Trigs 99 - Visit 3

Wednesday 7th September 2022 

Lister House  (High Barn)  SE 336 724     72m

Summerbridge (SW of)      SE  210 610   191m

High Crag                           SE 165 628    331m

Harper Hill                         SE 205 700    256m

Oak Bank                           SE 225 774     215m

Ellingstring Plantation       SE172 830      259m

Arklow Hill                        SE184 878     160m

There are differing names for trigs at various sources and differing heights between OS 1:25 and 1:50

Visit One ticked off 5, Visit Two, 6 and this visit 7. There is no way that apparently logical extrapolation will continue. 

I have now visited 19 out of the 29 total, so 10 left to do. Of those there is a group of three which will be done in one hit and will involve the last access from the north via the A66 and Scotch Corner, a route  I have rapidly tired of, especially as it involves uninspiring trips down the A1(M).

After that the remainder can be accessed via the A49, then Grassington and Pateley Bridge. Those trigs mostly cover the higher ground around Nidderdale and lend themselves to separate walks of six miles or so, each in their own right.

Brother RR who comments, nay, generally admonishes here, has taken me to task for ignoring the gift of eccentric place names. Well I can't do much with the plain speaking High Barn, except to wonder at the fate of Low Barn. A handy lay-by a few hundred yards up the road gave a perilous approach before access to the public bridleway through the farm and an arrow straight climb on the  track to the trig. Steely blue cloud cover with hints of silver provided a broody light for decent views of the surroundings.

A slip road into a caravan site on the road south of Hartwith Hil (S. of Summerbridge)l provided good parking. A short walk following a boundary wall up a grassy field led to the trig. The stone walling now uses sqaureish blocks of what I think is millstone grit reminiscent of shredded hands and fingers after a day's climbing at Almscliffe, not very far away. The trig had been decapitated. That would seem to have been done by idiots extracting the surveyor's mounting bracket, to what purpose? It is not obvious but a tube about a foot long extends from the bottom of the bracket down into the cast concrete so if you want to get the bracket out decapitation is the only way. I say "bring back hanging."

Continuing with my recall of rock climbing days High Crag is situated only a few rope lengths away from Guise Cliff which I have a vague memory of visiting once but fifty plus years dims the memory. A pleasant level walk across moorland heather in bloom  took me to an area of rocky boulders, the trig posing on top of one. Wainwright remarked on something similar in Wet Sleddsale saying "On no account should anybody over seventy try to climb this." Of course I heeded not. On descending I sat and shuffled off the edge grazing two of my fingers, one gets more stupid with age. Across the road from my parked car OS informs of Old Wife Ridge. I guess so named sarcastically by New Wife?

Harper Hill involved backtracking. The first approach terminated in a gateless field with a high wall topped with barbed wire. As I retraced I could see a gate giving access to the adjacent field and then another exit gate from there leading to the field containing the trig. To get to that first gate I had to thrash through chest high bracken fearing the worst from ticks and eventually arriving sweaty and bothered but the problem was solved. The trig was hidden again, as many seem to be, in a wood requiring a tricky stride over a barbed wire fence which had obviously been savaged to some extent by earlier trig baggers. I can only presume the wood was not there when the trig was founded.

Oak Bank tested my navigation when I missed the turn off the main path involving more backtracking. Yet another low and savaged barbed wire fence had to be negotiated but 'twas no great problem.

Ellingstring Plantation was the most straightforward of the day. A lay-by opposite a fancy pumping station building gave good parking. An open gateway into the trig field was a gift and a short there and back had this one sorted within less than fifteen minutes. There is a plaque on the trig from The Yorkshire Volunteers - they are an organisation for Territorial volunteers. Internet gives some information. I could find nothing about what I think is an erstwhile permission from Ordnance Survey to "adopt" a trig point. I think it was discontinued.

I had read of difficulty of getting to Arklow Hill on TrigpointingUK website because it is on private land with a house in proximity of the field but the field not owned by the resident so he can't give permission. Having said that one is stumped to access from what would be the most convenient point. I parked at a barn further up the road with gate access to the trig field. There were about twenty cows in the field with the odd calf. I skirted round walking slowly and calmly never advancing directly towards any animal. As I closed in on the trig the cows started following me but in gentle and curious manner only. They watched me taking my obligatory photo - I think it was the highlight of their day. I returned to the car without incident.

I pressed the sat nav in my car for "home. Bearing in mind I was located in a maize of minor single track roads with  many options for getting back to civilisation and good roads the sat nav took only about two seconds to calculate the route of around a hundred miles and its prediction of arrival time turned out to be within two minutes. How does it do that?

These photos do benefit from click to enlarge

On the way to Lister Hill. The trig was just at the top 

Lister Hill trig with the broody sky

From the caravan site car park for Summerbridge

A change from the limestone drystone walls

The vandalised trig at Summerbridge, and general view therefrom below

Starting point for High Crag

High Crag trig, and below

Harper Hill - outward route red arrow to the wall and return blue, see map below

Harper Hill trig in its wood 

Oak Bank  - I had to climb the barbed wire fence to the left.

Strange pumping station building at the start for Ellingstring Plantation

Ellingstring Plantation

No specific info. about this found on the Internet

Arklow Hill, "Are you looking at me"

NB shortcut over stubble field on the return

Guise Cliff across the way

Pink shows road journey

Trigs 99 - visit 2

Tuesday 30th August 2022

1. Carr Hill (The Cranks)                          SE 275 925    76m

2. Viewly Hill (Barf Hill)                          SE 400 860    67m

3. Eldmire Hill                                          SE  429 752    41m

4. Marton-le,Moor (Skelton Windmill)     SE 373 695    58m

5. Bland Close                                           SE 298 685      99m

6. Whitwell (Thifegate Lane)                     SE 244 910    146m

The new i phone 11 came into its own today after returning the first offering due to a faulty on/off switch and then having a problem transferring the data from the old iPhone 6, including my Memory Maps OS 1:50 and 1:25 . That was achieved with the help of the excellent Apple Support system where one speaks to a real person quickly and  nothing seems to be too much trouble.

Gayle asked whether the new acquisition had been a blur moment, Blur moments are spontaneous purchases made almost without one knowing it has happened, only to dawn when one reviews one's credit card statement later. The new iPhone purchase was in the opposite category. You battle on with some item that irritatingly performs just up to the point where you can't justify the cost of renewal.You will it to do the decent thing and fall on its sword. That of course doesn't happen. Eventually you kid yourself that one of those dubious justifications gives you permission and then you make the long debated move.

Carf Hill trig involved a short walk up a deeply enclosed lane but with a serendipitously placed rusty iron gate climbed to enter the trig's field. Crackly stubble crunched underfoot. Trigs hidden in hedges seem to be a recurring feature on this map. That is odd because the whole point of a trig is to be able to see and measure two others distant, Hedges pre-date trigs so I wonder.

The sat-nav in my Kia performed heroically during the whole day. I was soon at Thornton-le-Street where I parked at the end of what I thought was a private road leading to Thornton-le-Street Stud marked on the map. As it turned out I could have driven on this  tarmac road all the way and saved myself a couple of kilometres walking but it was pleasant going through quintessential English parkland. First view of the stud gave the impression of an opulent country house but on getting closer it seemed to have been converted into rather shabby looking flats. At one point I passed massive badger excavations that would have daunted one our erstwhile canal navvies.

Minor roads from the A 168 passed through a huge industrial estate where I missed the hidden continuation of my public road and some trekking back and forth ensued. A quick walk up another stubble field made me realise my unplanned fortune that this trip was happening after the crop had been cut. Yet another one hidden in a hedge (with nettles.)

Marton-le-Moor had me parking on a minor road and walking a hundred yards to a junction with very a busy road belying its  B6265 status. I had to walk another hundred yards or so on the grass verge with non-stop vehicles whizzing past at seventy mph to find yet another hedge incarcerated trig. I suppose it would have been quieter when they were erected between the 1930s and 60s. but I couldn't see how they may have observed others from this spot even then.

Bland Close - see map:

There are two possible approaches:

1 From the north driving through Ripon housing to what I thought would be a private track (yellow) to Bland Close with unknown surface or right of access.

2. From the south on a cul-de-sac minor public road continuing as a bridleway (blue) leading in about 1 km to Bland Close.

I chose the latter. The bridleway proved undrivable. I reversed back into a farmer's field at the end of the tarmac. The farmer was loading hay bales and we chatted. He confirmed that the yellow track from Ripon was drivable so that would mean eliminating a potential two miles walking. The farmer was very forceful in telling me my best plan was to drive back the seven miles to the northern Ripon option but that didn't appeal to me. It only took about ten minutes to walk to Bland Close by the bridleway from the farmer's field. This business of meeting people who try to insist that you follow their alternative route to your plan is not uncommon and one has to learn to treat such advice with caution. 

The farmer at Bland Close pleasantly gave me permission to visit via yet another stubble field. He said he would be grateful if I could lift the trig another metre to raise it from its 99 metres above sea level to 100 metres.

A quick drive had me to Thiefgate Lane and the final trig (in a hedge across a stubble field would you believe?)

Sat nav gave me the "quick" option back over the A66 or the "short"  back through Uredale, Wensleydale and Garsdale to Sedbergh. There was only seven minutes difference. I had a magnificent drive all the way on endlessly clear roads - 'twas all like re-enacting Stirling Moss's Mille Miglia.

A Grand day out.

Carr Hil trig and...

...looking back after having climbed the gate from the lane

Parkland on the way to Viewly Hill

Thornton-le-Street Stud. Turned out to be shabby flats

Massive badger works

Thornton-le-Street Stud trig

On the way to Eldmire Hill

Eldmire Hill trig

Marton-le-Moor trig. "For those in peril on the B6265"

Bland close trig and...

... the view therefrom

Thifegate Lane trig

Trigs 99 - Visit 1

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. 

Lane leading to Hunter's Hill Farm 

Mr. Farmer on his tractor

"In loving memory of George William Hugill - 1926 to 2019
George lived and farmed in this area all his life. "

Low Moor Farm and my car at the start for Fingay Hill

The trig in its moved-to location and...

...where it came from about fifty yards away nearer the middle of the field

On the Cleveland Way. The path was more substantial further on

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

Arncliffe Wood trig guarded by wall and wire. That was near enough for me

As near as I could get to Bullamore

The location of Masty Bank. GPS put it at a point just behind this mast enclosure - see next photo 

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

Broad red is part of boundary of Sheet 99. Yellow is my approximate car driving