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Sunset Over Bodmin Moor
(and a "Moonwalk")

Photographs taken 2006

A walk out onto Bodmin Moor in September 2006, at the time of a full moon, and a partial eclipse of the moon expected after the sun went down. This "Moonwalk" was organised by Mark Camp of Walkaboutwest, and was a great success on a beautiful fine late Summer's evening. The walk was from Minions, and up onto Stowes's Hill, and Stowe's Pound, a Neolithic hill-top enclosure near the Cheesewring.

Sunset over Bodmin Moor
Sunset over a Neolithic landscape

Waiting for the sun to set, and the moon to rise, was fascinating in this ancient setting, where thousands of years ago those early settlers would have done the same; with awe, wonder, and perhaps fear in their hearts at the pending eclipse of the moon.

Sunset over Bodmin Moor
The sun sinks...

Sunset over Bodmin Moor
...and the sky is lit by oranges, yellows and red hues

Sunset over Bodmin Moor
Looking out over the moor it is an ageless sight

Moon over Bodmin MoorWith the sun now below the horizon, and the moon well risen above it in the east, the partial eclipse - which as it turned out was very partial - was also a little obscured by thin clouds and hard to make out.

But the mood of the moor passed from fading sunlight to rising moonlight, and it was a moon-lit walk back to Minions, and an amazing Moonwalk achieved!

If you are out on the moor - safely - at night or early evening, it is a very different place. The landscape is more eerie and obscured, and importantly, your footing and where you walk is less sure. Torches, or even head-lights, are a necessity for personal safety. And don't leave anyone behind!


A Full Moon, but a hidden partial eclipse!

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