14.07.21 Top Field (SO 114 890)
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| Top Field (SO 114 890) |
If wanting an easy, quick ascent of this hill it
can be accomplished in no more than five minutes as a narrow road follows the
crest of the ridge and passes its summit just to its east. Such lanes don’t have many options to park,
however for this particular hill there is adequate space to park directly
opposite a double gate and fence that gives access to the upper field where the
summit of the hill is positioned.
Just below the summit is a large chicken barn
adjoined to Blackhill farm, once over the double gate and fence it is only a
short distance past an enclosed covered water reservoir on closely cropped
grass to the summit of the hill. The
high point is adjacent to another enclosed patch of land, which may be
connected with the water reservoir.
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| Gathering data at the summit of Top Field |
When I visited all was quiet except for the
occasional hum of a forklift working at the chicken compound, otherwise I had
the hill to myself. I positioned the
Trimble on the highest part of land outside of the second compound about a
metre from the perimeter fence. On the opposite
side of the fence in the enclosed section were copious amounts of thistles
which were higher than the fence, otherwise I would have positioned the
equipment on a convenient fence post to give it elevation above its immediate
surrounds. For this survey my rucksack was
used as an improvised tripod which would have to suffice, as it has done for
hundreds of surveys over recent years.
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| If not for the thistles the Trimble would be positioned on the fence post |
Once the Trimble was gathering data I stood a
few metres away from it and looked down on Newtown in the valley below. This was my fifth of seven planned hills
during the day, and my last; Trehafren Hill (SO 100 910) stared back at me from
the confines of Newtown surrounded by housing estates. It looked a fine small hill to end the day’s
bagging and surveying expedition on.
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| The Trimble set-up position at the summit of Top Field |
After allotted data were gathered and stored I
closed the equipment down, took a few photographs and packed it away and
retraced the few metres back to my car and then drove the short distance to the
large chicken shed where I met a young man operating the forklift. I enquired about the hill which was just behind
us and explained my interest in its name.
He couldn’t help but said that his boss was due back soon and he could
give him a ring if I wanted. Yes please
was my reply! I then spent a few minutes
on the phone talking to Prosser James; the farmer from Blackhill who told me he
did not know an individual name for the hill but its upper field where the
summit is situated is known as Top Field.
Thanking him for his time and happy with another hill visited and
surveyed, and another name documented I drove back to the narrow lane and
continued south-west on the same ridge to a sub hill that the Tithe map also
names as Top Field (SO 110 879), this was going to be my sixth hill of the day
and I wanted to visit it and Trehafren Hill before the warm conditions
increased to such an extent that it made any form of hill walking
uncomfortable.
Survey Result:
Top Field (significant name change)
Summit Height: 382.5m (converted to OSGM15, Trimble GeoXH
6000)
Summit Grid Reference: SO 11407 89077 (Trimble GeoXH 6000)
Bwlch Height: c 312m (interpolation)
Bwlch Grid Reference: SO 10743 87070 (interpolation)
Drop: c 70m (Trimble GeoXH 6000 summit and
interpolated bwlch)
Dominance: 18.43% (Trimble GeoXH 6000 summit and
interpolated bwlch)
For further details please consult the Trimble Survey Spreadsheet
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