A drive away from Manchester in the depths of the Cheshire countryside lies a vantage point that truly lives up to its name. The Cloud, in Congleton, is a 300m-high peak that boasts 'stunning, panoramic views' for walkers.
It is also said that the unique position of the viewpoint allows visitors to witness a double sunset - a rare astro-geographical phenomenon in which the sun appears to set twice in the same evening - with the occurrence first recorded in writing in 1686 by Robert Plot in his book The Natural History Of Stafford-shire. The landscape is also very rare because like Cheshire's Bickerton, which is also blanketed in purple heather, it is one of few remaining lowland heaths in the region.
Since 1800, 84 per cent of Britain’s lowland heath has been lost. And the Cloud's significance has meant that it has been designated as a conservation area of Special Biological Interest.
