Winter Hill & Two Lads


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20th March 2022

Despite not being able to make the Lakeland fells this weekend it was great to see the arrival of settled weather with sunshine extending through the weekend and even into the week ahead.

This weekend I'd been attending my brothers stag-do in Leeds which is just over an hours drive away so after checking out of the hotel this morning I was back home by lunchtime and preparing to take advantage of the glorious weather by treating Holly and Brad to a short walk over Winter Hill and, maybe off the hangover.

Overview

Ascent:	752 Feet - 230 Metres
Summits:	2, Winter Hill - Two Lads
Weather:	Warm Sunshine Feeling Fresh At Height. Highs of 16°C Lows of 9°C
Parking:	Roadside Parking, Georges Lane, Horwich
Area:	West Pennine Moors
Miles:	5.5
Walking With:	Brad & Holly
Ordnance Survey:	Explorer 287
Time Taken:	2 Hours
Route:	Georges Lane - Rotary Way - Winter Hill - Rotary Way - Two Lads - Crooked Edge Hill - Pike Cottage - Wilderswood - Georges Lane

Parking Details and Map

Nearest Post Code:	BL6 6RS
Grid Reference:	SD 658 117

Map and Photo Gallery

Spring Daffodils, Georges Lane 15:30pm 16°C

The plan was to end the walk with a Rivington Pike sunset but I was so eager to get out I left home a whole hour earlier than I should which meant even if I really took my time I'd still be hanging around for an hour or so until the sun went down so I resigned myself to the fact that it didn't have to be a sunset walk and we'd just take our time anyway.

Oh sorry I forgot to mention I have Holly and Brad with me today who according to sources, missed me terribly last night so much so when I arrived back from Leeds earlier Holly was beside herself, bless.

Rivington Pike from Rotary Way.

Despite the sunshine I'm wearing my Rab down jacket because out in the open it's actually quite nippy. That's Rivington Pike over there with what appears to be about twenty odd people stood at the summit.

Holly bob.

As usual it's always difficult to photograph Holly because she stands so close to me while Brad was off exploring I tricked Holly into a quick pose.

Winter Hill Transmitter Mast from Rotary Way.

From leaving the car we passed half a dozen horses and two walkers and that was it, where is everyone on such a fine day?

Zooming in on the top of the Transmitter Mast.

Just looking at the those gantries is enough to make my legs wobble.

Winter Hill summit Trig Point.

After days without rain the summit area had started to dry up to the point you don't have to be an Olympic athlete at hop, skip and jump just to get close to the trig.

Redmond's Edge and Splitters Edge from Winter Hill.

With Great Hill seen on the horizon.

Here views extend beyond Belmont Reservoir.

Towards Turton Moor and Longworth Moor.

There's still a good couple of hours light left before the sun goes down.

Brad springs in to action!

I've never seen a dog look so happy to be out on't moors.

We take in the view towards Counting Hill.

With Delph Reservoir seen in the distance.

'Hey up'

We left Winter Hill summit and re-joined Rotary Way only passing the odd runner together with these two nosey sheep as we headed towards Two Lads next.

Winter Hill from Two Lads.

This short section of footpath between Rotary Way and Two Lads is notoriously boggy and just like the summit of Winter Hill the ground underfoot was drying up nicely.

Two Lads summit.

A short time later we were stood on Two Lads enjoying the views while two ladies (out of shot) drank from a hot flask with their dogs nearby.

The sun sinking into Anglezarke Reservoir.

Instead of heading back onto Rotary Way I took the footpath across Crooked Edge Hill towards Pike Cottage to enjoy what I could of the sun set.

Rivington Pike from Pike Cottage.

The light is beginning to change but I'm still way too early to watch the sun go down so once Belmont Track is reached I'll call it a day and start to head back to the car.

Georges Lane.

The light changed and the sun sank lower towards the horizon as I left Pike Cottage behind towards Wilderwood and Georges Lane thereafter. There was still folk milling about and from Wilderwood I spotted the two ladies I'd spoken to back on Two Lads making their decent. My boots kicked up dust below my feet while sunlight pierced through the trees and illuminated the opposite field.

With the Georges Lane reached I took in the familiar lane peering left into a second field full of sheep while remembering the same time last year the same field was full of bleating lambs. Two horses trotted over to the edge of the field stopping just short of the wall, Brad and Holly too short to notice them we continued up the rise passing the daffodils I'd photographed earlier before spotting my car half way down Georges Lane who's windows were starting to reflect the start of a what appeared to be, another great sunset.