Trigs OS Sheet 99 - Friday 26th August 2022
Hunters Hill 60 m SE 324 995
Fingay Hill 9m SE 401 992
Arncliffe Wood 299m SE 459 997
Bullamoor 110m SE 392 942
Masty Bank 116m SE 428 901
Two hours driving on clear roads took me to the track leading to Hunter's Hill Farm. The trig is on a field a few hundred yards beyond the farm.
I was greeted by two friendly farm dogs as I approached Mr Farmer sat on his tractor in the farmyard. He has had similar visits from trig point baggers and was happy to sit up there and chat for a while. I was told I would find a Union Jack flying at the trig and that his brother's ashes were scattered there. I said I would show appropriate respect, but strangely he made some indication that would not be obligatory. As we chatted he had an incoming phone call and had a to and fro about the cost of his diesel oil which seems to be increasing daily.
As I carried on to my objective I was followed by one of the collie farm dogs who seemed to welcome a walk, or perhaps he sensed that I may get lost and was happy to show me the way. The trig had the proud flag flying and had been well maintained, newly painted white. Views on this glorious sunny day were extensive and sharp.
I entered Brompton into my car sat-nav and only realised after about twenty minutes that I was heading in the wrong direction - you see I can even get lost without getting out of the car. There must be more than one Brompton in the area.
I have only just discovered trigpointing UK where all our trig points are recorded with logs of bagger's visits so I had learned that friendly permission had been given at Low Moor Farm. As I arrived I was lucky to catch the farmer as he was just setting off in his car, I was told the trig had bee moved from the centre of the field to the hedgerow. A short trek and a couple of gates had me up there and after checking in with the pillar I used the GPS to locate the original position easily, especially as the remains were still evident.
Some harrowing grass-in-the-middle narrow lanes brought me to an exit onto the frighteningly busy A19 for a one hundred yard stretch to then branch off and climb again through steep, narrow U-bend lanes to squeeze into limited parking at the National Trust access point labelled Scarth Nick. Here I followed the Cleveland Way on a substantial track often well paved with those old mill sandstone slabs.
A low drystone wall with an eighteen inch gap to a barbed wire fence protected the trig standing a dozen yards beyond. I was not prepared to risk torn clothing or injuries. If I can get within close sight of a trig that will do for me. The point of this exercise is to have an objective which will take me to new ground and possible discoveries and encounters. Actually touching a trig pillar is of little consequence but having said that I will make every attempt within reason.
I had targeted to visit the first four listed here but I reckoned I would have time to slot in one more. I drove to Bulamoor which I knew was in the bottom south-west corner of an enclosed reservoir complex with security fencing. There was a small lay-by opposite the high locked gates but Google Earth had shown me there was access to the adjoining field allowing me to walk round the perimeter of the security fencing to that far corner where I was able to get a photo at about thirty yards distant. The trig was standing proudly atop the reservoir infrastructure.
A short drive and I was at a bridleway end hopefully giving to access to the final trig field. By luck that proved to be the case - there was a hole and passage through the hedging and a low barbed wire fence which I could straddle. I crossed the field to the far hedge. My 1:25 map showing field boundaries was not working and I was not sure of which side of the hedge I would find the trig. There was no sign. I was able to walk out to the road and back up the other side of the hedge but despite searching carefully the trig was mot there. I did find a pile of stones and earth at the point where GPS on my 1:50 map was showing me to be on the spot. Subsequent reference to Trigpointing uk confirmed my conclusion.
The long drive home included about half and hour lost with grid-lock on the early part of the A 66 from Scotch Corner. That was a 220 mile round trip but most enjoyable and well worthwhile I thought.
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| Lane leading to Hunter's Hill Farm |
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| Mr. Farmer on his tractor |
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| "In loving memory of George William Hugill - 1926 to 2019 George lived and farmed in this area all his life. " |
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| Low Moor Farm and my car at the start for Fingay Hill |
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| The trig in its moved-to location and... |
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| ...where it came from about fifty yards away nearer the middle of the field |
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| On the Cleveland Way. The path was more substantial further on |
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| Looking back down the Cleveland Way. You can just see the pimple of Roseberry Topping to the left of the tree on the near horizon. Heather in bloom: wonderful, does my soul good |
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| Arncliffe Wood trig guarded by wall and wire. That was near enough for me |
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| As near as I could get to Bullamore |
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| The location of Masty Bank. GPS put it at a point just behind this mast enclosure - see next photo |
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| This was within couple of metres of the GPS indication but I'm not sure if it had anything to do with the absent trig |
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| Broad red is part of boundary of Sheet 99. Yellow is my approximate car driving |
Well that was a good start. Fine weather, friendly farmers and dogs. Strange that trig points can be moved or disappear altogether. The one in the reservoir is indeed odd.
ReplyDeleteBC - I think most of the moved ones have been moved by farmers because they get in the way. I suspect the one in the reservoir was there before the reservoir, but probably elevated onto the top of the new infrastructure.. Any movement at all would interfere with the very precise measurements that would have been taken when the trig was used but as far as I know new mapping is now done from the air.
ReplyDeleteGood to see your new endeavour off to a successful start, with a bonus extra one slotted into the itinerary too.
ReplyDeleteMy version of your SatNav misdirection was that once, in France, I failed to notice that our destination involved is crossing the Greenwich meridian and thus I programmed a W longitude rather than E. Fortunately on that day I was paying enough attention to catch the error before it led us an hour out of our way, although not before I'd ranted at length about the ridiculous routes concocted by the SatNav.
Gayle - That doesn't sound like you with your mastery of tech. I would still be trying to work out where I had gone wrong. By the way the history of the Greenwich Meridian is a sore point with the French and a triumph of dubious and skilful diplomatic negotiation by the English ( as far as I can remember from reading about it some years go,)
ReplyDeleteWell done Conrad, an admirable set of 'bags'!
ReplyDeleteYou’re off to a flying start Conrad!
ReplyDeleteAfoot and Phreerunner - Thanks for the comments. Another six coming up , hopefully to be posted today (Wednesday.)
ReplyDeleteThose pics of the paths north of Osmotherly on the Cleveland Way brought back agonised memories - they certainly look like the conventional starting sections of the Lyke Wake Walk: I wonder if that is as popular now as in the '60's and 70's. Grim going in the wet and fog. One of the few times I've ever taken sugar in my tea - at that finish café ! But plenty of trig points to either side, I'm sure.
ReplyDeletegimmer - Yes I too have memories of our trudging of the Lyke Wake. Perhaps the worst walk I have ever done. I've visited those Cleveland hills a couple of time since in very good weather conditions and find them most attractive, although teeming with people on this occasion. It was the bleak, peat hag ridden, squelching, doom laden, endless moorland that killed the goose.
ReplyDelete