Hayfield - William Clough - Kinder Scout - Hayfield

Sam Roebuck

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The walk starts just outside Hayfield at Bowden Bridge Car Park which (when a quarry) saw the start of the first-ever mass trespass in 1932. It follows the route of the mass trespass up William Clough to join the Pennine Way.

The walk then ascends the steep north-western tip of Kinder Scout and follows the entire western edge of the plateau, passing Kinder Downfall.

Once the Kinder Low trig point is reached, the walk leaves the Pennine Way, to pick up an unmarked but very distinct footpath along the outcrop of Kinderlow End. This footpath descends very steeply at first and then leads through pastureland back to a quiet lane, which in turn leads back to Bowden Bridge Car Park.

Conditions underfoot will be rocky and are very likely to be muddy in places. Also be aware that the weather on Kinder Scout will almost certainly be much colder and windier than at the start and can change very quickly, so come prepared.

England - Central England - Derbyshire - Peak District

Features

Great Views, Hills or Fells, Moor, Waterfall

2/5/2021 - Simon Worrall

Walked February 2021. Splendid, demanding, walk which took 5hrs 15 mins including stops for coffee, lunch and to take in the views. GPS clocked distance at 8.6 miles. Clear walking instructions and generally well trodden footpaths so no issues with navigation. Super views from Kinder Scout on a clear day but at over 2,000 ft ASL we suddenly encountered dense low cloud at the trig point at Kinder Low. NOTE - the narrow and often rocky footpath up William Clough criss-crosses the stream five or six times and as noted in the walk instructions can become indistinct in places but generally follows the lower levels of the clough's stream up to the stone steps mentioned in the WP6 narrative.

7/31/2014 - Valerie Monaghan

Did this walk on 28/7/2014, a day when the weather and views were excellent. Not an easy walk (best done in good conditions), but very rewarding in terms of the scenery and the satisfaction on completion! No navigational problems. Steep steps down at Point 9 were the worst bit. Although the walk details say 9.3 miles, it registered just over 8 miles on my GPS.

3/11/2014 - Norman Brannick

Completed this walk on the 11th March 2014. What a fantastic walk, it was strenuous as Sam Roebuck stated but it was well worth the effort. The views are magnificent. The directions and map were spot on so too was the timing. One thing I would mention though: The pay and display machines at Bowdon Bridge car park only operate from 10am, the cost is £4.50 for the day. I arrived at 8am to find the pay & display machine would not accept any coins, so had to find somewhere in the village to park my car...

3/6/2008 - Kevin Mulligan

Fantastic scenery all along the route - be aware that the small wooden marker post mentioned at waypoint 8 was not in-situ when route walked on 6/3/08 but the track can be located with little difficulty.

Text amended to suit - Ed.