Four Inns Walk
Encyclopedia
The Four Inns Walk is a hiking event held annually (usually at Easter) over the high moorlands of the Northern Peak District
. It takes place mainly in Derbyshire
(though it starts in Yorkshire
and, near the end, makes makes a short detour into Cheshire
), in northern England
. It is organised by the Scout Association
. It is a competitive event, without an overnight camp (although teams must be equipped to bivouac if the conditions are severe enough to warrant it). It was first held as a Rover Scout event in 1957, but is now open to other teams of experienced hill walkers and fell runners
.
, a first-aid kit, and a group shelter. Any member of a team is allowed to drop out at any point, but the rest of the team will not be permitted to continue the event unless they are in a group of not less than 3, or more than 7 people (which can be formed by combining two groups together). The remaining team members must still carry all of the safety equipment. Any team that has not reached the checkpoint at Chapel-en-le-Frith
before 21:15 will not be allowed to complete the rest of the event. No dogs are allowed to accompany the walkers.
. Next, it passes through Hey Moss, Crowden, Tor Side, Bleaklow
, and Doctor's Gate to the 'Snake (Pass) Inn
'. The next checkpoint is over the Kinder
plateau to the 'Nag's Head' Inn in Edale
. The route then passes though Chapel-en-le-Frith
, White Hall, and the Goyt Valley to the 'Cat and Fiddle
' Inn, finally descending to Buxton
for the finish.
Usually, two thirds of the teams finish the event, in times between 8 and 16 hours (the course record of 6 hours 45 minutes was set in 2010). However, some teams take longer than this, and some have taken over 20 hours. At most of the checkpoints, hot drinks and sandwiches will be given to the competitors, and several Mountain Rescue teams
are on hand to ensure their safety.
There is a Memorial Tablet to the three Scouts in Holy Trinity Church, Edale, dedicated in a memorial service held on Sunday, 22nd May 1966.
An MRC (Medical Research Council
) respiration and metabolism project, devised to identify the metabolic and biochemical basis for this tragedy, was performed during the 1965 event, with young volunteers.
Peak District
The Peak District is an upland area in central and northern England, lying mainly in northern Derbyshire, but also covering parts of Cheshire, Greater Manchester, Staffordshire, and South and West Yorkshire....
. It takes place mainly in Derbyshire
Derbyshire
Derbyshire is a county in the East Midlands of England. A substantial portion of the Peak District National Park lies within Derbyshire. The northern part of Derbyshire overlaps with the Pennines, a famous chain of hills and mountains. The county contains within its boundary of approx...
(though it starts in Yorkshire
Yorkshire
Yorkshire is a historic county of northern England and the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its great size in comparison to other English counties, functions have been increasingly undertaken over time by its subdivisions, which have also been subject to periodic reform...
and, near the end, makes makes a short detour into Cheshire
Cheshire
Cheshire is a ceremonial county in North West England. Cheshire's county town is the city of Chester, although its largest town is Warrington. Other major towns include Widnes, Congleton, Crewe, Ellesmere Port, Runcorn, Macclesfield, Winsford, Northwich, and Wilmslow...
), in northern England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. It is organised by the Scout Association
The Scout Association
The Scout Association is the World Organization of the Scout Movement recognised Scouting association in the United Kingdom. Scouting began in 1907 through the efforts of Robert Baden-Powell. The Scout Association was formed under its previous name, The Boy Scout Association, in 1910 by the grant...
. It is a competitive event, without an overnight camp (although teams must be equipped to bivouac if the conditions are severe enough to warrant it). It was first held as a Rover Scout event in 1957, but is now open to other teams of experienced hill walkers and fell runners
Fell running
Fell running, also known as mountain running and hill running, is the sport of running and racing, off road, over upland country where the gradient climbed is a significant component of the difficulty...
.
Rules
The event is undertaken in teams of three or four, for safety reasons, and at least two of these team members must be at least 17 (the others may be 16) on the day of the event. An amount of equipment must be carried by the team, including survival bags, emergency rationsEmergency rations
Emergency rations are items of food and drink that a person stores and relies on in case of an emergency. Emergency food supplies can be purchased for camping trips or wilderness adventures. These supplies are meant to last for several day. Many people also purchase long shelf life emergency food...
, a first-aid kit, and a group shelter. Any member of a team is allowed to drop out at any point, but the rest of the team will not be permitted to continue the event unless they are in a group of not less than 3, or more than 7 people (which can be formed by combining two groups together). The remaining team members must still carry all of the safety equipment. Any team that has not reached the checkpoint at Chapel-en-le-Frith
Chapel-en-le-Frith
Chapel-en-le-Frith is a small town in Derbyshire, England, on the edge of the Peak District near the border with Cheshire, from Manchester. Dubbed "The Capital of the Peak District", the settlement was established by the Normans in the 12th century, originally as a hunting lodge within the Forest...
before 21:15 will not be allowed to complete the rest of the event. No dogs are allowed to accompany the walkers.
Route
The 45-mile (72km) hike starts at the local church of Holmbridge. The first of the 12 checkpoints is the derelict 'Isle of Skye' Inn, then the route heads south, crossing the flanks of Black HillBlack Hill (Peak District)
Black Hill is a hill in the Peak District, England.It used to be the highest point in Cheshire, but now lies on the border between the boroughs of Kirklees in West Yorkshire and High Peak in Derbyshire, reaching above sea level....
. Next, it passes through Hey Moss, Crowden, Tor Side, Bleaklow
Bleaklow
Bleaklow is a high, largely peat covered, gritstone moorland, just north of Kinder Scout, across the Snake Pass , in the Derbyshire High Peak near the town of Glossop...
, and Doctor's Gate to the 'Snake (Pass) Inn
Snake Pass
The Snake Pass is the name given to the remote, higher reaches of the A57 road where it crosses the Peak District between Manchester and Sheffield in the north of England...
'. The next checkpoint is over the Kinder
Kinder Scout
Kinder Scout is a moorland plateau in the Dark Peak of the Derbyshire Peak District in England. Part of the moor, at 636 m above sea level, is the highest point in the Peak District, the highest point in Derbyshire, and the highest point in the East Midlands. It is accessible from the villages of...
plateau to the 'Nag's Head' Inn in Edale
Edale
Edale is a small Derbyshire village and Civil parish in the Peak District, in the Midlands of England. The Parish of Edale,area ,is in the Borough of High Peak....
. The route then passes though Chapel-en-le-Frith
Chapel-en-le-Frith
Chapel-en-le-Frith is a small town in Derbyshire, England, on the edge of the Peak District near the border with Cheshire, from Manchester. Dubbed "The Capital of the Peak District", the settlement was established by the Normans in the 12th century, originally as a hunting lodge within the Forest...
, White Hall, and the Goyt Valley to the 'Cat and Fiddle
Cat and Fiddle Inn
The Cat and Fiddle Inn is the second-highest inn or public house in England . The inn is situated on the eastern fringes of Cheshire in the Peak District National Park on the A537 road just west of the Derbyshire/Cheshire county boundary, on the western side of Axe Edge Moor...
' Inn, finally descending to Buxton
Buxton
Buxton is a spa town in Derbyshire, England. It has the highest elevation of any market town in England. Located close to the county boundary with Cheshire to the west and Staffordshire to the south, Buxton is described as "the gateway to the Peak District National Park"...
for the finish.
Usually, two thirds of the teams finish the event, in times between 8 and 16 hours (the course record of 6 hours 45 minutes was set in 2010). However, some teams take longer than this, and some have taken over 20 hours. At most of the checkpoints, hot drinks and sandwiches will be given to the competitors, and several Mountain Rescue teams
Mountain rescue
Mountain rescue refers to search and rescue activities that occur in a mountainous environment, although the term is sometimes also used to apply to search and rescue in other wilderness environments. The difficult and remote nature of the terrain in which mountain rescue often occurs has resulted...
are on hand to ensure their safety.
Awards
A number of trophies are available for teams that complete the event. These are:| Trophy | Awarded for | Event Record + Year |
|---|---|---|
| President's Trophy | Fastest non-Scout team | Flipper’s Gang - 6 hrs 45 mins (2010) |
| Four Inns Cup | Fastest Scout team | Viking VSU 'A' - 7 hrs 9 mins (1989) |
| Eric Thompson Memorial Trophy | Fastest mixed team | Carnethy Hill - 7 hrs 48 mins (2008) |
| George Keeling Memorial Trophy | Fastest novice non-Scout team | Dicky’s Dream Team - 8 hrs 35 mins (2010) |
| The Innsman Trophy | Fastest team with all team members over 40 years of age | Macclesfield Harriers - 7 hrs 19 mins (2005) |
| Freda Thompson Trophy | Fastest Scout team with all members under 25 | Viking VSU 'B' - 8 hrs 9 mins (1983) |
| Derbyshire Plate | Fastest Scout team representing a Group outside Derbyshire | Thrust - 8 hrs 8 mins (2011) |
| Falcon Trophy | Fastest female team | Run Like A Girl - 9 hrs 28 mins (2009) |
| Kim Gale Trophy | Fastest novice Scout Team | Aquila E.S.U. - 10 hrs 25 mins (2010) |
The 1964 Event
Three Rover Scouts, aged 19, 21, and 24 died in the 1964 event. The youngest was a member of the 32nd Huddersfield (Dalton) Rover Crew. The two older were from the Birmingham University Rover Crew. Travelling lightly laden and without support, they were overtaken by deteriorating weather, including 30mph winds, heavy rain, and temperatures from 0 to 7oC above the Snake Pass. The youngest of the group got into trouble in the upper reaches of the Alport Valley. One of his team members summoned help and he was brought down to Alport Castles Farm by the Glossop Rover Crew. He was taken to hospital but died later. The other two scouts who died were in a separate team, but in the same area. A third member of that team was found in the Alport and taken to safety, but he was unable to give accurate information about where the rest of the team were. Because of the worsening weather, the search had to be called off during the night, but it was resumed on Sunday morning. However, it was not until Monday afternoon that the first body was recovered. By Tuesday, 370 people were involved with the search and the second body was recovered later that morning.(In that year, when the event fell in mid-March, only 22 of the initial field of over 240 finished).There is a Memorial Tablet to the three Scouts in Holy Trinity Church, Edale, dedicated in a memorial service held on Sunday, 22nd May 1966.
An MRC (Medical Research Council
Medical Research Council (UK)
The Medical Research Council is a publicly-funded agency responsible for co-ordinating and funding medical research in the United Kingdom. It is one of seven Research Councils in the UK and is answerable to, although politically independent from, the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills...
) respiration and metabolism project, devised to identify the metabolic and biochemical basis for this tragedy, was performed during the 1965 event, with young volunteers.