The crisp dawn light was soon replaced by a spectacular brightness that spread across the moorland in equal measures. Sheep grazed off to my left flank while to my right I spotted a solo figure summit Two Lads. To the south, skies filled with hail unleashed their contents over the suburbs of Bolton and Manchester as the sun continued its ascent; light filtered through the darkness, and once the hail had passed I was left squinting again. It had been a blustery cold morning, causing my tears to dry on the side of my face. It was still early, but more and more people were appearing, mainly dog walkers, as I left the moorland for Holden's Plantation, passing Gilligant's Farm, where I spotted a tractor towing a metal roller in a nearby horse paddock.
I ummed and ahhed about whether to head over to White Brow and Adam Hill now that the sun was back out, but I figured the ground would be wet and muddy and decided against it. A woman dog walker held the gate for me as Rotary Way was reached while below, Lower Rivington Reservoir set against blue skies filled my vista. The car park at Wilderswood was full now with cars double-parked, the sunshine enticing early morning walkers out as I began my walk back to the car, were two passing lads asked, was my camera just for landscapes? I went on to explain that I'd been out since 07:00am to capture the sunrise. My enthusiasm about how good the sunrise was made the lads smile before they walked off in the direction of Two Lads. I unlocked the car, remembering that I still had a flask of hot Vimto which I finished off before setting off for home. |