If you've ever fancied adding a fresh dimension to your hill walking then maybe you should consider aircraft wreck sites. These eerie monuments of disaster are littered all over the Peak District and are quite exciting to walk to and pay ones respects to. They test your compass and mapping skills because of- course aircraft do not for our benefit land close to footpaths. The low cloud of the Peak district has caused many an aircraft (mostly from World War Two) to play dice with the Pennines. Every wreck site has its own stor y such as the American bomber near Bleaklow pictured below that crashed tragically on its last mission before the crew were due to return home to the USA. Low cloud (as is so often the case) is generally blamed and it is believed that the crew (who sadly died in the crash) never even saw the approaching ground. Kind hearted walkers often place poppies here and the area which is still littered with aircraft parts has an eerie quality especially with a whistling wind and a swirling ground mist as in the picture. After walking some distance on a compass bearing, not knowing for sure if you will find the site you are after or if there is anything there if you find it, it is a triumphant feeling as you approach pieces of the wreckage and budding photographers have themselves a field day. It is quite fascinating to discover items like spitfire, Lancaster parts etc at these crash sites. While some wreck sites have little or no reminders that an aircraft ever crashed there, others are almost as they were at the time just after the crash . It is often argued as to whether it is dis-respectful or not to remove a piece of wreckage. Personally I prefer to leave things be, not only as respect for the aircraft occupants (whether they survived or not) but as a cour tesy to other walkers who visit the site after me. As well as that I don't relish walking back with heavy lumps of metal thank you very much, although judging by the occasional disappearance of wreckage items, some people do!
Try This One
There are literally hundreds of aircraft wreck sites on the Peaks and I won't list them all here (there are publications solely dedicated to that) but here is the position and easiest directions to the American bomber mentioned in this one. The crash site is upon a summit on Shelf Moor and is approximately a 6 mile walk (there and back) and although the first part of the walk along the Pennine Way is relatively easy the rest is more laborious and the last third as you approach the summit on which the wreck site sits is steep and difficult. Having said that, those of you that are used to hill walking will have little difficulty. \par The grid ref of the crash site is 089-929. The best starting point is where the Pennine Way crosses the A57 (grid ref 088-929). You can park your car there or even get off the bus at the bus stop. Head north up the Pennine Way (if you are facing away from Glossop that means to your left) along a good path although the embankments that rise up to your left and right half a mile on spoil any views at first. These get lower furt her on and the hill of which was also visible from your start point comes back into view on your left. When it is exactly 90 degrees on your left, it is time to leave the nice even flag stoned path of the Pennine Way and turn left in the direction of the hill and begin your walk over open moor land. The trick here (if conditions make the hill visible) is to aim slightly right of it which points you along a trench like grough that goes for about half a mile. At the end you come to a small ravine where there are several safe places to cross. If you look to your right here you will see a piece of the bombers engine. How it got there so far from the rest of the wreckage I do not know. On the opposite side of the small ravine narrow paths criss cross in all directions . Use these paths for easy walking, swapping and changing them to keep on a bearing that takes you up the steep slope that is ahead of you. This last part of the journey is your only really uphill challenge and is not a long one. Once at the top, keep on the same bearing and you will be rewarded with your first glimpse of the bright silver wreckage of the American bomber. The deep entrenchment that you are now walking in towards the wreckage was made as the aircraft plummeted through the peat. As well as many interesting pieces of aircraft there is also a plaque with information about the aircraft, the crew and the crash. There is also a trig point to touch that marks the absolute summit and the view from here is worth the walk on its own and is a good spot for lunch. The route back is the same as you took to get there, but easier with no uphill walking at all.
Once back at your car you can ponder as to whether you have become a wreck site nut. If you have, there are enough wreck sites on the Pennines to keep you happy for years although most are more difficult to locate than the one you have just visited and some will require all your compass skills. It's fun, challenging with something a little special at your journeys end. Enjoy but please remember that many wreck sites are unofficial memorials to the dead and should be treated with the respect expected of such.

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