Tag Archives: county top

Oct 12 2024
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Daily Post, Landscape

Crossing England

Friday 11th October 2024, 1.20pm (day 4,796)

Walkers above Huddersfield, 11/10/24

The Pennines are, definitely, the vertebrae of Britain (supporting the large, shaggy head that is Scotland). And today I, definitely, walked from one side of them to the other, starting a hike in Greenfield on the west and ending it in Marsden to the east: with the town seen in the background here being Huddersfield. Today, therefore, I definitely crossed England, in watershed terms anyway. The two guys seen here may or may not have done the same.

Can I note, though, that a lot of England’s spine is comprised of peaty, boggy shit. Get it cleaned up, England!

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Aug 04 2024
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Daily Post, Landscape

The Top of Yorkshire

Saturday 3rd August 2024, 10.35am (day 4,727)

Ruin on Mickle Fell, 3/8/24

By British standards, Yorkshire has always been a big county. Chopped around with a bit since 1974, nevertheless, in terms of its historic boundaries it was the largest in the country. And Mickle Fell, at 2,585 feet/788m above sea level, was its highest point. Truly, therefore, between about 10.30 and 11.00 am, I was Top Yorkshireman — geographically, at least.

Of course, since 1974 this territory was allocated to County Durham instead — but let’s gloss over that little detail. If you want to find out more about my walk today, please do have a look at my other blog.

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May 27 2024
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Daily Post, Landscape

A walk up Dumgoyne (or not)

Saturday 25th May 2024, 11.10am (day 4,657)

Dumgoyne, 15/5/24

Dumgoyne is a steep little volcanic plug that rises on the edge of the Campsie Fells, north of Glasgow. On the map it looked like a nice little prologue to the actual destination of my hike, which was Earl’s Seaat, one of the County Tops, although less photogenic. But in fact, I never made it to the top of Dumgoyne: one of those climbs that the nearer I got to it in actuality, the less appeal it had. No matter: CT #81 was duly bagged about two hours later.

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Mar 31 2024
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Let’s not go there

Sunday 31st March 2024, 11.45am (day 4,602)

Soggy parrot delusions, 31/3/24

I get the point of What Three Words, but should all combinations be permitted? If I were an emergency services operator and got told that my attention was required to Soggy Parrot Delusions I think the conversation would end there in gales of (my) laughter.

Wold Newton, where this path goes, was my 80th County Top, if you are interested in my other blog…

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Mar 19 2024
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Daily Post, Landscape

Woburn Sands

Saturday 16th March 2024, 11.05am (day 4,587)

Woburn Sands, 16/3/24

Among the activities booked in for this weekend in Milton Keynes was another County Top walk, which was a perfectly OK walk to do but turned out to be not all that exciting photographically. However, I quite like this one, if only for the way it seems to head back in stages through the landscape, starting with the allotments occupied by a mysterious single figure. This is the village of Woburn Sands, where I finished the walk: note that whatever it is named for, it’s not a beach — we are nowhere near the sea here.

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Jan 08 2024
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Daily Post, Landscape

The Brecon Beacons (not climbed yet)

Sunday 7th January 2024, 9.50am (day 4,518)

Brecon Beacons

The County Tops project exists so I can find excuses to get about the country, and this won’t be my last trip to South Wales by any means. These lumps of rock and grass will get me back again: these slopes eventually culminate in Pen y Fan (its summit obscured by mist in this shot), highest of the Brecon Beacons and the highest point anywhere in the country south of Snowdonia. I was just driving past today, though — it can wait.

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Apr 08 2023
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Daily Post, Landscape

The Mellor Cross (and Manchester)

Friday 7th April 2023, 1.00pm (day 4,243)

Mellor Cross, 7/4/23

Seeing as today was Good Friday this seems an entirely appropriate post for the occasion, but I swear that until I came over a rise on Mellor Moor, above Marple, and saw this cross, I had no idea it was there — it wasn’t marked on the map. Apparently it was first erected in 1970. It has a good view of Manchester, you have to say. (Passed on my latest County Top walk — of which there are more pictures on the other blog…)

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Feb 14 2023
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Daily Post, Landscape

The Ladies’ Mile, Swinley Forest

Monday 13th February 2023, 11.35am (day 4,190)

Ladies' Mile, 13/2/23

Day off work today and glorious weather, so I got out and bagged the latest County Top: this one lying in the vast expanse of Swinley Forest, south of Bracknell in Berkshire. The ‘Ladies’ Mile’ was this seemingly endless, dead straight path; this view epitomising the day, both for the trees and also the large number of dogs running free, their owners largely oblivious.

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Oct 23 2022
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Daily Post, Landscape

Portsmouth Harbour

Saturday 22nd October 2022, 11.15am (day 4,076)

Portsmouth Harbour, 22/10/22

After not finding much of interest in Southampton, I headed for the next city to the east, Portsmouth — a more agreeable spot. At least, to look at from across its Harbour, one of the greatest natural harbours in the world, and the explanation for why this has always been a naval base. The Spinnaker Tower, seen here, is 560 feet tall. I passed this point on my latest County Top walk, so feel free to look at that other blog for more photos and so on.

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Sep 18 2022
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Daily Post, Landscape

Darrach Hill (an arse)

Saturday 10th September 2022, 11.25am (day 4,034)

Darrach Hill, 10/9/22

Darrach Hill lies a short (but not easy) way north of the town of Kilsyth, in central Scotland. Ot becomes the fifty-ninth County Top that I have surmounted — and if you’re interested in that parallel project please do follow my other blog. The summit of this hill is only 1,171 feet/357m above sea level — sounds easy, right? Don’t you believe it. The crap that one has to negotiate to reach the summit fully justifies my use of the anatomical reference in the title of this post.

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