This page contains gossip, information and legend about events that have happened around the Roaches......
- Helicopter assisted stone walling - over the top conservation
- Aircraft crashes - there have been a number on the Roaches
In
Autumn 2004 a helicopter was used
to carry stone from Brownsett farm onto the Roaches to re-build the wall
along the north edge of the wood above Five Clouds.
The helicopter was used for most of the day doing a round trip in 5 minutes or so. The stone was carried in the type of big bags you see sand delivered in.
This must have cost a fortune especially to rebuild such an obscure
wall. It may have been the classic end of financial year 'spend the budget'
project to which so many organisations succomb. 
Especially
as the television series 'Dalziel and Pascoe' had just used the Roaches
for an episode and presumably had paid for the privilage.
Perhaps someone else knows better and would like to enlighten us all. Send me a note if you do. Webmaster
There have been a number of aircraft crashes on the Roaches, most as a result of low cloud and the aircraft flying lower than their flight plan dictated. The book-"'Peakland Air Crashes - the South" by Pat Cunningham details the aircraft involved and the reasons for the crashes.
If
you travel along the road from the Winking Man pub to Roach End about
half a mile from Roach End down the hillside to your right you will see
a lone large Rhododendron bush. This was planted at the crash
site of a bomber which crashed on the night of May 8th
1941 by a grief stricken German mother of a crew member. The bomber had
been hit on a raid over Liverpool Docks. The crew were preparing to bail
out when Roach End thwarted their plan.
The mother returned to the spot a number of times in the early years
after the war.
You can imagine how uncomfortable this could have been with anti-German
feelings running high post war. Frank Belfield's Dad gave her a lift back
to Leek the last time she came and they discussed how nobody in their
families had wanted to fight each other. She said she could not afford
to come again. Not surprising when travel then probably cost the same
in Pounds(or Marks) as it does now.
The aircraft was a Junkers Ju88 a-5 which was a medium bomber.