Mapping Mountains – Trimble Surveys – Beacon Hill

 

17.07.21  Farrington Bank (SO 305 699) 

Farrington Bank (SO 305 699) and the Spaceguard Centre

I’d visited Farrington Bank previously and when last there, Trimbled its summit.  This hill is classified as a Pedwar and the Trimble survey de-twinned it from its adjacent summit positioned beside the observatory at the Spaceguard Centre.  Each summit is given a 417m spot height on contemporary Ordnance Survey 1:25,000 Explorer maps. 

On my last visit the summit area of Farrington Bank consisted of a closely cropped grazing field.  Today it was awash in breeze blown barley.  Prior to visiting I had contacted the Spaceguard Centre and gained permission to park and visit the triangulation pillar which is placed at the rear of the observatory.  This is close to where LIDAR gives the high point of this part of the hill, which is beside a fence and picnic table a few metres from the trig pillar.  Although the summit of Farrington Bank is higher, it is always worthwhile visiting the other top, purely as having an observatory so near the top of a hill is an experience in itself. 

I left my car parked on a flat area of land at the end of the track leading to the access gate to the upper field of Farrington Bank.  Beyond the gate was barley, which was a surprise as I expected the same closely cropped grass that I encountered on my last visit. 

Following the vehicle track through the barley on Farrington Bank

Looking toward the summit of Farrington Bank

Heading through the barley were a number of vehicle tracks, these we followed until close to the high point, which was only a short detour to get to.  Recently I’d visited a summit on the outskirts of Meifod planted in wheat.  Again a vehicle track led close to this hill’s high point and again the wheat swayed in unison with a cooling breeze.  Today the barley did likewise, it was softer than the wheat and gave a gentler feel and formed a lush crop that meandered across the hill swaying this way and that, all greened with emerald touches accentuated by the afternoon light.  It was wonderful to walk through. 

Approaching the summit of Farrington Bank

Crossing the summit of Farrington Bank

Afterward we visited the other top leaving the car in the small parking area for the observatory, and the woman who I had spoken to on the phone came out to greet us.  She told us the history of the observatory and its purpose, before we sauntered around the side of the building to visit the high point beside the fence and picnic table and then the trig pillar at the rear of the building. 

The Spaceguard Centre

Once back at the car I drove down the narrow lane to Knighton and then up the B4357 and turned on to the B4355 where I parked in a convenient lay-bi beside the road.  This gave easy access to Hawthorn Hill (SO 287 677); a Pedwar whose summit was about a mile away.  I was tempted to join Aled, but as I had visited the hill and as the heat was still uncomfortably warm I remained at the car and waved Aled off watching him disappear down the track over the connecting bwlch and out of sight up the hill. 

Aled heading off toward Hawthorn Hill

The ascent didn’t take him long.  I was happy enough waiting at the car, which was parked in shade.  I changed in to dry clothes and luxuriated in getting my walking boots off, cooling down and taking on lots of liquid.  It was good to just stop and do little.  I watched sheep doing the same in the opposing field, some hardened souls still munched in the sunlight, but the majority were slumbered down lying in shade.  It had been another good day on the hill with lots achieved.  It had also been an exceedingly warm day on the hill, with what we did just enough to enjoy and not too much to hinder. 

 

Survey Result: 

 

Farrington Bank (significant name change)

Summit Height:  416.7m (converted to OSGM15, from previous Trimble GeoXH 6000 survey)

Summit Grid Reference:  SO 30500 69937 (from previous Trimble GeoXH 6000 survey) (summit relocation confirmed)

Bwlch Height:  c 294m (interpolation)

Bwlch Grid Reference:  SO 27464 69909 (interpolation)

Drop:  c 123m (Trimble GeoXH 6000 summit and interpolated bwlch)

Dominance:  29.52% (Trimble GeoXH 6000 summit and interpolated bwlch)

 

 

For details on the survey of Farrington Bank

 

For further details please consult the Trimble Survey Spreadsheet