On our wander around Llandegley Rocks, we agreed we should
try for another day out soon, if we could get another dry day - a couple of days later, my friend suggested "...something around Kinder?" describing a route he'd found in the
AA's 1001 Walks in Britain.
"Looks good - let's do it".

75 years ago - on 24 April 1932, to be precise - the now
famous mass trespass on Kinder Scout took place, to highlight the
injustice of exclusion from such areas. The action, and its aftermath, led
in part to the formation of the National Parks, and more recently the
"Right to Roam" on mapped areas of uncultivated, open countryside -
mountain, moor, heath, down and registered common land. In the meantime,
most of the land in question has passed from private ownership to the
National Trust.

Our walk started at Bowden Bridge car park - formed on the
site of the quarry where the trespass began - and followed its route
beside Kinder reservoir, then up William Clough to Ashop Head, where we
would join the route of the Pennine Way.


We've climbed the best part of 1,000' here - all that
remains is a short ascent to the edge of the summit plateau. Kinder Scout
marks the highest point in the Peak District - but anything less like a peak
is hard to imagine! The edge is very fine walking territory though, with
interesting gritstone formations and extensive views to the west. On this
clear afternoon, we could just make out the hills of the Clwydian range in
north Wales, perhaps 60 miles distant (not to mention much of Greater
Manchester...).

The highlight of the edge is undoubtedly the "Downfall" -
the point where the river Kinder, having made its sluggish way across the
black porridge of the plateau, makes a sudden bid for freedom - an
attempt which, today, was largely in vain - the strong westerly breeze
taking the water straight back up onto the plateau in a streamer of
smoke-like spray.

We had started out heading north-east, then followed the
edge south-easterly to Kinder Downfall. We would now take another 90°
turn, continuing along the edge in a south-westerly direction as far as
Red Brook (a mere trickle -
there may be severe flooding in the southern midlands, but up here there
was very little evidence of recent rainfall). Here a little-used path
contours gently downwards to the edge of open country, below Kinderlow End, and
continues through grassy fields to Tunstead Clough Farm. A surfaced road
then leads the short distance back to the car park.