Words & Photos Jerry Rawson

December 03 2009

To the south-west of Kinder Scout lies Chinley, with its good rail links to Manchester and Sheffield and, for walkers especially, between Chinley and Edale. This link means you can enjoy a linear walk taking in the tilted escarpment of Cracken Edge, Brown Knoll and Kinder Scout before a short train journey back to the starting point.

On a pleasantly warm day I ambled past extensive spoil heaps before climbing steeply up a rocky breach to the quarry rim at Cracken Edge. The quarrymen have long since gone and the quarry debris is being reclaimed by nature. To the west, pastureland rises to the summit of Chinley Churn, a name supposedly relating to the similarity of the hill’s shape to a milk churn.

It’s easy walking along the rim path then across pastureland to the house known as Peep-O-Day at Chinley Head (the house faces east and has an unusual eye-shaped window over the door to catch the first rays of the early morning sunshine). Once across the A624, a walled track – an old packhorse route linking Hayfield with Tideswell – leads across the southern grassy slopes of Mount Famine towards South Head. A slight detour left and I was soon crossing the narrow summit ridge of Mount Famine which, although only 474m high, offers great views across Kinder Scout.

Back at the track, just beyond South Head, a broad grassy ridge sweeps up left and gives a pleasant climb up to the moorland dome of Brown Knoll before dropping down to the crest of the old packhorse route linking Hayfield with the Vale of Edale. Once known as the Monk’s Road, it’s now the Pennine Way approach to Kinder Scout from Edale (and an escape route via Jacob’s Ladder in bad weather).

No such problems today though and I was soon heading up to the craggy Swine’s Back and the start of the southern edge path along Kinder Scout. Familiar landmarks came and went including the anvil-shaped crag of Noe Stool and the wind-eroded towers of the aptly named Pagoda surrounded in summer by a carpet of bilberry and purple heather. Then I entered one of my favourite areas on Kinder, the jumbled mass of weathered gritstone boulders known as the Wool Packs. I love this place and have spent many happy hours here photographing the eroded boulders and climbing on them. A peaty path weaves a way through the boulders before reaching the impressive rocky outcrop overlooking Crowden Brook.

The edge path contoured round to the rocky head of Grindsbrook Clough, which I followed down to Edale, timing it just right for a welcome drink at the Nag’s Head before a short but relaxing train ride back to Chinley.

Distance: 8 miles/13km Ascent: 1780ft/542m Time: 5-6 hours Start/finish: Station Road, Chinley (GR: SK 039825) Maps: Ordnance Survey 1:25,000 Explorer sheet OL1 (The Dark Peak), Harvey 1:40,000 British Mountain Maps (Dark Peak) Information: Edale TIC, 01433 670207

Technical Spec
From Station Road cross bridge to war memorial. R along Maynestone Road (200m) to path L between two houses. Climb pastureland to lane. Turn R along lane then L along path between two farmhouses to Cracken Edge. Climb up steep rocky breach beside fence to top wall and quarry rim. Head R to Hills Farm access road and A624. L for 150m then R on lane to walled track. Turn R along track then immediately L for Mount Famine. Drop back down to South Head then take path L up broad grassy ridge to Brown Knoll then L down to dip at Edale Cross. Continue up Swine’s Back then R along Kinder’s southern edge path via Wool Packs and head of Crowden Clough to top of Grindsbrook. Descend R to Edale.