This Peak District plane crash site features in the excellent latest Rivers of London novel, “Amongst Our Weapons” by Ben Aaronovitch. It crossed my Instagram feed a week or so ago, and then after I started planning the walk I saw Manchester Finest had written up a walk, Bleaklow: Downed Warplanes, UFO Moorlands, and a Spot of Cake, that included this site only a few weeks back. Clearly I am in tune with the zeitgeist.
For me, the crash site was an opportunity to tempt my boy out onto a walk with me… and the hook worked. We had a lovely hike, about the right length for him, with plenty of time to picnic, poke things, and take it easy.
The route we followed was from Peak District Walks “Higher Shelf Stones Short Walk (+ Bleaklow Plane Crash Site) | 4-Mile Route“, thanks Becky.
Download file for GPS…and now onto photos of the walk, many featuring The Boy.
From the first section, along Devil’s Dike to Hern Clough:
A lovely lunch spot by a pool in Hern Clough:
The crash site itself:
Here lies the wreckage of B-29 Superfortress “Overexposed” of the 16th Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron USAF. Which tragically crashed whilst descending through cloud on 3rd November 1948 killing all 13 crewmembers. The aircraft was on a routine flight from RAF Scampton to American AFB Burtonwood.
It is doubtful the crew ever saw the ground.
Memorial laid by 367 Air Navigation Course of RAF Finningley on 12th November 1988.
I believe from reading around, that the wreckage on this site is more complete than many other sites. Wandering around it’s easy to identify parts of the plane.
Onwards to Higher Shelf Stones and a mob of rams:
And finally the loop back to the Pennine Trail and the car on Snake Pass:
