Walk Seal Stones from Birchen Clough via Fair Brook, Kinder and Seal Edge
A moderate walk with one quite strenuous climb, mild scrambling in places, and a short section of very steep descent
View and print this walking route on the Ordnance Survey Getamap website
Kinder is probably THE iconic peak of the Peak District - despite its flat and sometimes arduous plateau and despite its lack of drama compared to other "Peak peaks" such as Shuttlingsloe or even Win Hill Pike.
Jacobs ladder springs to mind as a well known route but my favourite access to the peat of Kinder is via Fair Brook. Making its way down as a series of slow trickles converging from the top of Kinder, Fair Brook begins to stream steadily over the rocks and boulders at the top of the valley, joined on its way down by a couple more tributary streams from Black Ashop Moor and Seal Edge, increasing in volume all the way down, to eventually meet with the River Ashop as it follows the Snake Road to reach Ladybower Reservoir.
The lowland access to the path up Fair Brook is in complete contrast to the normal Dark Peak wildness and millstone grit, when you leave the lay-by at Birchen Clough Bridge, you drop into a lush green forest environment with a narrow but steadily flowing River Ashop burbling past.
On a sunny day the river and forest scenery is absolutely stunning. Unfortunately on the day I chose, the weather was mixed to say the least. Heavy overnight rain had half flooded the lay-by and ominous clouds lingered overhead. But despite the threatening sky, the rain held off for the duration of the walk, only beginning to fall as I passed through the shelter of the forest sections on the way back to the lay-by, making for a decent few hours out without getting soaked into the bargain.
PARKING:
Park at the Birchen Clough Bridge lay-by on the A57 Snake Road. Travelling from Sheffield this is about 1/2 mile past the Snake Pass In on the right hand side, the lay-by is on a left-hand bend.
PUBLIC TRANSPORT:
Unfortunately there is no suitable public transport to the start of this walk
ROUTE:
From the lay-by, cross the road carefully and follow the steps down on the clear footpath to the river, the head left. As a wide track passes, ignore the wide bridge to your right and head straight on and follow the riverside path. Note: A path straight ahead can seem simpler but soon leads into boggy marshland - keeping by the river is the driest route.
Eventually the path returns to trhe A57 Snake Road.
Follow the road South-East until you reach a stile heading right, directly opposite the Snake Pass Inn car park. Cross the stile and head down through the woods, keeping a careful eye out to the right as the path heads up to avoid wet ground, for steps down to a footbridge over the River Ashop
Cross the river and follow the path downstream until a junction. Bear right and follow the stream into the Fair Brook valley.
The path is clear and easy to follow as it winds its way up to the top of Kinder, beginning as an easy but narrow path and after passing through a wooden gate, ending with a non-technical scramble to the top of Kinder.
Here is a good spot to catch your breath, and on a clear day enjoy the view of the path you have just taken up the Kinder Marilyn before heading NE along the edge of the plateau.
Despite the boulders and dips in the peat landscape the pathway along to Seal Edge is easy to follow, simply keeping roughly left and following the line of the hillside. Follow Seal Edge until a path bears left NNE at Seal Stones down Gate Side Clough.
The narrow track down to Gate Side Clough can be difficult to spot approaching from the west so it pays to have your compass to hand. Keep a keen eye to your left for the clearly visible Upper House Farm on the main A57 Snake Road - when this is almost exactly NNE you need to be looking for the path to the left which starts off narrow and steep. If you find yourself heading South, you have passed the track down the hill, but if you retrace your steps, bearing right where possible, your track soon becomes visible.
Head down Gate Side Clough on the increasingly easy to follow track with clear views of the A57 and of the River Ashop, passing well maintained wooden grouse butts, and stay on the track until you reach a junction of dry stone walls, a wooden gate and Fair Brook and the River Ashop.
At the foot of the track point there is a ford crossing which may be passable to the wearer of good waterproof boots, back to the woods and the approach path, then retracing your steps back up to the Snake Pass Inn and through the plantations to your car.
If however the rain has been heavy and the river / Fair Brook are flowing well, you may need to follow to the left of Fair Brook until a suitable crossing point can be found. You should not need to head up Fair Brook more than 200m at the most before you can find suitable rocks to use as stepping stones, to reach the bottom of the Fair Brook path that you took earlier, and retrace your steps back to the Lay-by
6.3 Miles (10.18km)
Total Climb: 313.6m / 1028.8ft
Time: 3hrs
View and print this walking route on the Ordnance Survey Getamap website
Kinder is probably THE iconic peak of the Peak District - despite its flat and sometimes arduous plateau and despite its lack of drama compared to other "Peak peaks" such as Shuttlingsloe or even Win Hill Pike.
Jacobs ladder springs to mind as a well known route but my favourite access to the peat of Kinder is via Fair Brook. Making its way down as a series of slow trickles converging from the top of Kinder, Fair Brook begins to stream steadily over the rocks and boulders at the top of the valley, joined on its way down by a couple more tributary streams from Black Ashop Moor and Seal Edge, increasing in volume all the way down, to eventually meet with the River Ashop as it follows the Snake Road to reach Ladybower Reservoir.
The lowland access to the path up Fair Brook is in complete contrast to the normal Dark Peak wildness and millstone grit, when you leave the lay-by at Birchen Clough Bridge, you drop into a lush green forest environment with a narrow but steadily flowing River Ashop burbling past.
On a sunny day the river and forest scenery is absolutely stunning. Unfortunately on the day I chose, the weather was mixed to say the least. Heavy overnight rain had half flooded the lay-by and ominous clouds lingered overhead. But despite the threatening sky, the rain held off for the duration of the walk, only beginning to fall as I passed through the shelter of the forest sections on the way back to the lay-by, making for a decent few hours out without getting soaked into the bargain.
PARKING:
Park at the Birchen Clough Bridge lay-by on the A57 Snake Road. Travelling from Sheffield this is about 1/2 mile past the Snake Pass In on the right hand side, the lay-by is on a left-hand bend.
PUBLIC TRANSPORT:
Unfortunately there is no suitable public transport to the start of this walk
ROUTE:
From the lay-by, cross the road carefully and follow the steps down on the clear footpath to the river, the head left. As a wide track passes, ignore the wide bridge to your right and head straight on and follow the riverside path. Note: A path straight ahead can seem simpler but soon leads into boggy marshland - keeping by the river is the driest route.
Eventually the path returns to trhe A57 Snake Road.
Follow the road South-East until you reach a stile heading right, directly opposite the Snake Pass Inn car park. Cross the stile and head down through the woods, keeping a careful eye out to the right as the path heads up to avoid wet ground, for steps down to a footbridge over the River Ashop
Cross the river and follow the path downstream until a junction. Bear right and follow the stream into the Fair Brook valley.
The path is clear and easy to follow as it winds its way up to the top of Kinder, beginning as an easy but narrow path and after passing through a wooden gate, ending with a non-technical scramble to the top of Kinder.
Here is a good spot to catch your breath, and on a clear day enjoy the view of the path you have just taken up the Kinder Marilyn before heading NE along the edge of the plateau.
Despite the boulders and dips in the peat landscape the pathway along to Seal Edge is easy to follow, simply keeping roughly left and following the line of the hillside. Follow Seal Edge until a path bears left NNE at Seal Stones down Gate Side Clough.
The narrow track down to Gate Side Clough can be difficult to spot approaching from the west so it pays to have your compass to hand. Keep a keen eye to your left for the clearly visible Upper House Farm on the main A57 Snake Road - when this is almost exactly NNE you need to be looking for the path to the left which starts off narrow and steep. If you find yourself heading South, you have passed the track down the hill, but if you retrace your steps, bearing right where possible, your track soon becomes visible.
Head down Gate Side Clough on the increasingly easy to follow track with clear views of the A57 and of the River Ashop, passing well maintained wooden grouse butts, and stay on the track until you reach a junction of dry stone walls, a wooden gate and Fair Brook and the River Ashop.
At the foot of the track point there is a ford crossing which may be passable to the wearer of good waterproof boots, back to the woods and the approach path, then retracing your steps back up to the Snake Pass Inn and through the plantations to your car.
If however the rain has been heavy and the river / Fair Brook are flowing well, you may need to follow to the left of Fair Brook until a suitable crossing point can be found. You should not need to head up Fair Brook more than 200m at the most before you can find suitable rocks to use as stepping stones, to reach the bottom of the Fair Brook path that you took earlier, and retrace your steps back to the Lay-by
