Trespass Trail Celebrating the 75Th Anniversary of the 1932 Mass Trespass on Kinder Scout
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Trespass Trail Celebrating the 75th anniversary of the 1932 Mass Trespass on Kinder Scout by Martin Doughty and Roly Smith £1.00 In the footsteps of the trespassers The 1932 Mass Trespass on Kinder Scout has major catalyst not only for the Right to Roam, been described as the most significant event but the creation of our National Parks, of in the century-old battle for the Right to Roam which the Peak District was the first in 1951. on Britain’s mountains and moorlands, now Now you can follow in the footsteps of the enshrined in law under the 2000 Countryside trespassers by walking the Trespass Trail, a and Rights of Way Act. 14-mile walk starting and finishing at New Although the event was originally opposed by Mills, where there are rail connections from the official ramblers’ federations, the vicious Manchester and Sheffield. The Trail takes in sentences which were handed down on five of most of the important locations which the young trespassers actually served to unite featured in the build up to, and events of, the the ramblers’ cause. It is now recognised as a 1932 Mass Trespass. The walk the path is part of the Midshires (Goyt) Way. There (Numbers refer to points on the map) is mature woodland across the river. From the New Mills Heritage and Information 2. As the path emerges to a more grassy area, Centre (SK 000854) off Rock Mill Lane (behind the you will see a cast iron milestone (SJ991852) bus station), descend into the Torrs Gorge and turn commemorating the opening of the 225-mile right. Midshires Way, which links the Trans-Pennine Trail at Stockport with the Ridgeway in 1. Cross the Millennium Walkway (SJ 999854), an Buckinghamshire. The milestone was unveiled awe-inspiring and award-winning, 160-metre by Benny Rothman (1911-2002), leader of the long, icon to access. This £525,000 walkway, an 1932 Mass Trespass, in 1994. aerial path partly attached to a huge Victorian railway retaining wall and partly supported on Continue walking by the river, which is now giant pillars rising from the river bed, was the county and regional boundary with Cheshire opened in 2000 by Derbyshire County Council to and the North West on the opposite bank. fill the missing link in the valley footpath After passing between the river and a small pond, network. A plaque at the entrance you leave the grassed flood plain through a commemorates Stan Brewster, the County kissing gate and, shortly afterwards, take the Engineer who supervised its construction and steps to your right, climbing through a small who was tragically killed in the London wooded area to the car park and picnic/play area bombings of July, 2005. at Hague Bar. Continue walking by the River Goyt along a wide path Cross the car park, walk up Waterside Road and, until it reaches a tarmac track in an area called after crossing the B6101 Hague Bar Road, climb Mousley Bottom. Cross the track into part of the the steep tarmac track heading north towards Torrs Riverside Park which was reclaimed from the Brookbottom. When the track meets Brookbottom former town gas works. The path takes you to the left Road, divert left for the delightfully-unspoilt Fox of a circular pit which formerly housed a gasholder. Keep right leaving the former gasworks and pass a Inn, otherwise cross onto the stone track which renovated cruck barn on your left, then take the rises up to Shaw Marsh with New Mills Golf Course woodland path left behind the high stone wall to to your right. the rear of the barn. This area is a former landfill At the clubhouse (SJ 994865), turn left on to Castle site now managed as woodland by Derbyshire Edge Road, again heading to the north. At a three- County Council, and now a local nature reserve. way junction where the tarmac runs out, take the The path joins a track coming in from the left just stone track to the right which descends to Mellor before a gate and small brick building. Climb the Road, with the oak and birch woodland of stone stile and follow the path along the river bank. Broadhurst Edge Nature Reserve, managed by the This area is a reclaimed former sewage works and Derbyshire Wildlife Trust, to your left. heading north eastwards to a six-path junction near Blackshaw Farm (SK 025889). From here, it is a short if steep diversion to reach the summit of Lantern Pike (1,224ft/373m), which has been in the hands of the National Trust since 1948. The topograph on the summit commemorates the pioneering Manchester-based access campaigner, Edwin Royce (1880-1946). Back at the path junction near Blackshaw Farm, take the second right path, with impressive views across to the moorlands around Kinder, and descend to Clough Mill and Little Hayfield. 4. Little Hayfield was another favourite Easter or Whitweek camp in the early 1930s for the British Workers’ Sports Federation, which was responsible for introducing many young urban Millennium Walkway, New Mills people to the pleasures of the Peak District countryside. Turn right into Mellor Road, taking care on this fast stretch of highway and, after 50 yards or so, take Cross the A624 Glossop Road. The Lantern Pike the track which goes off sharply to the left running pub is a welcome diversion to the left, but the Trail level in a northerly direction. The views of the valley crosses this busy road into the National Trust open up with the heights of Lantern Pike and woodland of the Park Hall estate. Double-decker Kinder Scout to the east. When the track reaches buses used to come loaded with passengers from Briargrove Road, walk a few yards up the road to the Manchester to the now closed and abandoned left then take the lower of the two footpaths going outdoor swimming pool here. About 400 yards after off to the right, just to the west of Briargrove Farm. leaving the main road, take the path climbing in an easterly direction on to Middle Moor. The Snake The path continues heading generally north over Path joins the track as it starts to level out ground which can be quite marshy in places. In (SK 046881). As Kinder Reservoir comes into view spring and summer, this area attracts ground- with the shooting cabin on your left, stay on the nesting birds, and you have a good chance of higher path running level above the reservoir. seeing lapwing, snipe and curlew as well as the occasional short-eared owl. The path bends east of 5. You are now on White Brow following the route north as it approaches the Children’s Inn at the 1932 trespassers took after rallying at Rowarth (SK 005893). Bowden Bridge Quarry (see 7). From Kinder Road, they scrambled up the steep bank to 3. It was near here in 1932 that the Lancashire White Brow then followed the Snake Path to branch of the British Workers’ Sports Nab Brow and into William Clough. Federation entertained their colleagues from the London branch at an Easter camp. On a planned ramble to Bleaklow, they were turned back at Yellowslacks by gamekeepers. Frustrated and humiliated, the Manchester ramblers resolved to organize a well-publicised Mass Trespass onto Kinder Scout on Sunday, April 24 ,1932. Kinder, the highest point in the Peak District at 2,088ft/636m, was owned by the Duke of Devonshire and walkers were forbidden. Turn right and walk down Hollinsmoor Road. The road passes the Little Mill Inn before starting to climb towards Lantern Pike. The tarmac runs out near Laneside Farm but the route continues as a stone track. As it turns south and starts to level out, take the path which turns sharply to the left Children’s Inn, Rowarth TRESPASS TRAIL Trespass Trail BES COOM Start and Finish Point EDGE New Mills Heritage Centre (SK 000854) Children’s Inn ❸(BWSF Campsite) H olli nsm oor Roa d P Hollins Farm Rowarth Blackshaw Farm HEY WOOD Thornsett Fields Farm LANTERN ❹ Briargrove PIKE Farm ▲ Little Hayf Sunny MELLOR MOOR Side BROADHURST EDGE PLANTATION Wethercotes Thornsett Brows d a River Sett o R Thornsett A6015 e g Birch Vale d WHITLE E tle as C SETT VALLEY TRAIL ▲ Hay SHAW MARSH GOLF CLUB Cl Foxhold HAGUE BAR Police Station NEW ❾ MILLS G oy New Mills t W B Central ay 6 ❿ 10 Station ▲ 1 Town Hall MOUSLEY BOTTOM ❶ Milestone M ids y Millennium h a ❷ ire s W Walkway A6015 TO DISL Newtown EY Station TO B UX TO A6(T) N CH CH y a W e n i n n e CHUNAL P MOOR ▲ MILL ASHOP HILL HEAD h t h a T g P P ou e O l e n C k n G i th a ne L or n O W gw S a S in Holl y S O P K ❻ I SANDY N h HEYS g SITE OF THE KNOTT u TRESPASS D ▲ LEYGATEHEAD MOOR lo C m E a li il R W KINDER DOWNFALL S River Kinder C Nab Hollin O Brow Head U row ❺ hite B PARK HALL W T ❹ MIDDLE MOOR Kinder Marepiece Reservoir Wood field P e n n i n e W K Upper House N a y A Snake Path B R A624 E D N I K r KINDER e d LOW in K r KINDER e v i LOW END ❽ R P ❼P Campsite Bowden Bridge Ki nder Road yfield Tunstead Clough Farm Foxholdes Clough Riv er S ett MOUNT FAMINE T ▲ O C H Key A P E Chinley L - HINLEY Head E N P HURN Parking - ▲ L E - F R Pub I T Recommended map: H Ordnance Survey Food 1:25,000 Explorer OL1 Dark Peak Train Station Hayfield.