Snow Showers over Two Lads
Sunshine and Snow over the Peak District, from Two Lads.
Not a lot of time to get out and about too far today and it was also blowing a blizzard. So I went up Two Lads on Winter Hill from Wilderswood. A nice, if muddy walk up to the top. Whilst there the clouds briefly broke to give nice views.
Not far from the top, there is a large boulder, where on a few afternoon walks I have come across a Muslim, a very black African man, praying the direction of Mecca, which is in the Glossop direction I believe. He wasn’t there today, one would need a good waterproof to survive just a few minutes kneeling down.
There are great views from the top, looking down to Horwich and Chorley, across to Rivington Pike and today the Peak District was clear and white with the recent snow. The picture is the first taken with my new phone, not bad. You can also see Smithills Chimney peaking out of the woods above Bolton.
Some history of Two Lads from Dave Lanes Winter Hill Scrap Book;
“In the late 80’s there was a local “storm” in the Bolton Evening News both in articles and especially on the letters pages. Over the years the Two Lads cairn had virtually vanished and was in ruins. In 1988 a “mystery man” started to rebuild the cairn ( since discovered to a David A Owen!). This task was then taken over by amateur historian Robin Smith who took over the task of restoring the monument to its original glory and he added a further four feet to the structure both by adding to it in height as well as clearing away rubble from the base.
During the digging he found the remains of old pots, jars, pieces of leather and clay smoking pipes he believed could date back one or two centuries. His most amazing discovery came when he dug to the bottom of the cairn and hit solid stone. He believed this could be the top of another ancient construction, adding weight to many historians view that the cairn marks the site of a Bronze or Iron Age fortress.
The council took offence at this “new” structure (especially to its 10 foot height) and claimed it was dangerous and proceeded to pull it down! Undeterred, the mound was once again rebuilt by local people in 1989 but it was promptly pulled back down again by the authorities! Two Lads became known as “the Yo Yo cairn”!
One reason for the council pulling it down is a bit rich – it is too big! A sketch of Two Lads was drawn by Albison of Bolton 200 years ago which clearly showed that even in those days it was about eight feet high and thirteen feet in diameter!”
More on the history of this interesting spot in later blogs.
Antondotreks 
Thanks for all that info. on the Two Lads.
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