Crash site NGR 106987
Wellington R1011 30th January 1943. Map required Outdoor Leisure 1 The
Peak District (Dark Peak Area)
Details
of the aircraft wrecks obtained from "Dark Peak Aircraft Wrecks"
Ron Collier.
Click the Photos for a bigger image
Park your car at the Visitors Centre and go
through the gates and up the hill to the disused Railway track which is
now the Longdendale Trail, turn east onto the trail.

After walking about 100 Yards you will come to a finger post indicating
right (south) Wildboar Clough, ascend the wide stile, which leads to a
track passing between some immature trees and then over a step stile on
the left and into the woods. Now follow the track which runs parallel
to the stream through this ancient Oak and Birch woodland, and climb the
steep hillside crossing a stone wall and eventually emerging above the
wood on the open Fell, with a wire fence crossing your path over which
passes another wooden step stile.

The way on now levels out, and after about half a mile it is possible
to cross the Clough on your left and head North on a good path which take
you back in the direction you have just come, but this time on the opposite
side of the Clough.

For
the next two-mile you remain faithful to the edge of the gritstone escarpment,
and follow the faint path running above the Grags, passing Lawrence Edge,
Deer Knowl, and eventually to the dry waterfall of Dowstone Rocks. Five
minutes after leaving the Grags at Dowstone Rocks you will come to a wire
fence climbing up the hill and guarding the deep Gill of Stable Clough,
follow the fence uphill to the right (south) and you enter an area of
Grouse butts, and below you in the Gill you can see a sandy track (this
is a private track for the Grouse shooters) Keep on the narrow path which
follows the fence and winds through the Grouse Butts until you are safely
able to cross the stream on some water worn slabs, and gain the opposite
bank next to Butt number 6. Walk downstream in a Northerly direction to
the next Grouse Butt number 5, and now you will need your compass for
the next leg. Leave Grouse Butt number 5 walking on a bearing
of 90 degrees (east) and almost immediately you will see in front of you
a pole with a white painted top standing on the moor, you will reach this

pole in about 4 minutes, keep
walking on the same bearing and in a further 2 minutes, you will come across
a cairn with some aircraft debris piled around it's base. This is not the
crash site, you need to walk on the same bearing for a further 3 Minutes
to arrive at the site which is marked by a tiled plaque attached to a wooden
post commemorating the Airmen who lost their lives here. Wellington R1011
was on a night flying exercise from Wymeswold Leicestershire when it crashed
into the ground here on the night of January 30th 1943.
