Get Lost Mountaineering

Kinder Low End, Kinder Low, Kinder Scout, Pym Chair, Woolpacks, Winnie the Pooh, Brown Knoll & South Head

from Hayfield campsite or Bowden Bridge car park

Start/Finish

Hayfield campsite or Bowden Bridge car park. If coming from the south or east, take the A619 from Chesterfield to Baslow before picking up the A623 signed for Manchester. Those approaching from Buxton, on the A6, will meet this route at a roundabout just before Chapel-en-leFrith. Soon after, take the A624 signed for Glossop. Continue on this road until the right turn into Hayfield village is reached. Turn in then go left and pass the church before crossing the river then follow the road on the N side of the river until past the Sportsman pub. Soon after there is a right turn, over a bridge, for the campsite. There are public toilets just across this bridge. The Bowden Bridge car park is a little further along the road after this turning. Those approaching from Glossop should fork left on the one way street into the village until the above route is joined. There are a few signs in the village for the campsite which may help.

Distance/Time

16 km      About 6 -7 hours

Peaks

Kinder Low, 633 m, SK 079 870.

Kinder Scout 1, 636 m, SK 084(62) 875(37)

Kinder Scout 2, 636 m, SK 086(22) 875(49)

Brown Knoll, 569 m, SK 083 851.

South Head, 494 m, SK 061 845.

Mount Famine, c 470 m, SK 056 849.

OS Outdoor Leisure 1: Dark Peak. OS 110 (1:50 000).

Introduction

This is a lovely walk but the section from Kinder Low to Kinder Scout then to Pym Chair is over boggy peaty ground so is best tackled either when the ground is frozen hard or when it has been baked dry by the summer sun. The campsite at Hayfield is very pleasant and well equipped. It is owned by the Camping and Caravanning Club. The rates for members, about £7 less per night, are very much below those for non-members. It may be worth joining as it only takes about six nights to break even. The path up the steep section of Kinder Low End has been constructed and is one of the finest paths in the Peak District. It knocks spots off the over romanticised Jacob's Ladder. Finding Kinder Scout will need a compass bearing or GPS as the small cairn is not visible until quite close.

Route

(1) From the bridge by the public toilets, turn left (camp site is right) and walk up the minor road with the river on the left. Soon the river is on the right. Keep going ahead at junctions, aiming for Tunstead House which is signposted. Walk up the track which goes around the right hand side of the buildings before heading E up a green lane. Follow this, shadowing a wall on the right, crossing stiles and passing through gates. Finally cross the wall on the right near to the National Trust sign, just past the wall. Walk up the side of the same wall, soon passing through another gate, before a path goes off to the right aiming for the obvious nose of Kinder Low End. A lovely engineered path takes over for the steep section. When the path levels out, continue. It soon becomes a slabbed path. Ignore another slabbed path going off right but remember it for later. Soon some cairns appear. Follow them until a very large cairn is reached. Turn right here and within 40 m, reach the trig point of Kinder Low, 633 m which stands on a boulder.

(2) Take a bearing for Kinder Scout and try to follow it although some detours will be necessary because of the ground. It is about 500 m to the small cairn, with a pole in it on 9/7/13, which may mark the highest point of Kinder Scout, 636 m although the slightly larger all stone cairn about 300 m further may well be the true high point. Both seem about the same height on the ground but the second one more closely matches the “official” location of the highest point. For this reason the ten figure grid references (correct to within 5 m) are given as taken at the cairns. The distinctive outcrop of Pym Chair can be seen almost due S of the second cairn.

(3) Walk to Pym Chair which is a solitary wind shaped boulder not far from a large outcrop. Pick up the path heading E and follow it down into a hollow of wind shaped rocks. At about the lowest point there is a tallish rock on a boulder plinth. From its NE side this resembles the outline of Winnie the Pooh for which the ten figure grid reference of an adjacent boulder is SK 09105 86996. From here walk back along the main path, ascending to Kinder Low trig point then to the large cairn then retrace towards Kinder Low End. When on the slabbed path, turn off left on the slabbed path ignored on the ascent and follow this to the right of a grassy mound with rocks below. The slabs end about here but the path continues, with a wall on its right, and descends to a main path at a gate. Turn right here and look right into a recessed section of wall because that is where the medieval Edale Cross sits, with a notice next to it. Many people walk past without knowing the cross is there. Turn around and walk E on the main path which dips then climbs again. Just before the Pennine Way sign (left and ahead) go right on a slabbed path which curves around to the S. Ascend to about the highest point on the slabbed path then cross a stile. An obvious shallow peaty, muddy gully leads up to the trig point of Brown Knoll, 589 m. The ground to the right of this shallow gully is often better for walking. In wet weather, the trig point is surrounded by bog and walking poles are needed to locate hidden “stepping stones”.

(4) Retrace to the stile or take a more direct line and follow the slabbed path across the NW flank of Brown Knoll. Pass hill 489 and continue, following a wall. The slabbed path will run out at some stage but the wall is still there as a guide. The path eventually goes through a gap in the wall and reaches a main path. Cross this and follow the fainter grassy path up to the medium cairn of South Head, 494 m.

(5) Descend, on a faint path, roughly W to rejoin the main path recently crossed. Follow this for a short distance before turning right up a rough grassy track. This soon becomes a path and leads up on to Mount Famine, 470 m, where there is no cairn. Continue on the path which leaves the wall to follow the edge before coming back to the wall later on. Descend, with a short steep section, crossing a high stile at some stage. Soon reach a track coming down from a gate in the wall and follow this track which is above Coldwell Clough. The road should soon be seen below but do not take the track forking right which leads to a tarmac track which leads to the road. Instead continue ahead, forking left through a diamond crossroads of paths and follow this past a house from where the camp site will be seen. Soon a crossroads of signed paths is reached. Turn right, either over the stile or through the gate, then walk down some steps to emerge in the campsite. If returning to Bowden Bridge car park, cross the camp site drive then soon turn right, by the river, signed back to Bowden Bridge.

Notes

(a) This walk took place on 9^th July, 2013.

(b) If it is likely to be boggy on the Kinder plateau the section to Kinder Scout, Pym Chair and Winnie the Pooh can be missed out. This reduces the distance by about 3 km and the time by about an hour.

(c) When returning from Winnie the Pooh, the section to Kinder Low can be missed out by taking the path which goes off to the left. This soon joins the Pennine Way and leads to the Pennine Way sign near the top of Jacob's ladder. Go straight across at the sign to pick up the slabbed path heading for Brown Knoll. This reduces the distance by about 600 m and the time by about 20 minutes.