The Cloud (Peak District) - Double Sunset

Double Sunset

The double sunset is an extraordinary astro-geographical phenomenon, which was traditionally seen against The Cloud from the churchyard of Saint Edward the Confessor in Leek, in Staffordshire, on the summer solstice. In clear weather, the sun sets on the summit of the hill, partially reappears from The Cloud's steep northern slope and soon afterwards sets for a second and final time on the horizon. The occurrence was first recorded in writing in 1686 by Dr Robert Plot in his book The Natural History Of Stafford-shire, and may well have been observed for centuries before then. The spectacle is no longer visible from its traditional observation point because of tree interference, but can still be witnessed on the summer solstice from Leek: from the road to Pickwood Hall, off Milltown Way, and less well from Lowe Hill on the outskirts of the town. Better observation sites of the phenomenon are from the A523 above Rudyard Lake, and Woodhouse Green. Both of these events and their locations are described in detail in Jeff Kent's book The Mysterious Double Sunset.