Myrddyn Phillips - Mapping Mountains: Mapping Mountains – Trimble Surveys

08.08.15 Gravel Pit Field (SJ 225 167), Gravel Pit Field (SJ 233 171) and Gors Leasow (SJ 228 180)

Courthouse Bank (SJ 247 183)

Our next three hills formed a neat triangle as we continued east and then north with the first of the three having been listed as The Mount in the P30 lists that appear of Geoff Crowder’s v-g.me website, and which is now listed as Gravel Pit Field, with this name deriving from the Tithe map. This hill is listed as being 154m high on current Ordnance Survey maps after the 153.951m flush bracket height adjoined to its triangulation pillar which is situated in a hedge beside the narrow lane which heads from west to east across the summit ridge. This trig pillar is listed as Mount Farm in the OS Trig Database and the name I had previously used for the hill of The Mount comes from the farm to the south of the summit.

As I drove east from our last hill; Y Gaer (SJ 204 155), Alex navigated and once at the top of the road beside the summit of our next hill he said ‘there it is’, I looked and then looked a bit more, but still could not see the trig pillar, I had to go straight up to the hedge and peer in to it, to get a view, and then it was only a partial one as the rest of the trig pillar was submerged in the hedge. We parked opposite the trig next to a gate and it was obvious that ground in the adjacent field on the opposite side of the lane from where the trig was situated was higher than it.

Somewhere in there is a trig pillar. Can you spot it?

Once in the field we chose the spot for Trimble placement and as I set the equipment up Alex went to examine the trig pillar. As the Trimble gathered its five minutes of data Alex walked down the road and we chatted through the hedge. After the Trimble was packed away I clambered over the gate and went to have a quick look at the trig from the opposite side, even from its adjacent field it was still submerged in the hedge but at least more of it was on view.

Gathering data from the summit of Gravel Pit Field

A bit more of the trig pillar is on view from its adjacent field

Our next hill lay a mile to our east and is given the name of Ty Top in the P30 listings on Geoff’s website, this name appears on the map but in all likelihood it applies to a hoses which is situated just below the summit of the hill, again the Tithe map names the field where the summit of this hill is situated as another Gravel Pit Field.

We parked very near to the summit of the hill on the opposite side of the road from where a gate gave access onto the summit field. Alex slowly walked ahead as we were being watched by a grazing herd of cows and our route up the field lay straight through them.

Approaching the summit of the second Gravel Pit Field

As the Trimble gathered its data I took a number of photos of Alex standing between the Trimble and the cows, with one of them being inquisitive enough to slowly edge its way forward toward Alex for an enquiring sniff and rub of its head. Across the Severn Valley the Breiddin leapt up from the landscape with Rodney’s Pillar firmly pointing skyward.

Gathering data at the summit of the second Gravel Pit Field

The summit of this hill would only take a couple of minutes to visit from where we had parked, but it was good to take our time and wait for the Trimble to do its stuff, during the time when it gathered data I looked around and summer bounced back at me with dulled greens and warm blue skies, it was good to be out on the hill, even though some of our chosen ones for the day were no more than quick visits to high fields.

As we got back to the car I stopped a passing tractor and chatted to one of the local farmers, he had never heard a name for this hill or the field where its summit is situated, he happily waved his goodbye’s, laughing as he did so, saying ‘I’m making hay while the sun shines’, we both smiled at this as we got back into the car and headed off to the next hill.

I drove through the small community of Deuddwr toward our next hill which is listed as Bryn Trewylan in the P30 lists on Geoff’s website, this is another partly invented name taken from Trewylan Hall which is situated to the south of the hill’s summit, with the hill now listed as Gors Leasow based on detail from the Tithe map. We wondered what way to approach the hill and as there was no ‘private’ sign on the continuation of the paved road to the Hall I drove down it. Our preferred option for ascent was to follow the edge of forestry to the east of the summit but there wasn’t a suitable parking place so we continued to the Hall, parked, grabbed our stuff and walked on a footpath which gave access to the hill from its south-west.

During these little bagging trips Alex was visiting the hills without a rucksack whilst I went fully prepared with over trousers and Goretex jacket and a multitude of other stuff! The footpath led us up into a field where we broke out from the adjacent forestry and walked up to a gate, passing on our way a beautifully and naturally carved dead tree that hung itself above the ground.

On our way up Gors Leasow

The beautifully shaped dead tree

Beyond lay a steep grass slope that took us to the summit, we spent a number of minutes assessing the land before I placed the Trimble on what we judged to be the high point, as it gathered data I stood watching a number of cows against a near fence as they stood watching me, all in the heat of the afternoon sun as the day was turning out to be a warm one.

Gathering data at the summit of Gors Leasow

After we had retraced our steps Alex navigated us to the base of Courthouse Bank (SJ 247 183) which I had visited earlier in the year on 20^th March to watch the partial eclipse of the sun. I parked beside a gate straight at the base of the hill and watched Alex run up it as I very happily remained at the car, standing beside it soaking up the sun and taking a few photos of Alex on the summit, about five minutes after setting off he was back at the car. Next stop was the forested summit of Bryn Mawr which will be detailed in the next Trimble blog post.