[Part 1 of 3]

The Moors in England have been a matter of interest and discussion ever since their immortalization in Emily Bronte’s “Wuthering Heights.” Where they were described as never-ending, wild, and even maddening. In Thomas Hardy’s “Tess of the d’Urbervilles”, he chose the English Moors as a metaphor for fear, ignorance and savagery.

The Saddleworth Moor is an area covering 400 square miles in the Peak District of North West England. More widely known as Greater Manchester.

The Saddleworth Moor is a rich mixture of sweeping valleys, hills and plateaus falling away to fast-flowing streams. Rocky formations jut out of the blanketed, dense peat grass that covers the area. The soil is poor, and so only the hardiest of vegetation survives.

Standing at 1,312 feet above sea level, thick morning fog appears like cloud barely lifting from the ground. The eery stillness and silence are deafening.

Its immensity is both daunting as well as fascinating.

However, in the 1960’s, the Moors came to the world’s attention in a very different, frightening light. They became the scene for some of the most notorious and sadistic crimes committed in Britain. The infamous Moors Murders.