07.04.15 Hergest
Ridge (SO 254 562), Hanter Hill (SO 251 570), Pt. 346.5m (SO 238 565) and Gobe
Banks (SO 222 556)
Hanter Hill (SO 251 570) |
Quiet mornings when the
chill warmth of spring and emerald new growth is set off against the ever
present call of the Skylark is a therapeutic experience, one to be savoured and
stored in memories eye. The ascent of
Hergest Ridge from Gladestry gave me all of these and more, it was a slow plod
gaining 200m of height through a peaceful landscape of almost forgotten
tranquillity.
I parked on the northern
outskirts of the beautiful village of Gladestry where a number of cars can be
left in an elongated add-on to the road just where the speed limit sign gives
indication that the motorist is entering a built up area. As I sorted my gear out the sun baked down
from a succulent blue sky, with the clarity of colour enhanced by early growth
with the young greens fresh and the earth almost dust-like with a crispness to
the fallen winter leaves as they lay forlorn on the track that ascents the
south-west ridge of Hergest Ridge. This
is a fine hill and one that I had not visited before, although I had visited
its adjacent neighbour; Hanter Hill.
I’d made a mental note
of eight points to survey during the day, four summits and four bylchau, well
three bylchau and one col as the walk meandered through border country with the
boundary firmly placed at the bwlch between Hergest Ridge and Hanter Hill.
As I gained height I
picked out the grassed tops of the last two P30s of the day, one a hill that is
listed as Weythel Common in some lists and the other named Gobe Banks, each looked
attractively shaped, albeit dwarfed by some of their neighbouring hills.
The grassy hill in the centre of the photo is Pt. 346m |
The grassy hill in centre of the photo is Gobe Banks |
The ascent toward the
summit of Hergest Ridge was a delight with expansive views; the hill seemed
almost island like, bathed above all others.
Its summit is crowned by a copse of rocks, all neatly arranged in a
haphazard way, attractively pointing up to the sky with a trig pillar some
distance away toward the east.
Approaching the summit of Hergest Ridge |
I balanced the Trimble
on the highest rock and aligned its internal antenna with the very highest
point of the rock and stood back and looked as the Trimble clung on almost vertically
aligned against the sides of the rock, this was not ideal as one slip and it
would topple off to the ground below. I
rummaged around the summit rocks and found a small rock that I balanced across
the highest rock and which supported the Trimble so that it was sat
horizontally instead of almost vertically, and once the required 0.1m accuracy
had been attained I quickly pressed ‘Log’ and scampered off, hoping that the
rock and hence the Trimble would not slip and fall to the ground below. Thankfully there was hardly any breeze and once
five minutes of data were collected I switched it off, took a few photos and
packed it away with relief.
Gathering data at the summit of Hergest Ridge |
The Trimble delicately positioned balanced on a balancing rock |
A short distance below
the summit rocks a sign post indicated the downward route toward the connecting
bwlch with Hanter Hill. There is now a
conifer plantation near to this bwlch which looks regimented and out of place
amongst the heathland. As I assessed the
bwlch from four different directions I still did not know if my chosen spot for
the Trimble was at the exact critical bwlch, although the area was only small
the land seemed to head off from the wanted route with slight undulations
adding complexity to the land.
Hanter Hill on the descent from Hergest Ridge |
As the Trimble slowly
ebbed down to the 0.1m accuracy I stood in the shade made by the conifer wood
and looked, thought and slowly cascaded into contentment, this was only broken
with a number of visits to the Trimble to check on its downward progress, after
20 minutes of waiting the magical 0.1m appeared on its screen and I pressed
‘Log’ and waited another five minutes before switching it off and proceeding to
enjoy the steep sun drenched path that led joyfully to the cairn on the summit
area of Hanter Hill.
Gathering data at the critical bwlch of Hanter Hill |
I took data from two
points, one about five metres from the summit cairn and another about 50 metres
away, both were crowned with small attractive rock outcrops. Again I waited patiently as the data was
collected from each as birdsong rang out serenading the hills with beauty. Tis a wonderful place when happiness can be
found through morning wanderings, I’m always amazed at the joy that hills can
bring, it seems unfathomable to me, sometimes being able to find fitting words
to summarise their beauty is difficult, but the hills seem extraordinary things
with sublime offering of wonder in all weathers and environments, and todays
offering was just so, a rather pleasant plod in sunshine on old tracks amongst
the hills that led from one valley to another, a transportation hub long
overshadowed by the arrival of the tarmac artilleries.
Gathering data from the first of two positions at the summit of Hanter Hill |
Aligned with the high point of the second position with the summit cairn in the background |
Gathering data from the second of two positions at the summit of Hanter Hill |
As data were collected I
walked to the northern part of the hill’s summit dome and peered across toward
the remains of Old Radnor Hill and its adjacent hill, both now quarried away by
the Gore and Dolyhir Quarries respectively.
This hill was once a P30 |
This hill was once a Hump |
Beyond Hanter Hill lay
two P30s that I had not visited, once back at the connecting bwlch I found the
green track that led down to the B4594 and slowly walked up the road toward the
critical bwlch of the next hill. This
lay in a field next to the road and close to the Wern Farm. Once data had been collected I followed a
footpath up toward the summit of the hill that overlooks the farm.
Pt. 346m on the descent from Hanter Hill |
Gathering data at the critical bwlch of Pt. 346m |
This hill has an
engraved memorial rock at or near to its high point, it commemorates Shiela
Mary Watson and is a fine and unobtrusive reminder of someone’s loved one.
The memorial rock at the summit of Pt. 346m |
Neatly engraved, the memorial rock overlooking the Wern Farm |
The summit area of Pt. 346m |
By now the sun was
taking its toll and waiting atop the hill as the Trimble gathered data from two
points was a welcome relief, over the intervening valley Hanter Hill rose
conically shaped with the elongated heathland of Hergest Ridge stretching
adjacent to the B road as it gathered its downward motion toward Gladestry.
Gathering data at the second of two points at the summit of Pt. 346m |
Beyond this P30 lay my
last hill of the day; Globe Banks, between me and it lay a roasting afternoon
of sweat and slowly paced walking as I skirted a number of fields using gates
as access before dropping down to the hill’s critical bwlch, this was duly
Trimbled before I plodded wearily up another footpath toward the eloquently
shaped Gobe Banks.
Gathering data at the critical bwlch of Gobe Banks |
The footpath was old and
enclosed with a teeming spirit of travel with it submerged in the countryside
between young lambs lazing in the sunshine and the steepening slopes of Gobe Banks. As I rested in the shade I heard a quad bike
and waved across at the driver indicating for him to come my way. The person on the quad bike was Joe Alman who
farms from Gladestry Court and Upper Rabber.
Joe’s family had been in this area for 300 years and we chatted about
the hills, family history and the route I had taken during the day. It was lovely to meet Joe who was ever so
friendly and pleasant, I asked if he’d mind me visiting the summit of Gobe
Banks and he kindly encouraged me to do so, I explained what I was doing and
told him that I was surveying each summit and connecting bwlch with the last
bwlch of the day below where we stood to our north-west.
Joe Alman - friendly, hospitable and with a wealth of local knowledge |
As Joe left to find one
missing sheep which was ready to lamb, I slowly made my way up to the summit of
Gobe Banks which is a wonderful spot with a curved closely cropped grassy ridge
reaching to the summit knoll which overlooks Joe’s farm and the village of Gladestry
beyond. Once the summit was Trimbled I followed
a descending path to the area of the last survey of the day, this was the
connecting col of Hergest Ridge which was in a field close to the continuation of
the enclosed and shaded path that I had previously been on, on my way toward
Gobe Banks.
Gathering data at the summit of Gobe Banks |
Gathering data at the col area of Hergest Ridge |
All that was left was a
steady and contented wander down the lane back to the village and my awaiting
car, it had been a very enjoyable day spent in the beautiful Radnorshire
countryside amongst its shapely and quiet hills.
LIDAR col image of Hergest Ridge (summit at SO 254 562) |
Postscript:
Since the survey of these hills full
LIDAR coverage is now available. The LIDAR (Light Detection &
Ranging) technique produced highly accurate height and positional data that is
now freely available for England and Wales. Consequently the
numerical details for these hills have been analysed using this technique,
resulting in the LIDAR height and position for some of these hills being
prioritised in
preference to that produced by the Trimble GeoXH 6000.
Survey Result:
Hergest Ridge
Summit Height: 426.9m (converted to OSGM15, Trimble GeoXH 6000)
Summit Grid Reference: SO 25435 56259 (Trimble GeoXH 6000)
Col Height: 269.5m (LIDAR)
Col Grid Reference: SO 22053 55707 (LIDAR)
Drop: 157.4m (Trimble GeoXH 6000 summit and LIDAR col)
Dominance: 36.88% (Trimble GeoXH 6000 summit and LIDAR col)
Dominance: 36.88% (Trimble GeoXH 6000 summit and LIDAR col)
Hanter Hill
Summit Height: 415.0m (LIDAR)
Summit Grid Reference: SO 25199 57096 (LIDAR)
Bwlch Height: 346.9m (converted to OSGM15, Trimble GeoXH 6000)
Bwlch Grid Reference: SO 25392 56820 (Trimble GeoXH 6000)
Drop: 68.1m (LIDAR summit and Trimble GeoXH 6000 bwlch)
Dominance: 16.41% (LIDAR summit and Trimble GeoXH 6000 bwlch)
Dominance: 16.41% (LIDAR summit and Trimble GeoXH 6000 bwlch)
Pt. 346.5m
Summit Height: 346.5m (converted to OSGM15)
Summit Grid Reference: SO 23881 56524
Bwlch Height: 278.2m (converted to OSGM15)
Bwlch Grid Reference: SO 23998 55881
Drop: 68.3m
Dominance: 19.71%
Dominance: 19.71%
Gobe Banks
Summit Height: 325.7m (converted to OSGM15)
Summit Grid Reference: SO 22243 55606
Bwlch Height: 279.1m (converted to OSGM15)
Bwlch Grid Reference: SO 22707 56059
Drop: 46.6m
Dominance: 14.30%
Dominance: 14.30%
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