Mapping Mountains – Trimble Surveys – Hegdon Hill

30.01.18  Hegdon Hill (SO 585 539)

Having surveyed Grendon Green / The Firs (SO 599 573) I drove a few miles on minor lanes through the sleepy hamlet of Pencombe and parked at the edge of a muddied track leading to buildings named Little Hegdon.  From here it was only a short walk down the narrow lane to a gate giving access to the field where the summit of Hegdon Hill is reported to be situated.

Looking up the field from near the access gate with the trig pillar just below the telegraph pole on the right

The field had been planted and it slowly rose to a grassed edge which steeply butted against a mature hedge, I followed its grassed rim toward the trig pillar which stands approximately 10 metres from the hedge. 

The hedge is positioned about 10 metres from the trig pillar

The upper section of the hill was still in shade and white frosted, while to the north Grendon Green / The Firs was bathed in sunshine.  I judged the grassed rim of the field which rose in to the hedge to be a part of land that had been disturbed when the hedge was planted and therefore not a natural part of the hill, because of this I placed the Trimble on what I judged to be the highest ground that did not rise steeply in to the hedge.

Early morning frost on the summit of Hegdon Hill

I considered the steeply rising grass rim to be displaced land made when the hedge was planted and therefore not a natural part of the hill

Whilst the Trimble gathered its customary five minutes of data I wandered down the field in the direction of where my car was parked to see if there was direct access to it, there wasn’t, so once five minutes of data were gathered I closed the Trimble down, packed it away and retraced my steps back to the car on my inward route.

Looking westward toward the corner of the field where the access gate is placed

On the way back up the minor lane to the car I looked at the land either side of the strip of tarmac, each was vegetated with trees and brambles, and it was hard to judge if this land was higher than where the Trimble had been placed.

This hill could easily be bagged in a couple of minutes there and back if wanted, it had taken me 30 minutes, which is one of the advantages (or dependent upon your view; disadvantages) of surveying, as it affords time to look and potter, something that I’m now used to and enjoy. 

 

Survey Result:

Hegdon Hill

Summit Height:  253.9m (converted to OSGM15)

Summit Grid Reference:  SO 58525 53920

Drop:  c 156m

Dominance:  61.41%

For further details please consult the Trimble Survey Spreadsheet