The phenomenon is traditionally associated with the town of Leek, in Staffordshire, from where it is viewed on and around the summer solstice in good weather. The occurrence was first recorded in writing in 1686 by Dr Robert Plot in his book The Natural History Of Stafford-shire, although it has been argued that the first people to witness the spectacle may well have been Danish settlers from the Great Army, which invaded England in the ninth century. The traditional site for observing the phenomenon was the churchyard of Saint Edward the Confessor, from a particular point in which the whole of the sun set on the summit of The Cloud, a millstone grit hill six miles to the northwest. The sun partially reappeared from The Cloud's steep northern slope and soon afterwards set for a second and final time on the horizon. The spectacle was last reliably witnessed, and filmed, from the churchyard in 1977, but is no longer visible from the location because of tree interference. Further double sunsets were discovered by the writer Jeff Kent in 1997 from three places in west Derbyshire, observed against the limestone reef knolls, Chrome Hill, Parkhouse Hill and Thorpe Cloud.
The plan is to meet at Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese Inn in Longnor from 5pm (not the pub on the square, it's just up the road). Food and drink can be consumed prior to departure. The pub is not an official part of the event so it is not my intention to inform them, therefore please bear this in mind when making your time allowance. I have requested the caches to be published at 6:30pm - we will depart from the given co-ordinates shortly after that time to walk to the recommended viewing point where we should be able to watch the sun set over the spectacular Chrome Hill, before it re-emerges and then sets for a second time.
Writer and double sunset expert Jeff Kent discovered the viewing place and will be traveling across giving a talk at the viewing site at 8.15pm. He will then guide us and anyone else who has come to watch through the show (it is advertised locally). He does ask for a optional £2 donation. The sunset should occur 20 minutes after we arrive. Shortly after that, we will then return to the pub via a different route. The total walk will be just over 3 miles, including some light ups and downs on public footpaths and a short stretch of B road of around 800ft. There are no hills on the walk, just a slight rise onto the ridge. There may be an option of taking a longer route back to get other nearby caches, this would include a small hill and make the total mileage 4.5 miles. We may split into two groups, it will be entirely up to attendees and may be weather depended which route we take back. The return walk will take place after the sunset, so a torch may be wise although it should stay light at this time of year. One cache on the return stretch requires paddling in a stream under a bridge, possibility at knee height. Hopefully someone will volunteer to go for it - I had to place an interesting one!
To clarify, in order to log your attendance for this event, you need to be at the event location of Glutton Bridge (see waypoints) between the start time of 8:15pm and the end time of 8:40pm. This is the formal event time and location, as the event is about watching the sunset which will occur at 8:35pm. You do not need to join us for the walk before and after in order to attend the event, you can drive to Glutton Bridge. Do be aware Glutton Bridge is located on a de-restricted B road, narrow, twisty with very limited parking. I would expect other members of the general public to arrive by car to watch the sunset, making parking here difficult and you may have to park some distance away. It is for this reason I have planned to walk over to the location and this is the way I would recommend. Our guide on the night, Jeff Kent, may move us slightly from the co-ordinates I have provided for the best vantage of the sunset, if you make your own way there, please find our group to log your attendance. You are more than welcome to join us there if you prefer.
This is not an occurrence I have personally witnessed but it sounds well worth a visit to find out if it is as good as claimed - people have been going to watch it for a number of years now. The walk start time may alter slightly once the caches have been set, please watch for announcements near the time. Don't forget a camera. The double sunset isn't guaranteed, it's all down to complex alignments and some years it sounds as though it's been better than others. Come to that, I can't guarantee a single sunset, but here's to hoping! If it's cloudy, you can still enjoy a social evening and a short walk in one of the most beautiful areas of the Peak District. All are welcome to attend.
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Thank you to everyone who attended this event and witnessed the double sunset. A profile badge is now available, produced from images taken on the night (the picture on this page). To add it to you profile, please copy and paste the following text:
<a href="http://www.geocaching.com/geocache/GC51EWM_summer-solstice-second-sunset-sighting?guid=f63603b5-a3af-4245-b85a-b7c19b34c78f"><img src="http://imgcdn.geocaching.com/cache/large/ed5b9b27-0052-4f19-b477-731708222eba.gif" alt="Summer Solstice Second Sunset Sighting" width="300" height="250" /></a>