Hope Cross

A magnificent view along the Edale valley opened up as we made our way along the broad ridge from Win Hill. Tiny figures appeared and then disappeared from Lose Hill's summit on the other side of the valley. A convoy of mountain bikers scooted by us at high speed, making the most of the gradual descent from Win Hill. It was easy walking and we soon reached the stone pillar of Hope Cross. It is quite a substantial stone monument and I was a bit surprised to find, by later research, that in 2012 the 270 year old capstone was stolen. It was later found by a farmer in a passing place near Bradwell. It is believed that the Grade II listed stone had only recently been dumped there since was no snow on it when it was found.  It is believed that a 4x4 vehicle had driven up the hill and had used some lifting mechanism to lift the stone off the monument. Given all that effort, it is odd that they then saw fit to dump it at the side of the road. The National Trust says that the capstone has now been securely fixed.  It has been a long time since I've seen 4x4s and motorbikes making their way up here. It used to be a common occurrence back in the 80s and 90s. Maybe the tracks access status has changed since then. 

We dropped down through the forestry plantation towards the bottom of the Snake valley. The descent was slippery with all the water tumbling down it.  A short walk up the valley brought us to the bridge over the River Ashop. All we had to do now was climb up the other side of the valley.

Meteor RA487

The climb up the other side of the valley was steep and slippery too. Near the top, we met a mountain biker who was just about to brave the descent. There was a junction of six paths of the top of the ridge. We would be heading off on the south-eastwards one towards  Crook Hill, but first I wanted to do a 15 minute out-and-back to the aircraft crash site of Meteor RA487. A footpath led us down through the plantation until we reached a broken stone wall that traversed the track. We diverted off the path and followed the stone wall downhill for about 50 metres. During this descent, the Cabin Boy managed to get her feet tangled in a fallen branch and ended up tumbling forward, culminating in a spectacular commando roll. It was a bit like a tumbling sequence by Simone Biles...or more accurately Simone Biles with piles. Once I'd medically assessed her as fit to continue we had a wander around the meagre remains of the Meteor RA487. There wasn't that much to see to be honest. Back in the early 2000s, I'd seen photos of quite a lot of wreckage, but the trophy hunters had been busy and there were only just a few scraps now. A small wooden cross had been erected. This was a bit odd since nobody actually got killed in this particular crash. On the 8th of December 1950, Joe Harrington was on a night training exercise from RAF Linton-on-Ouse. He got lost and because of the cloud cover he wasn't able to relocate his position. Running out of fuel, he decided that his only option was to bale out. There was no ejector seats on the Meteor jets and so it was a matter of making your own way out. The cockpit of the Meteor is well ahead of the wings and so care had to be taken to avoid their leading edge when jumping away from the aircraft. He followed procedures and launched himself over the front wing and then fell under the rear wing. The only thing left to do was to open his parachute, which he did successfully. He landed safely, although he somehow lost one of his boots. He discerned some twinkling lights in the distance and made his way across to them. I'd guess that this would have  been Lockerbrook Farm. He is quoted as saying to the lady who opened the door ' Good evening. I'm very sorry to disturb you, but I've just had to bale out of my aeroplane and I need help.' The women responded by saying 'Oh, please come in and have a cup of tea.'

Crook Hill

We ticked off  Bridge-End Pasture, an Explorer hill on our way across to Crook Hill. There wasn't much of a top to it and I had to use my gps to locate its official summit. A short walk took us to the twin peaks of Crook Hill. It was quite busy with people but we managed to find a quiet spot to have our lunch. As we ate our sarnies I watched a fellow walking along and studying the ground below us. I'd seen a similar thing the last time I was here. There is supposed to be a stone circle in the particular area he was searching and so I presumed his efforts were something to do with that. Looking at the photos on the web, it is hardly a stone circle, just a couple of small stones that are upright and another one that has fallen. I think I'll have a wander around the site at a future date when it is less busy. The views from Crookhill, down on to the Ladybower Reservoir were amazing and only seemed to get better as we descended towards the viaduct. It was like entering another world once we reached the busy A57. The noise of the traffic was so loud that we could hardly hear ourselves speak. There were still great views though, up the Derwent valley and also across the reservoir to Win Hill. Pavement walking brought up back to our parked car. It was just as busy as when we'd arrived this morning.

Win Hill and Crook Hill are familiar territory for me, but the exceptional views always make the outing worthwhile. It was good to tick another site off on my Dark Peak Aircraft Crash Site Venture and also an Explorer hill, for good measure.