Mapping Mountains – Trimble Surveys – Beacon Hill

04.05.18  Burrow (SO 381 830, previously Trimbled)

Having visited Burrow only nine days ago it was a surprise heading back to this hill so soon, but it was perfectly placed for a quick visit, as Bob Kerr was heading south and bagging a number of Marilyns on the way.  Before meeting Bob in Craven Arms he had visited two Marilyns, we then headed for Callow Hill (SO 460 850) followed by View Edge (SO 422 809), and now it was the turn of Burrow.

We took the same route as I had a number of days ago, and no doubt many people beforehand, parking in the quiet surrounds of Hopesay and following the paved road as it turns in to a muddied track past the Church of St Mary.

The morning’s slight chilled air had now been replaced by the warmth of early May as we made our way up the steep grassed slopes toward the conifered woodland that takes in part of the upper section of this hill’s northerly slopes.

Part of the beauty of the Shropshire hills are their tranquillity, although their higher hills can be a magnet for walkers, the majority are quiet, seldom frequented hills where bird song and the occasional farmer will be the only accompaniment, and it was no different today as we had the hill to ourselves.

Once on the forest track we followed this southward toward the entrance gate to the ancient ramparts and ditches that make up the summit area of Burrow, ahead lay the two tops, which are close in height with the easterly one favoured by the Trimble survey to be slightly higher, and this is where the 358m spot height appears on contemporary Ordnance Survey maps.

We visited both tops with Bob adopting suitable postures for the customary summit photographs.  Away to our south-east the wooded summit of View Edge was easily picked out, as was the summit of Callow Hill with its distinctive stone tower, whilst to our north the higher Shropshire hills looked inviting over a foreground of manicured green fields.

Bob at the easterly summit of Burrow

The higher Shropshire hills

Bob at the westerly top of Burrow

Leaving the summit we followed our inward route back to Hopesay and Bob’s car, where he planned his next walk and Marilyn, which was Titterstone Clee Hill, he asked if I would like to continue our little foray, I was tempted, but this would put an extra hour driving there and back to my car which was parked in Craven Arms on an already long journey, so I declined, although I was tempted.  It was good to see Bob again and meeting up had proved an enjoyable few hours on the hill.

For details on the survey of Burrow

The result of the Trimble survey of Burrow from the 26^th April 2018 appears below 

Survey Result:

Burrow

Summit Height:  358.2m (converted to OSGM15)

Summit Grid Reference:  SO 38112 83083

Col Height:  170.2m (converted to OSGM15)

Col Grid Reference:  SO 37852 87600

Drop:  188.0m

Dominance:  52.48%

For further details please consult the Trimble Survey Spreadsheet

Mapping Mountains – Trimble Surveys – Beacon Hill

04.05.18  View Edge (SO 422 809)

View Edge (SO 422 809)

Having visited and surveyed Callow Hill (SO 460 850) Bob and I headed south-west through Craven Arms to the series of narrow country lanes leading toward View Edge.  The hill rose out of pastured green land almost pyramidal in profile with mixed woodland dominating its upper slopes.

Prior to our visit I’d looked at a series of summit photographs and this hill’s high point is immersed in a wood, which didn’t give me much expectation for good satellite coverage for the Trimble.

We parked just off the narrow minor road that heads east over the southern ridge of View Edge adjacent to a small disused lime quarry and walked the short distance toward its upper escarpment. 

The old lime quarry

A series of vehicle tracks led past a number of grassed hummocks toward open fields leading upward toward the wooded summit.

Approaching the summit

The wood proved beautiful and it had to be so as we spent an inordinate amount of time in it, patiently waiting for the Trimble to ever so slowly ebb down to the required 0.1m accuracy level before data should be logged.

Once in the wood it was an easy task to identify the high point which consisted of ground festooned in bluebells under a canopy of deciduous trees whose branches shot up in all directions.

Gathering data at the summit of View Edge

The long wait now started, we chatted about all manner of stuff as I scampered up to check on the Trimble’s accuracy progress, after a 20 minute wait I activated the equipment and we waited a further 15 minutes for it to gather a suitable amount of data that hopefully can result in an adequate data set.

Bob at the summit of View Edge

Once the Trimble was closed down I took a few photographs and we retraced our inward route back down the adjacent field and through the old quarry to Bob’s car; next stop Hopesay and Burrow.

Survey Result:

View Edge

Summit Height:  324.1m (converted to OSGM15) (significant height revision)

Summit Grid Reference:  SO 42278 80988

Drop:  c 170m

Dominance:  52.49%

For further details please consult the Trimble Survey Spreadsheet

Mapping Mountains – Trimble Surveys – Stiperstones

04.05.18  Callow Hill (SO 460 850)

Callow Hill (SO 460 850)

Today was spent in the company of Bob Kerr with a few hours Marilyn bagging in the vicinity of Craven Arms, we met in the town’s car park and Bob then drove north-east toward our first hill; Callow Hill which forms the southern extremity of the extended limestone escarpment of Wenlock Edge.

The forecast was good and Bob had already bagged one or two Marilyns by the time we met including visiting the top of The Wrekin earlier in the morning.

The northern and western part of the upper section of Callow Hill consists of conifer plantation and the summit has an imposing 24m (80ft) high stone tower known as Flounders’ Folly, after Benjamin Flounders who built the structure in 1838.

Flounders' Folly

We approached from the north-west parking just off a corner of the minor road where it intersects an earthen track that gives access to the path through the woodland.

Bob just about to set off for Callow Hill, one of seven Marilyns he visited during the day

From this direction the tower thrusts upward similar to a venetion battlement, its stone sides rising out of mixed woodland that today were embracing new greened growth.

The earthen track soon gives way to a steep grassed section followed by a narrower path heading right through undergrowth toward the skyline ridge.

Bob on the diagonal path leading toward the skyline ridge

Once out of the wood a path either side of a fence heads northward toward a trig pillar nestled in the open field beside the woodland, usually a trig is a beacon, a high point breaking the horizon on many a hill, however this particular trig is overshadowed by the tower which rose in a grand fashion dominating the ridge.

The view south-west from Callow Hill

As the trig is not at the high point of the hill we pressed on toward the tower and found the highest land to be about nine metres and north-eastward from the base of the stone structure, however as this was a part of an old stunted tree boundary hedge I dismissed this as man-made and concentrated on land at its base and also further north-east, with the latter visually the highest natural part of the hill.

Out of the wood with the summit of Callow Hill just beyond the tower

The trig is dwarfed by the tower

Two data sets were taken, the first beside the narrow path that follows the ridge away from the tower and which is about 30 metres from its base, and the second at the base of the risen ground constituting the old hedgerow.

Gathering data at the first position surveyed for the summit of Callow Hill

The Trimble set-up position at the first survey

Whilst data were gathered I sat with Bob and chatted, it had been 19 months since we last saw one another and he and Sarah now have a young daughter; Keeva, to join Seumas, their young son.

Gathering data at the second position surveyed for the summit of Callow Hill

Once the second data set were stored we left the top of Callow Hill and headed on the narrow path beside the wood and down through the trees back to Bob’s car, next stop View Edge.

 

On the descent back through the wood

Survey Result:

Callow Hill

Summit Height:  339.1m (converted to OSGM15) (significant height revision)

Summit Grid Reference:  SO 46075 85060

Col Height:  182.2m (LIDAR)

Col Grid Reference:  SO 53251 95161 (LIDAR)

Drop:  157.0m (Trimble summit and LIDAR col)

Dominance:  46.28%

For further details please consult the Trimble Survey Spreadsheet

Mapping Mountains – Trimble Surveys – Stiperstones

24.09.16  Caer Caradoc (SO 477 953, previously Trimbled), Willstone Hill (SO 485 943), Hope Bowdler Hill (SO 479 940) and Helmeth Hill (SO 469 938, only col Trimbled)   

Willstone Hill (SO 485 943)

The Shropshire hills offer so much, with their quiet beauty being a joy to re-visit.  The heartland of these hills is centred on the small market town of Church Stretton, and it here that Mark had suggested to meet; also joining us was Bob Kerr, who was driving north from Southampton and kindly taking me to Scotland afterward for Rick and Jen’s celebratory completion of the Marilyns.

Leaving two cars in the town I then drove northward to squeeze my car beside a gate on a track that gave us access to Caer Caradoc, which is one of the gems of upland Shropshire.

This chosen route gave us access to the north ridge of the hill and as height was gained The Lawley stood proud with the flat plains beyond only reaching skyward again with the up thrust of The Wrekin, which proved an ever present distant pyramidal profile placed on the horizon.

The Lawley (SO 494 974)

Mark and Bob on the way up Caer Caradoc

Thankfully the forecast was for dry, albeit gusty conditions and as we crested the upper part of Caer Caradoc the wind blasted across the landscape.  The customary summit photographs were taken with Bob adopting a celebratory pose as he ticked off another Marilyn.

At the summit of Caer Caradoc

Dropping off the hill south-eastward gave us shelter and good paths led us down toward the col of Hope Bowdler Hill, which is listed as a Hump and Four, and which was our next main hill of the day.  I’d previously surveyed Caer Caradoc with Charlie Leventon in March 2015, so decided to concentrate on summits and cols that had not yet been Trimbled.

Willstone Hill and Hope Bowdler Hill from the descent of Caer Caradoc

Reaching the col I set the Trimble up placed on top of my rucksack to give it elevation above its immediate surrounds, quickly measured a 0.44m offset between its internal antenna and the ground at the base of the rucksack and once the 0.1m accuracy level was attained, pressed ‘Log’ and scampered off to join Mark and Bob who were happily munching on their lunch.

Gathering data at the col of Hope Bowdler Hill

Above us were the gently sloped upper reaches of Hope Bowdler Hill and its lower neighbour; Willstone Hill, which is listed as a Sub-Four with the minimum qualifying drop of c 20m.  It seemed a shame to miss out on giving this hill an accurate height and drop and so after the col data was gathered we headed its way.

Willstone Hill is crowned by rounded heathland with a volcanic plug at its far north end, the high point of which clearly vied for being the summit of the hill.  Bob skipped up it and conducted a quick precision survey comparing its height against that of the heathland at its base, it was decided to Trimble both, and as Mark and Bob waited patiently I positioned the Trimble aligned with the high point of the rock outcrop and as the strength of the wind was somewhat strong I attached its dog lead which I held as the five minutes of data were gathered.

Bob on the top of the relocated summit of Willstone Hill

The art of precision surveying

The Trimble attached to its dog lead at the summit of Willstone Hill

Afterward I set the Trimble up on my rucksack on the summit area of land near the base of the rock outcrop and as the five minutes of data were collected Mark and Bob headed down to the adjoining col seeking shelter out of the wind.

Gathering data at the area of the lower heath land summit of Willstone Hill

Once data were gathered I joined them and we all set about pinpointing the critical col of Willstrone Hill, this proved to be ground beside a fence which thankfully was well sheltered from the strong wind.  Once the customary five minutes of data were gathered I packed the Trimble away and we walked up the good path to the summit of Hope Bowdler Hill.

Gathering data at the col of Willstone Hill

The high point of Hope Bowdler Hill is about 14 metres from its small summit cairn amongst heathland scrub of wind-blown grass.  Having been away from Trimbling hills for two months it was good to be out again, and especially so in the company of Mark and Bob, both of whom I hadn’t seen for quite a time. 

Gathering data at the summit area of Hope Bowdler Hill

After summit data were stored we retraced our inward route back toward the hill’s col and continued on another good path, this time amongst bracken toward the col of Helmeth Hill which was our last hill of the day.

The wooded summit of Helmeth Hill from the descent of Caer Caradoc

The col was positioned in a field and was Trimbled, however the summit is positioned in an attractive deciduous wood and although I set the Trimble up at the high point it did not achieve its accuracy level before data should be logged, and having waited five minutes for it to do so, we decided that I should switch the equipment off and it was time to head down.

Gathering data at the col area of Helmeth Hill

Our route toward Church Stretton took us steeply down through the wood and on to paths and tracks leading us to the periphery of the town.  Mark later checked the distance and ascent for the day’s walk and with approximately 600m of ascent it had proved a good day out, it was also good to see both Mark and Bob again, hopefully we’ll be on the hill again shortly.

LIDAR image of Hope Bowdler Hill (SO 479 940)

Postscript:

Since the survey of these hills LIDAR has become 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.

Survey Result:

Caer Caradoc (significant name change)

Summit Height:  459.5m (converted to OSGM15, from previous Trimble GeoXH 6000 survey)

Summit Grid Reference:  SO 47745 95390 (from previous Trimble GeoXH 6000 survey) 

Col Height:  185.3m (LIDAR)

Col Grid Reference:  SO 45734 93768 (LIDAR)

Drop:  274.2m (Trimble GeoXH 6000 summit and LIDAR col)

Dominance:  59.67% (Trimble GeoXH 6000 summit and LIDAR col)

Willstone Hill

Summit Height:  404.65m (converted to OSGM15)

Summit Grid Reference:  SO 48564 94370 (summit relocation)

Col Height:  382.2m (converted to OSGM15)

Col Grid Reference:  SO 48190 94230

Drop:  22.4m

Dominance:  5.54%

Hope Bowdler Hill

Summit Height:  425.5m (LIDAR)

Summit Grid Reference:  SO 47952 94040 & SO 47953 94042 & SO 47957 94045 (LIDAR)

Col Height:  306.0m (converted to OSGM15, Trimble GeoXH 6000)

Col Grid Reference:  SO 47961 94519 (Trimble GeoXH 6000)

Drop:  119.5m (LIDAR summit and Trimble GeoXH 6000 col)

Dominance:  28.09% (LIDAR summit and Trimble GeoXH 6000 col)

Helmeth Hill

Summit Height:  344.1m (LIDAR)

Summit Grid Reference:  SO 46948 93848 (LIDAR)

Col Height:  304.5m (LIDAR)

Col Grid Reference:  SO 47133 93753 (LIDAR)

Drop:  39.6m (LIDAR)

Dominance:  11.52% (LIDAR)

For details of the summit survey of Caer Caradoc

For details of the col survey of Caer Caradoc

For further details please consult the Trimble survey spreadsheet