (Either head up a stepped corner then right, or on sloping holds more on the face of the band.) Continue upstream to a slabby junction of paths.
3
SK095872 Take a faint but improving path heading roughly north beside the rightmost headwater stream, with PW (Pennine Way!) carved into rocks at the base. The navigational challenge now begins...
4
SK095875 Cross over a headwater that branches to the right, then fork left across the stream on a slabby block. Head north-west across the watershed (reasonably well trodden, but where footsteps fade navigation can be tricky). There’s a few deep boggy sections before you reach a pond damned back with sheet piling and a deeply boggy grough barring your way.
5
SK092878 Don’t
cross this grough; instead follow it right – you are now on the watershed. At a deep V-shaped grough junction, descend into the grough and cross the right channel on small rocks.
Continue down the grough, then climb its right bank by some plastic wetland barriers. Now mostly stay above grough height and always descend downstream into the River Kinder network. Use the rocky infill to cross another deep V grough. Take the drier right channel beyond it, then cross to the left and rise above the grough. across the junction to a well-trodden path. This now heads downstream, passing a large cairn in the stream, then past Kinder Gates (two large outcrops either side of the stream), before opening out into a shallow slabby dale.
7
SK082889 This ends abruptly at Kinder Downfall; head left along the plateau edge path. Cross Red Brook on slabby rocks; the edge becomes vaguer as you head towards Kinder Low’s trig point.
8
SK078873 Fork left by a large cairn, initially towards some wooden poles, then bend right before the poles to another cairn. Cross some slabby rocks then follow a wide path to the trig point.
9
SK079870 Maintain your direction south from the trig point. Pass some blocky boulders on the near horizon, then on to Edale Rocks. Head down a pitched path, then fork right at a large cairn, under a grassy knoll then down stone slabs. Fork right and continue down to a junction by a wooden fence.
10
SK080861 Head right through the gate, then immediately left by a fenceline and over a broad gentle ridge. As this begins to descend, look for a short slabby path leading sharp left and over a fence. This passes a trig point at Brown Knoll summit, then leads to a wooden pole at a junction with the Chapel Gate track. Turn left onto this.
11
SK099834 Where the track bends right, fork left towards Upper Booth, descending steeply through grass. Bend sharp left over the Whitemoor Sitch and a stile, then head diagonally left through grassy fields to Dalehead Barn. Follow the access track back to the road, then turn right to return to the start.