Following the very heavy rains of Boxing Day 26th December 2015, – when we were somewhat pre occupied elsewhere with flooding incidents at Prestolee, Bolton and Lower Broughton, Salford, much damage was done to water courses on a local scale, upon our local moorlands.

With the first snow of 2016, falling on the daytime of Friday 8th January 2016, as low down as Belmont and Tockholes, which gave a slight covering on the northern flank of Winter Hill, a number of sizeable landslips caused by the heavy rain became immediately apparent on the hillside above Hordern or Ward’s Brook, and Wormsteads, below the area known as Winter Hill Flats.

Here the overlying peat deposits have simply slid off the underlying glacial clay deposits, resulting in obvious scars on the hillside.

Quite a feature to spot if you are out and about in that area.