Mapping Mountains – Trimble Surveys – Brown Clee Hill

 

05.04.22  Church Hill (SO 710 731)

LIDAR image of Church Hill (SO 710 731)

Church Hill was the first summit survey of the day during a planned five hill mini expedition, with the priority being a survey of Abberley Hill (SO 751 672).  For Abberley Hill we wanted to survey its summit and col and also investigate the disused rail cutting positioned below a road bridge, with the latter currently constituting the height and position of its col.

I was out with Charles Everett for the day, who had petitioned me for a number of years to survey Abberley Hill.  The onset of Covid-19 and its resulting restrictions over the last two years had limited our intention to visit this area.  But with restrictions now lifted we set off from Welshpool heading south.  The weather forecast was set fine for the day and importantly with it being the start of spring, few leaves would be on the trees to interfere with satellite reception for the survey equipment.

Before visiting the summit of Church Hill we surveyed and assessed the Abberley Hill col.  We then headed a mile or so farther south and parked next to a telephone kiosk in the small community of Bayton Common giving us easy access to Church Hill, with its summit rising just to the north.

Church Hill is one of a number of P30s situated between the small town of Cleobury Mortimer to its north-west and the city of Worcester to its south-east, and it was the northerly part of this land that we concentrated on for our bagging and surveying exploits of the day.

From our starting point the upper hill could just be seen as a few scattered grazing fields peering over a rogue house or two.  Because of this the hill gave a rather none-descript impression from this direction.  However, there are many such hills of similar height that give the same first impression, and upon visiting them, each in turn have a quality that is worth investigating.

The ascent of the hill was pleasant enough, as we made our way up the road which I had just driven down and headed on to the hill via a gate on our left.  Beyond the gate the ground rose leading up toward a barb wired fence with the summit triangulation pillar beyond. 

Charles approaching the summit of Church Hill

A cooling breeze blew across the upper hill as we made our way to its high point.  As we arrived on top we soon got to work; me assessing the lay of land for the summit position and Trimble placement, and Charles taking a cast of the flush bracket attached to the trig pillar. 

Gathering data at the summit of Church Hill

Having chosen the spot for Trimble placement I set the equipment up to gather its first summit data set of the day and then walked over to join Charles, who was relaxing lying on the grass, he was positively chilled out with an expansive view as backdrop. 

The Trimble GeoXH 6000 set-up position at the summit of Church Hill

Once five minutes of data were gathered and stored I closed the equipment down, took a few photographs, packed the Trimble away and we then headed down following or inward route back to my awaiting car. 

 

Survey Result: 

 

Church Hill

Summit Height:  229.9m (converted to OSGM15, Trimble GeoXH 6000)

Summit Grid Reference:  SO 71032 73113 (Trimble GeoXH 6000)

Col Height:  198.0m (LIDAR)

Col Grid Reference:  SO 71034 72470 (LIDAR)

Drop:  31.9m (Trimble GeoXH 6000 summit and LIDAR col)

Dominance:  13.88% (Trimble GeoXH 6000 summit and LIDAR col)

 

 

For further details please consult the Trimble Survey Spreadsheet