Bleaklow
![Bleaklow Head is located in the Peak District](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/23/Peak_District_National_Park_UK_relief_location_map.png/200px-Peak_District_National_Park_UK_relief_location_map.png)
![Bleaklow Head](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/3/39/Red_triangle_with_thick_white_border.svg/16px-Red_triangle_with_thick_white_border.svg.png)
![Bleaklow Head is located in Derbyshire](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/87/Derbyshire_UK_relief_location_map.jpg/200px-Derbyshire_UK_relief_location_map.jpg)
![Bleaklow Head](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/3/39/Red_triangle_with_thick_white_border.svg/16px-Red_triangle_with_thick_white_border.svg.png)
Name | Grid ref | Height | Status |
---|---|---|---|
Higher Shelf Stones | SK089948 | 621 m | Nuttall |
Bleaklow Stones | SK116964 | 628 m |
Bleaklow is a high, largely peat-covered, gritstone moorland in the Derbyshire High Peak near the town of Glossop. It is north of Kinder Scout, across the Snake Pass (A57), and south of the A628 Woodhead Pass. Much of it is nearly 2,000 feet (610 m) above sea level and the shallow bowl of Swains Greave on its eastern side is the source of the River Derwent.
Bleaklow Head (633 m), marked by a huge cairn of stones, the high point at the western side of the moor, is a Hewitt and is crossed by the Pennine Way. It is one of three summits on this plateau above 2,000 feet, the others being Bleaklow Stones, some 1.9 miles (3.1 km) to the east along an indefinite ridge, and Higher Shelf Stones, 0.9 miles (1.4 km) south of Bleaklow Head. At 633 metres (2,077 feet), Bleaklow is the second-highest point in Derbyshire and the area includes the most easterly point in the British Isles over 2,000 feet, near Bleaklow Stones.
Description
Much of the main plateau of Bleaklow is a boggy peat moorland, seamed by 'groughs' (pronounced 'gruffs', water-eroded channels in the peat) and lacking strong changes in elevation – in poor conditions its traverse is probably the most navigationally challenging in the Peak District.[2]
Conservation
Bleaklow is part of the National Trust's High Peak Estate. There has been considerable investment of resources in recent years to block many of the eroded peat gulleys as part of major schemes to re-wet and restore healthy Sphagnum moss communities which are essential for peat formation, carbon capture, and reduction in dissolved carbon which contaminates water supplies. Much of this work has been coordinated by the Moors for the Future Partnership, funded by EU LIFE+ programme between 2010 and 2015. This involved laying 52 kilometres (32 mi) of geotextiles to stabilise eroded peat, creating 4,000 mini-dams to retain water, introducing 150,000 moorland plants and spreading 807 million Sphagnum fragments across the whole Bleaklow Project site.[3]
Views
The summit affords views across Manchester, Lancashire and Cheshire to the west and towards the Hope Valley, Holme Moss, Emley Moor and Yorkshire to the east. In exceptional weather conditions it is possible to see Snowdonia in North Wales.[4]
Aircraft crash
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/c3/20171108_Bleaklow_Bomber_1948_Superfortress.jpg/220px-20171108_Bleaklow_Bomber_1948_Superfortress.jpg)
There are a number of aircraft crash sites on Bleaklow.[5] On 3 November 1948, USAF Boeing RB-29A Superfortress 44–61999, of the 16th Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron, 91st Reconnaissance Group, 311th Air Division, Strategic Air Command, crashed at Higher Shelf Stones, Bleaklow (53°27′2.12″N 1°51′54.03″W / 53.4505889°N 1.8650083°W / 53.4505889; -1.8650083), en route from Scampton to Burtonwood. All 13 crew members were killed. A large amount of wreckage of the Bleaklow Bomber is still visible. A memorial was erected at the site in 1988. There is public access to the area.
Gallery
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References
- ^ a b Bleaklow Head at www.hill-bagging.co.uk. Retrieved 11 March 2016
- ^ Pilton, Barry (1986). One Man and his Bog. Corgi Books. p. 26. ISBN 0-552-12796-5.
- ^ "Moors for the Future – MoorLIFE Project Sites – Bleaklow". Archived from the original on 26 September 2015. Retrieved 17 August 2015.
- ^ "Bleaklow". Viewfinder Panoramas.
- ^ Collier, Ron; Wilkinson, Roni (1995). Dark Peak Aircraft Wrecks. Vol. 1 (Revised ed.). Wharncliffe Books. ISBN 0850524571.
External links
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/4/4a/Commons-logo.svg/30px-Commons-logo.svg.png)
- Peak District Information - Bleaklow [1]
- Computer-generated summit panorama Bleaklow index
- v
- t
- e
- Black Hill
- The Cloud
- Gun
- Kinder Scout
- Shining Tor
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/53/Mamtor-valley.jpg/100px-Mamtor-valley.jpg)
- Abney Low
- Aleck Low
- Allman Well Hill
- Alport Height
- Axe Edge Moor
- Back Tor
- Beeley Moor
- Big Moor
- Birchen Edge
- Blacka Moor
- Black Chew Head
- Black Edge
- Blake Low
- Blakelow Hill
- Bleaklow
- Bole Hill
- Bolehill
- Bosley Minn
- Britland Edge Hill
- Brittain's Plantation
- Brown Knoll
- Bunster Hill
- Burbage Edge
- Burton Bole End
- Calver Peak
- Cheeks Hill
- Chinley Churn
- Chrome Hill
- The Cloud
- Combs Moss
- Corbar Hill
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- Crook Hill
- Dead Edge End
- Derwent Edge
- Durham Edge
- Eccles Pike
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- Eldon Hill
- Emlin
- Eyam Moor - Sir William Hill
- Featherbed Moss
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- Fin Cop
- Froggatt Edge
- Gardom's Edge
- Gautries Hill
- Gibraltar Rocks
- Gratton Hill
- Great Ridge
- Grindslow Knoll
- Grin Low
- Gun
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- Hare Edge Hill
- Harridge Pike
- Hartcliff Hill
- Haven Hill
- Hawks Low
- The Height
- Heights of Abraham
- Higger Tor
- High Edge
- High Field
- High Low
- Hollins Hill
- High Neb
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- Higher Shelf Stones
- Hollins Cross
- Houndkirk Hill
- Lantern Pike
- Lees Moor
- Longstone Moor
- Lord's Seat
- Lose Hill
- Lost Lad
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- Middleton Moor
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- Mount Famine
- Nelson's Monument
- Ossoms Hill
- Parkhouse Hill
- Pike Low
- Pikenaze Hill
- The Roaches
- Rock Hall
- Rushup Edge
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- Shutlingsloe
- Slipper Low
- Snailsden Pike End
- Snels Low
- South Head
- Sponds Hill
- Stanage Edge
- Stanton Moor
- Tegg's Nose
- Thorpe Cloud
- Totley Moor
- Ughill Height
- Wardlow Hay Cop
- West Nab
- Wetton Hill
- Whaley Moor
- Wibben Hill
- Wild Bank
- Win Hill
- Windgather Rocks
- Wire Stone
- Wolfscote Hill