High Peak Walks

Guidebook of high peak walks in the Peak District. The northern part of Mark Richards' Peak District “trilogy” covers the area north of Edale. 20 day-long circular walks and one linear challenge walk. Based around Black Hill, Bleaklow, the Eastern Edges, Kinder Scout and the western moorlands.

Walk 14 Kinder Downfall from the Sett Valley

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Distance: 6 ¾ miles

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The Walk
This advance is deemed to start form the Bowden Bridge car park near the confluence of the rivers Kinder and Sett, though this parking facility is notoriously quick to fill on any fine weekend - forcing many visitors to resort to the larger car park in the village of Hayfield.

This old quarry featured in the famous Mass Trespass on Kinder in 1932 (see memorial plaque on quarry wall). Follow the minor road from Bowden Bridge beside the River Sett leading up to Tunstead Clough Farm, passing round the farm buildings as the farmer’s waymarks bid.

Originally this farm served as a staging post on the packhorse trade route from Lancashire and Cheshire over into Edale bound for the Yorkshire markets. Proceed uphill on the farm track then swing right locating three kissing gates on to the recently cultivated Harry Moor. Follow the wall uphill to a ladder stile continuing to the cross-path beneath the steep rise of Kinderlow End. From the gate posts in the broken wall advance upon the rising path on course for the Three Knolls.

The path crosses a depression and mounts well above Cluther Rocks: however the illustrated route slants across to explore the Rocks seeking the few partially hewn millstones that rest among the confusion of boulders. The long ascent to the Edge concludes at the rocky head of Red Brook (here joining the Pennine Way alternative), running along the increasingly impressive Edge to Kinder Downfall. The Downfall is a monumental and profound ravine; unrivalled in the High Peak and fully deserving its popular appeal, indeed it is the focus of the overwhelming majority of expeditions upon Kinder Downfall. Whilst Kinder Scout may rise abruptly from Edale to establish the highest ground in all Peakland there is hardly a summit worthy of the name. Instead walkers turn their peak-bagging instincts across (or round) the expansive plateau to gather in gregarious profusion about this perilious Edge, consuming sandwiches and chocolate bars, then make tracks for the valley well satisfied with this less orthodox accomplishment.

The strong westerly gales that frequently bombard and besiege this plateau Edge have a knack of raising the overspilling moorland stream into a plume of spray, depositing it far back upon the rocks and ,of course, upon any hapless soul unwary of this eventuality - watch out for those sudden up-draughts!

There are several exciting viewpoints from which to admire......