And now we return to our scheduled programming...

Sun, 06 Jun 2004 11:20:30 GMT

After wittering on about work and/or IT related stuff for the last few posts, I thought I'd better put something up about the Peak District, lest my enormous regular readership decided to go elsewhere, so here you are :-)

A couple of weeks ago Gary, Simon and myself went for a walk to see the Meteor wrecks on Sliddens Moss that I've previously written about - they'd seen the post and wanted to go see for themselves. After a slightly inauspicious start (Gary couldn't find the car park at Crowden) the weather gods were kind, unlike my previous walk with Gary. We walked up Crowden Little Brook to the waterfall at Meadow Clough, then up to the wrecks. We saw a common lizard on the way up, despite the name they aren't all that common on the moors. After visiting the wreck we wandered over to Crowden Castles for lunch, then down the Pennine Way to Laddow, across to Chew Reservoir before crossing over Mount Skip to Lads Leap, and thence back to the car park at Crowden.


Gary in front of various bits of one of the engines, including the turbine. I suspect these bits have been moved - people have been coming up and carting bits away for years.	It's pretty astonishing just how far the wreckage spread, and there's still a huge gouge in the moor where they hit, even though it is 50 years on. In the grough you can see part of one of the engine cowlings.	Simon with what is left of the tailplane. I believe that years ago this was far more complete, but people still come up and cut hunks off as souvenirs. Holme Moss radio mast is in the background, 740 ft high.

The view down Great Crowden Brook from Crowden Castles - despite the name an entirely natural feature. In the middle distance are Laddow Rocks, the Pennine Way passes over the top and then drops down into Crowden.

Sliddens wreck walk

Sun, 28 Mar 2004 08:10:33 GMT

I've been busy the last couple of weeks, and as a result I've been a bit remiss about posting stuff to my blog - as Bob reminded me yesterday - so I'm making up for it today. A couple of weeks ago I helped out on one of the guided walks arranged by the Ranger Service. We set off from Crowden and headed towards Lad's Leap - well, the main party did, I'd forgotten my boots, had to dash home for them and ended up playing catch up. It wasn't a particularly promising day, and by the time we got to Lad's Leap we were well up into the clag.

We then headed over towards Laddow, and by the time we got there about an hour later the weather had changed beyond recognition. This often happens, and it's one of the reasons why people often get lost in the Dark Peak, as as well as improving as it did here, it can get worse even quicker!

We headed north along the Pennine Way from Laddow, stopping where the path drops down towards Crowden Great Brook for lunch. Straight after lunch we crossed the brook, followed by a sharpish climb up onto Sliddens Moss - just the thing to settle your butties ;-) In the foreground is Crowden Castles, one of the many landslide features found in the Dark Peak. Behind that you can see the edge of the Bleaklow plateau, and in the far distance, Kinder.

One of the selling point of this particular walk was that it included a visit to the site where two meteor jets crashed on 12th April 1951. The lead pilot thought that he was near to Leeds, descended down through cloud to what he though was his airfield and flew into the ground. His wingman followed him into the ground, and the resulting wreckage is spread over about half a mile of moor.

After everyone had their fill of wreckage we headed off Sliddens towards the ruined sheepfold at the confluence of Meadow Clough and Crowden Little Brook, the valley in the foreground. In the background you can see the northern edge of the Bleaklow plateau.

Finally we had a rest and a snack in the sheepfold before heading back to Crowden. That's Bob, doing his best to add to the pollution from Manchester, Sheffield and Leeds. He's also got his GPS out, so I presume he didn't know where we were - right Bob? ;-)

Alan's Ramblings - sliddens moss tag

And now we return to our scheduled programming...

Sliddens wreck walk