The National Park crash-site guide specifies a short lead from 1 March–31 August and recommends leads throughout the year. Follow current local access signs and remove waste.
Public toilets and a Changing Places facility are at Torside, before the walk. The authority lists ordinary toilets as open 24 hours; check access requirements for Changing Places separately.
The specific Torside visitor page lists toilets and a Changing Places facility, with paid parking. There are no facilities at the wreck site; carry what you need for the full walk.
Opening hours
All times are local to the place. Facility hours may differ from access to the grounds. N/A means no timetable was available in the sources checked; read the notes for access guidance.
Torside public toilets
Day
Opening times
monday
Open 24 hours
tuesday
Open 24 hours
wednesday
Open 24 hours
thursday
Open 24 hours
friday
Open 24 hours
saturday
Open 24 hours
sunday
Open 24 hours
This is the ordinary toilet block schedule, not a verified Changing Places access schedule.
The remains of a 1948 B29 aircraft crash near Higher Shelf Stones: a sensitive memorial reached by a strenuous, carefully planned moorland walk.
The B29 Superfortress wreckage near Higher Shelf Stones commemorates an aircraft lost in November 1948. It lies on open, exposed moorland with limited waymarking. Treat the remains as a memorial and leave every item where it is; this is a serious hill walk for experienced, properly equipped visitors.
A closer look
Discover the landscape and stories behind this place.
Before you set out
Details and coordinates can be incomplete or out of date. Check current access, conditions, weather and your route with the site operator before travelling. This is not live navigation or emergency guidance.
Editorial review: 6 November 2026. Conditions may change.
Approach
Allow 150 minutes one way (estimated) from Torside using a map-planned route via the Pennine Way and Bleaklow to the Higher Shelf Stones memorial area. The National Park describes the Torside return as a steep, rough ten-mile mountain walk. Its separate one-hour statement refers to the nearest parking, not to Torside.
Walking time from arrival (one way)
150 minutes (approximate)
Terrain & steps
Steep rough ascent followed by exposed, boggy and partly unmarked moorland. Navigation skills are essential; the location marker is not a route.
Accessibility
No accessible approach is established. The route requires sustained mountain walking on unsurfaced ground; the accessible facilities at Torside do not describe access to the memorial.
Access & restrictions
Visit only in daylight with a planned route, suitable equipment and enough time to return. Do not move wreckage or leave mementos. Keep dogs on a short lead; fires and barbecues are prohibited.
Seasonal considerations
The National Park warns that weather can deteriorate even in summer. In autumn and winter, the long return may exceed daylight; postpone if conditions or available time are unsuitable.
Approach walk: approximately 150 minutes one way from the stated arrival point.
Typical total visit: 330–420 minutes, including exploring.
Step-free approach: not checked.
One-way approach: 150 minutes (estimated) from Torside. Total visit: 330–420 minutes (estimated), including the return and a respectful pause at the memorial. The National Park gives ten miles and at least four hours of walking from this start; the estimates add conservative allowances for rough ground, navigation and stops. Experienced equipped hill walkers only.
Source for these planning details
More to discover nearby
A few other places within 25 miles of Higher Shelf Stones and B29 Memorial. Distances are approximate, straight line; use each guide’s arrival point to plan your journey.
