Bleaklow Head (Bleaklow Hill)
633m (2077ft)
The Dark Peak Area, The Peak District, Derbyshire, England
The summit of Bleaklow Head (Bleaklow Hill) is marked by a large cairn with a wooden pole stuck in it. The famous Wain Stones lie 250m SW of the summit.
You can find Bleaklow Head (Bleaklow Hill) & all the walks that climb it on these unique free-to-access Interactive Walk Planning Maps: (click/TAP to select)
1:25,000 scale OS Explorer Map (the ones with orange/yellow covers):
1:50,000 scale OS Landranger Map (the ones with pink/magenta covers):
See Bleaklow Head (Bleaklow Hill) and the surrounding tops on our free-to-access 'Google Style' Peak Bagging Maps:
See Bleaklow Head (Bleaklow Hill) and the surrounding tops on our downloadable PDF Peak Bagging Map:
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Vital Statistics:
| Length: | 5.25ml (8.5km) |
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| Ascent: | 630ft (192m) |
| Time: | 2½ hrs |
| Grade: |  (Easy) |
Route Summary:
Snake Pass - (A57) - The Pennine Way - Bleaklow Head (Bleaklow Hill) - The The Wain Stones (or Kissing Stones) - Higher Shelf Stones - A57 Snake Pass.
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Vital Statistics:
| Length: | 9ml (14.5km) |
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| Ascent: | 1,850ft (564m) |
| Time: | 5.25hrs |
| Grade: |  (Moderate) |
Route Summary:
Old Glossop - Shittern Clough - Lightside - Yellow Slacks - Dog Rock - Dowstone Clough - Yellowslacks Brook - The Wain Stones (or Kissing Stones) - Bleaklow Head (Bleaklow Hill) - Higher Shelf Stones - Crooked Clough - The Pennine Way - Old Woman - Doctor's Gate Path - Shelf Brook - Moss Lea Farm - Old Glossop
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Vital Statistics:
| Length: | 10.5ml (17km) |
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| Ascent: | 1,975ft (602m) |
| Time: | 5.75hrs |
| Grade: | (Moderate) |
Route Summary:
Woodhead Tunnel - Middle Black Clough - Bleaklow Stones (Bleaklow Hill) - Bleaklow Head (Bleaklow Hill) - The Wain Stones (or Kissing Stones) - The Pennine Way - Clough Edge - The Longdendale Trail - Crowden - Woodhead Reservoir - Woodhead Tunnel
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Vital Statistics:
| Length: | 13.25mls (21km) |
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| Ascent: | 2,081ft (634m) |
| Time: | 7 hrs |
| Grade: |  (Hard) |
Route Summary:
Woodhead Tunnel - Far Black Clough - Swains Head - Swains Greave - Barrow Stones - Grinah Stones - Bleaklow Stones (Bleaklow Hill) - Bleaklow Head (Bleaklow Hill) - The Wain Stones (or Kissing Stones) - The Pennine Way - Joseph Patch - John Track Well - Torside Clough - Peaknaze Moor - Reaps Farm - The Longdendale Trail - Torside Reservoir - Woodhead Reservoir - Woodhead Tunnel
Fellow go4awalkers who have already walked, climbed, summited & bagged Bleaklow Head (Bleaklow Hill)
Alan Smith walked up Bleaklow Head (Bleaklow Hill) on June 16th, 2023 [from/via/route] With Kev from glossop. [with] kev [weather] overcast - great route. quiet vague path at the top for bleaklow. could easily get caught out up there in bad weather.
Tony Halliday climbed Bleaklow Head (Bleaklow Hill) on May 22nd, 2021 [from/via/route] Started from lay-by on snake pass & followed Pennines way to top [with] jimmy my boarder terrier [weather] Very dull & cold for time of year - Bit wet & boggy good views but bleak
Mark Hazelton bagged Bleaklow Head (Bleaklow Hill) on August 2nd, 2020 [from/via/route] snake pass, Roman Road, Bleaklow Head & Higher shelf [with] Family and Pepper [weather] Sunny
Mark Pritchard hiked Bleaklow Head (Bleaklow Hill) on October 1st, 2020 [from/via/route] Higher Shelf Stones trig point [with] Tim and Andrew walking colleagues [weather] Started off low cloud but cleared to a bright sunny but chilly day - Added in to a walk to see the plane wreckage at Higher Shelf
Nicky Kelly summited Bleaklow Head (Bleaklow Hill) on July 25th, 2020 [from/via/route] D172 Bleaklow head & higher shelf stones from old glossop [with] Grace [weather] Overcast, Little windy but no rain
Angela Moroney conquered Bleaklow Head (Bleaklow Hill) during 2020 [with] JL
Mike Walker scaled Bleaklow Head (Bleaklow Hill) on April 4th, 2004 [from/via/route] Walk d266 Bleaklow Head (Bleaklow Hill) from Woodhead Tunnel [with] Alone [weather] Bit crap - misty on the tops
Kevin Foster walked up Bleaklow Head (Bleaklow Hill) on April 5th, 2019 [from/via/route] Old Glossop [with] Henry. [weather] Sunny, high cloud, fresh breeze. - After spending the best part of a year bagging the mountain tops of the North Pennines & Northumberland it was a pleasant change to head south to The Peak District. I have done little walking in this area so I was excited & apprehensive at the same time. The apprehension, based on some negative reports I'd read about Bleaklow, was unfounded. Maybe it was because the top was a lot drier than I expected after a relatively dry winter & I was lucky with the weather but I have to say that the paths & route finding for the best part were fairly dry & easy walking. The views as I climbed over Cock Hill back towards the towering skyline of Manchester in the far distance were superb. Not so much the views from Bleaklow Head itself but it was fun to clamber over the Wain Stones & take photos from all angles.
Margaret Richards climbed Bleaklow Head (Bleaklow Hill) on August 15th, 2011 [from/via/route] Bleaklow head [with] Don - got a bit lost
Wayne Linley bagged Bleaklow Head (Bleaklow Hill) on September 10th, 2017 [from/via/route] From old Glossop [with] Simon Fleming [weather] bloody awful! high winds, rain ( horizontal) - worst conditions ever walked in, but great walking partner, some great re-entrant traversing in dicey conditions, good compass work saved the day
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More Photographs & Pictures of views from, on or of Bleaklow Head (Bleaklow Hill)
The Wain Stones (or Kissing Stones) on Bleaklow Head (Bleaklow Hill)
Me, Bradders and my nephew David during a snow blizzard on Bleaklow Head (Bleaklow Hill)
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