The Peak District walk that leads to the wreckage of a World War II plane crash
- UK Hidden Gems
- Apr 10
- 2 min read
The wreckage of a B-29 Bomber plane from World War II, which crashed in 1948, can still be found in the Peak District.
One walking trail in the Peak District has something very unusual; the remains of a plane crash from 1948.
The B-29 Bomber was a U.S. Air Force Superfortress that went down during a flight between two UK airbases.
The crash site is about an hour’s walk from the nearest parking area, close to the remote Snake Summit. It’s a tough hike and not recommended for beginners or families with young children.
While visiting the wreck is fascinating, the story behind it is very sad — everyone on board the plane died in the crash.
The pilots were flying through thick clouds and thought they had already passed over the hills. Unfortunately, they were wrong.
At 11am on 3rd November 1948, the plane crashed into the ground and burst into flames. People only realised something was wrong when it didn’t arrive at Burtonwood airbase as planned.
The crash site was found at 4:30pm that day, and the bodies of the crew were recovered the next morning.
The Boeing B-29 Superfortress was a large bomber plane with four engines. It was built by Boeing and mainly used by the U.S. during World War II.
There are a few hiking trails that lead to the crash site, but all of them are quite hard. The Peak District website suggests starting from Snake Summit or Doctor's Gate Culvert, which makes it about an hour-long walk.
You can also park at Torside, but that walk takes around four hours. It’s only recommended for experienced hikers who are properly prepared.
Remember - LeaveNoTrace!
As with anywhere outdoors, kindly keep these areas pristine and wild by taking all trash with you. The amount of complaints we have seen since the pandemic is crazy. It's really not that hard to take your rubbish with you!
Litter tends to spread, so if you see any and are able to pick it up and dispose of it outside the hidden gem, it will help keep the area tidy.
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