Kinder Scout is an iconic hill in Derbyshire. Despite its modest height this raised plateau of desolate moorland has an iconic status amongst the outdoor community in the UK. Its proximity to the populations centres of Sheffield and Manchester mean that it is often the first real hill encountered by many at the start of their hillwalking journey. That the hill is the starting point of the Pennine Way, Britain’s senior long distance footpath, has further ensured its place in the public imagination.
More than that – the hill was the scene of the mass Trespass in 1932 which has come to symbolise the struggle of working people for access to wild land. In this podcast, Sarah Lister, talks to John D. Burns about her new book Kinder Scout which picks out 15 great walks on this unique hill.
Sarah explains how the book began in her blog.
“A few years ago a Mountain Leader who I’d met on a group walking holiday told me about the publication of “Dark Peak Walks” by Paul Besley. I had recently introduced myself to the area and bought the guidebook immediately! The first walk I chose to do was number 5 – Grindleford to Higger Tor . It was 2018, the winter of the beast from the east, so you can imagine the scenes! I loved having the book in my hand as I walked, reading the excerpts of history that helped me to connect with my surroundings.
Since then, Paul’s book has inspired many of my walks in the dark peak and became a handbook to me during my Hill and Moorland Leader training. Even better, I have met him in person. The first time was when he was raising money for Mountain Rescue at Sheffield train station. I fussed over his dog Scout and we had a great chat, I felt like I’d known him for years! I’ve attended a couple of his group walks since then too, where I’ve had the opportunity to meet his wonderful wife Alison and some of his friends who always greet me warmly.
Sarah Lister
On the last walk I attended in November 2022 I was very happy to see Jon Barton turn up. He is the Managing Director of Vertebrate Publishing in Sheffield. I recognised him from Twitter straight away and remembered that he had run the Derwent Watershed on a hot day that summer. Paul kindly encouraged me to talk to Jon about my Wild About Kinder podcast, and that led onto talking about Kinder Scout, running, and books of course! I really liked his sense of humour – which many of his twitter followers will be well accustomed to. It was a fantastic day out with everyone, topped with fish and chips at the end.
Off I went on my merry way, then a week later a message from Jon landed in my twitter inbox, “Sarah. I have an idea for a Kinder area walking guide with a twist and would like to co write it with someone plus would need photos. Jon”
“What the?!?!….Does he mean me??”
Listen to Sarah’s podcast
As I’m sure you can imagine, I couldn’t believe my luck. I was so excited and couldn’t wait to find out more. We had a chat on the phone about it and I tried to contain myself, but inside I was bursting! Jon had decided that he wanted me to write the walking guide and to provide the photography too. This really was an exciting and challenging opportunity for me. What I found remarkable was that it had come about through connecting while walking. This is what I believe in, it shapes my life and my work.
