View source for Bleaklow

{{Short description|Gritstone moorland in the Derbyshire High Peak}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Infobox mountain
 | name              = Bleaklow Head
 | photo             = Bleaklow.jpg
 | photo_caption     = The boggy "summit" of Bleaklow
 | elevation_m       = 633
 | elevation_ref     = <ref name=hb>[http://www.hill-bagging.co.uk/mountaindetails.php?qu=S&rf=2808 ''Bleaklow Head''] at www.hill-bagging.co.uk. Retrieved 11 March 2016</ref>
 | prominence        = 128 m<ref name=hb/>
 | parent_peak       = [[Kinder Scout]]
 | map = United Kingdom Peak District#United Kingdom Derbyshire
 | map_caption = Location in the Peak District##Location in Derbyshire
 | map_size = 200
 | label_position = right
 | listing           = [[Hewitt (hill)|Hewitt]], [[Nuttall (hill)|Nuttall]], [[HuMP]]
 | location          = [[Derbyshire]], [[England]], [[UK]]
 | range             = [[Peak District]]
 | coordinates       = {{coord|53.4600|-1.8626|type:mountain_region:GB|display=inline,title}}
 | grid_ref_UK       = SK094960
 | topo              = [[Ordnance Survey|OS]] ''Landranger'' 110
}}

{{GB summits start}}
{{GB summits entry|Name=Higher Shelf Stones|Gridref=SK089948|Height=621&nbsp;m|Status=Nuttall}}
{{GB summits entry|Name=Bleaklow Stones|Gridref=SK116964|Height=628&nbsp;m|Status= }}
{{end}}

'''Bleaklow''' is a high, largely peat-covered, [[gritstone]] [[moorland]] in the [[Derbyshire]] [[Dark Peak|High Peak]] near the town of [[Glossop]]. It is north of [[Kinder Scout]], across the [[Snake Pass]] ([[A57 road|A57]]), and south of the [[A628 road|A628 Woodhead Pass]]. Much of it is nearly {{convert|2,000|ft|m}} above sea level and the shallow bowl of Swains Greave on its eastern side is the source of the [[River Derwent, Derbyshire|River Derwent]].

'''Bleaklow Head''' (633 m), marked by a large cairn of stones, the high point at the western side of the moor, is a [[Hewitt (hill)|Hewitt]] and is crossed by the [[Pennine Way]]. It is one of three summits on this plateau above 2,000&nbsp;feet, the others being '''Bleaklow Stones''', some {{convert|1.9|mi|km}} to the east along an indefinite ridge, and '''Higher Shelf Stones''', {{convert|0.9|mi|km}} south of Bleaklow Head. At {{convert|633|m|ft|abbr=off}}, Bleaklow is the second-highest point in Derbyshire and the area includes the most easterly point in the [[British Isles]] over 2,000&nbsp;feet, near Bleaklow Stones.

== Description ==
Much of the main plateau of Bleaklow is a boggy peat moorland, seamed by 'groughs' (pronounced 'gruffs', water-eroded channels in the peat) and lacking strong changes in elevation – in poor conditions its traverse is probably the most navigationally challenging in the [[Peak District]].<ref>{{cite book
| last = Pilton
| first = Barry
| title = One Man and his Bog
| publisher = Corgi Books
| page = [https://archive.org/details/onemanhisbog00pilt/page/26 26]
| year = 1986
| isbn = 0-552-12796-5
| url-access = registration
| url = https://archive.org/details/onemanhisbog00pilt/page/26
}}</ref>

== Conservation ==
Bleaklow is part of the [[National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty|National Trust's]] [[High Peak Estate]]. There has been considerable investment of resources in recent years to block many of the eroded peat gulleys as part of major schemes to re-wet and restore healthy ''[[Sphagnum]]'' moss communities which are essential for peat formation, carbon capture, and reduction in dissolved carbon which contaminates water supplies. Much of this work has been coordinated by the [[Moors for the Future]] Partnership, funded by [[The LIFE Programme|EU LIFE+ programme]] between 2010 and 2015. This involved laying {{convert|52|km}} of geotextiles to stabilise eroded peat, creating 4,000 mini-dams to retain water, introducing 150,000 moorland plants and spreading 807 million ''Sphagnum'' fragments across the whole Bleaklow Project site.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.moorsforthefuture.org.uk/bleaklow |title=Moors for the Future – MoorLIFE Project Sites – Bleaklow |access-date=17 August 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150926183442/http://www.moorsforthefuture.org.uk/bleaklow |archive-date=26 September 2015 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

== Views ==
The summit affords views across [[Manchester]], [[Lancashire]] and [[Cheshire]] to the west and towards the [[Hope Valley, Derbyshire|Hope Valley]], [[Holme Moss]], [[Emley Moor]] and [[Yorkshire]] to the east. In exceptional weather conditions it is possible to see [[Snowdonia]] in North [[Wales]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.viewfinderpanoramas.org/gallery/BLEAKLOW/bleaklow.html |title=Bleaklow |publisher=Viewfinder Panoramas}}</ref>

== Aircraft crash ==
[[File:20171108 Bleaklow Bomber 1948 Superfortress.jpg|thumb|Bleaklow Bomber 1948 Superfortress crash site in 2017]]
There are a number of aircraft crash sites on Bleaklow.<ref>{{cite book |title=Dark Peak Aircraft Wrecks |volume=1 |first1=Ron |last1=Collier |first2=Roni |last2=Wilkinson |date=1995 |edition=Revised |isbn=0850524571 |publisher=Wharncliffe Books}}</ref> On 3 November 1948, [[USAF]] [[Boeing]] [[B-29 Superfortress|RB-29A Superfortress]] 44–61999, of the 16th Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron, 91st Reconnaissance Group, 311th Air Division, [[Strategic Air Command]], crashed at Higher Shelf Stones, Bleaklow ({{Coord|53|27|2.12|N|1|51|54.03|W|region:GB_type:landmark_dim:20}}), en route from [[RAF Scampton|Scampton]] to [[RAF Burtonwood|Burtonwood]]. All 13 crew members were killed. A large amount of wreckage of the [[Bleaklow Bomber]] is still visible. A memorial was erected at the site in 1988. There is public access to the area.

== Gallery ==
{| class="wikitable"; style="border:1px; border-style:solid; border-color:silver;"
|-
| style="border-style:none; vertical-align:top;"|[[Image:Bleaklow Wreakage 1.jpg|100px|thumb|none|Engine wreckage on Shelfstones]]
| style="border-style:none; vertical-align:top;"|[[Image:Bleaklow Wreakage 2.jpg|100px|thumb|none|General view of the aircraft wreckage]]
| style="border-style:none; vertical-align:top;"|[[Image:Bleaklow Plaque.jpg|100px|thumb|none|Memorial plaque by the wreckage]]
| style="border-style:none; vertical-align:top;"|[[Image:Bleaklow Trig Point.jpg|100px|thumb|none|[[Trig point]] on Shelf Stones]]
| style="border-style:none; vertical-align:top;"|[[Image:Eroded peat moorland, Bleaklow, Derbyshire.JPG|100px|thumb|none|Descending eroded peat gully on east flank of Bleaklow]]
|}

==References==

{{reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Bleaklow}}
*Peak District Information - Bleaklow [http://www.peakdistrictinformation.com/features/bleaklow.php]
*Computer-generated summit panorama [http://www.viewfinderpanoramas.org/panoramas/ENG/Bleaklow.gif Bleaklow] [http://www.viewfinderpanoramas.org/panoramas.html index]

{{Peaks of the Peak District}}

[[Category:Hewitts of England]]
[[Category:Mountains and hills of the Peak District]]
[[Category:Mountains and hills of Derbyshire]]
[[Category:Nuttalls]]
[[Category:Moorlands of England]]
[[Category:High Peak, Derbyshire]]
[[Category:Aviation accidents and incidents locations in England]]