Green Withens Reservoir from Blackstone Edge, Littleborough, Greater Manchester, England

The mention of the words "Greater Manchester" in connection with the Pennine Way may surprise you, yet the trail does indeed potter into that local authority area as if threads it way. In former times, I might have used the name of the county of Lancashire when referring to these parts, but that isn't how it is today.

It was when I was nearing the end of a northbound stroll from Marsden that I was greeted with pleasant sunshine and these moorland views. That was after my enduring lots and lots of dense clag, the type of stuff that gets you wondering if you should have been out at all; my crossing of the A62 at Standedge in such conditions did rather focus the mind. Ironically, my start in Marsden was blessed by some wonderful spring sunshine. The low cloud and poor visibility meant that I appreciated the clarity of the route of the Pennine Way together with my possession of map and compass.

On that day, I wasn't the only one who encountered foggy conditions, and it wasn't limited to the South Pennines either; Cheshire was similarly blighted. Everything improved after I crossed over the M62 at lunchtime and views of sunlit moorland followed with this view of Green Withens Reservoir and Rishworth Moor being among many. Even with the less than ideal conditions, It still was a good walk.