Aircraft wreckage is an unusual destination for a hill walk. There may be an engine, a piece of undercarriage or a few scraps of aluminium, with a memorial nearby. Read the history before going and those fragments become easier to understand: which aircraft they came from, who was aboard and why the flight took them over these hills.
The three places below also show how different the walks can be. Bleaklow is exposed moorland. Arenig Fawr has a summit memorial and scattered remains. On Beinn Eighe, some wreckage is lodged in climbing ground. Choose the outing by the terrain you can handle.
Bleaklow: a B-29 on the moor
The US Air Force Superfortress on Bleaklow crashed in November 1948, on a flight between bases in Britain. This was after the war. There are substantial remains on the moorland plateau, and the site is a place of remembrance.
Being able to recognise the aircraft parts in photographs does not make them easy to find in low cloud. The Peak District National Park's visitor guidance describes boggy or wet ground, limited waymarking and no facilities. It advises daylight visits and says the walk is unsuitable for young children.
Check where the route actually starts. The authority's Torside option is a rough, steep return outing of about ten miles, so a short distance quoted for a different approach will give the wrong impression. Read its current parking advice before travelling.
Arenig Fawr: eight crew remembered
On 4 August 1943, a B-17 Flying Fortress crashed on Arenig Fawr, killing its eight crew members. A memorial stands at the summit.
Much of the aircraft was salvaged after the crash. The Coflein record, maintained by the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Wales, brings together the accident history and information about the remains. A site visit in March 2025 recorded a brass plaque and surviving piping, plates and mechanical fittings.
Here, the history and memorial are good reasons for the walk even though much of the aeroplane has gone. Plan an ascent and descent that suit you. Leave the scattered fragments where they are; hunting farther down the slopes for more pieces can draw you away from your intended route.
Beinn Eighe: the Lancaster and mountain rescue
Lancaster TX264 flew from RAF Kinloss on a training flight and crashed on Beinn Eighe on 14 March 1951. All eight crew members died.
The difficult recovery had lasting consequences. The RAF's account explains that most of the wreckage was high in a steep gully, beyond the climbing ability of the mountain rescue personnel initially sent to it. The incident led to summer and winter climbing training for RAF mountain rescue teams.
Remains are still in the gully and below the cliffs. Keep that distinction in mind when looking at photographs or route descriptions. A picture taken beside a particular part may have involved climbing to reach it. Stay within the demands of an established hillwalking route you can manage; entering a steep gully calls for climbing skills and equipment.
Work out the walk, including the way home
Start with a proper walking map. Identify the intended destination carefully — a summit plaque may be away from the main wreckage — and compare the grid reference with the source description. Check access arrangements, rights of way and temporary restrictions.
An old account can be useful history but poor evidence for present-day access. National park and land-manager notices are worth checking close to the day of the walk.
Allow for rough ground, stops at the site and a slow return. Set a time to turn back that leaves a comfortable margin before dark. If you are walking with a group, discuss that time before reaching the point where everyone wants another ten minutes to find the wreck.
Read the Met Office mountain forecast, including wind, cloud, visibility and freezing level. Conditions in the nearest town may bear little resemblance to those up on the hill. A small scatter of wreckage on a broad moor is a particularly awkward thing to search for when cloud obscures the landmarks.
Carry a map and compass and know how to use them. Download phone maps in advance, test them offline, protect the phone from rain and carry enough power. Keep track of the last reliable path junction or feature as you approach the site. If you lose confidence in your position, stop and sort it out rather than following footprints across the moor.
Before looking round the wreck, establish where you will pick up the return route. Keep the group together: scattered remains encourage people to spread out just when it is useful to know where everyone is.
The parts belong at the site
The Ministry of Defence states that military aircraft crash sites in the UK are protected under the Protection of Military Remains Act 1986. Without an authorising MOD licence, it is an offence to tamper with, damage, move or unearth items. Foreign military aircraft are covered too.
Leave even a small fragment in place. Do not turn it over to look for markings, dig around it, rearrange it for a photograph or take it home. Landowner permission does not replace the licence required by the Act.
Historic England warns that military crash sites may contain live ordnance. Leave anything suspicious untouched and move away. Keep off the aircraft parts and photograph them from firm ground.
Give people at a memorial room to read it. Take litter home and check the site's policy on tributes; the Peak District authority asks visitors to avoid adding structures or mementos at Bleaklow.
Pack for time spent standing still as well as walking. Waterproofs, warm layers, food, water, a headtorch and suitable emergency shelter belong in the plan for an exposed outing. Our day-walk packing guide covers the basics, and choosing a walk will help if you are unsure which terrain suits you.
Save the aircraft's history to read offline alongside the map. At a memorial, the crew's names deserve some of the time you have allowed for the visit.