Peak District: Kinder Scout

Kinder Scout is located in the Dark Peak of the Peak District in Derbyshire and is the highest point in the Peak District. It can be reached via Edale, which was the route I took. Well, I didn’t take any particular planned route I just wondered where the other path would lead me and ended up here.

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I was unaware that Kinder Scout had served as the setting for a significant moment in British history at the time.

It was the location of a large-scale walking trespass that would alter British history about access to the countryside.

History of Kinder Scout

It was the place where a mass walking trespass took place on April 24, 1932, by members of the Young Communist League in protest of members of the public being denied access to remote parts of the countryside.

The protest was a coordinated protest that involved three large groups of walkers all heading towards Kinder Scout at the same time. It was supposedly a peaceful protest; however, some of the walkers got into scrambles with a few gamekeepers, which led to their arrest and prison sentences of between two to six months.

At the time of this protest, there were several other protests seeking access to the Peak District, but the harsh prison sentences of the Ramblers distinguished the Kinder Scout protest from the others, which spread publicly on TV and in local and national newspapers. This resulted in the empathy of thousands of other ramblers, since trespassing is not a criminal offence in England and the harsh punishments had only been for the few scuffles with gamekeepers, which seemed to not go down well with the other ramblers and members of the public.

The outcome of the mass trespass

This was arguably the act that led to the National Parks Act’s enactment, the accessibility of the countryside for walkers and the working class, and the creation of extensive footpaths like the Pennine Way.

The most picturesque trail

I’d say Kinder Scout is the most picturesque and beautiful trail I’ve hiked so far, but on this particular day it was hot and probably not the best day for a good scramble up the rocks, so I made my way down to the stream, took off my boots and socks, dipped my feet in the water, had a picnic for one, and sat back to read a book while listening to the sounds of the stream and the two little sheep.

There was only me in this spot, so it made the moment even more special. It was the ideal spot for a perfect summer day.

I’m looking forward to the cooler months to scramble over the rocks and see what’s beyond.

How I got on the Kinder Scout trail

1. I took a left at Edale Train Station.

2. I walked straight past the Ramblers Inn pub on the left.

3. Keep walking straight and past the Old Nags Head pub on the right.

4. I followed the Grindsbrook sign and walked through Grindsbrook Clough.

5. I took a left after passing Grindsbrook Clough. I took a left and followed the path to another nearby clough.

6. After entering the gates here, I went across a tiny little foot path, turned left, then right, and I was on Kinder Scout.

I hope you enjoyed my post today

Thanks for visiting. Stay blessed 🙏🏾

Natalie ❤️