RIVINGTON Pike was visited by thousands of people for the annual Good Friday walk.

The Easter weather stayed “egg-cellent” for the families who come to enjoy a walk and a picnic.

And children of all ages enjoyed the traditional egg rolling down the steep hill.

The trek to the top of the pike was started by Christians in the 19th Century to remember Christ’s suffering on the cross — and it is now a family tradition which has been carried out for generations.

Members of Hunters Cheerleading, from Horwich, wowed visitors with an impromptu show of some of their stunts on the top, while families sat back and enjoyed basking in the bank holiday sun.

Hunters Cheerleading coach Alicia Fairclough said: “We like to come together as a club and do social activities together like this because we spend quite a lot of time doing intensive training. But we couldn’t resist doing a few routines as the weather is so nice.”

Many children had hand painted eggs ,which they had prepared to race down the hill, including Holly Bristow, aged nine, and brother Daniel, aged five.

Their mum, Lucy, had spent two days painting their favourite characters on to the eggs.

She said: “The ideas came from the kids. One wanted Spiderman and Iron Man and the other wanted a funny face with a moustache and a spotty one. Luckily I had a pack of eggs which needed using up. It’s just a bit of fun and the kids love it.”

It was not just the children who enjoyed the trek.

Michael Swailes, aged 70, and Anne Byrne, aged 66, have walked up Winter Hill to the pike for many years.

Mr Swailes said: “We come up here regularly each year but it is never as busy as it is on a Good Friday. It’s a beautiful spot to look out from.

“More often than not there is no-one here but it has been really good to see all the families come up here and appreciate the beauty that we have right on our doorstep.”