Have you ever been to Black Hill? you really should have a walk up there, it’s quite amazing. As a youth I spent a lot of time on Black Hill – much of it lost in the mist and wandering knee deep through peat bogs in the hope of coming across the Trig Point. You see Black Hill was once very appropriately named – pollution, fire and overgrazing had removed the vegetation leaving behind a black peat moonscape. The combination on bare peat, pennine rain and lost walkers made progress tricky and knee-length gators the must have fashion item.  I once came across a walker genuinely stuck in the bog up to his waist – to this day I still wonder whether I should have helped him out.  On my walk last Monday I hardly recognised the place – the Pennine Way has been flagged  giving a sustainable path across the peat and even more striking the vegetation  has been restored through the good works of the ‘Moors for the Future’ project.  It’s not like in the good old days!

Steve Westwood

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