Great September skies over Painswick Beacon, where we’d gone to find a Trig point. A relative of ours likes to search these things out. They were used by the Ordinance Survey people to map the country and can usually be found near or on the tops of hills but not exclusively. Gloucester Cathederal has a couple up on the towers. Usually they are concrete blocks like the one below, and are not necessarily on public footpaths, so one has to be careful to trespass responsibly or you may get an angry farmer waving at you.

The one on top of Painswick Beacon got a score of 9 out of 10 as it is in good condition and had 360 degree views, I’d have given it 9.5 just for the cow standing on the top of the hill.

They built these things on site, so are not easily removed, taking up the necessary concrete mix and the casting material. They are a lovely reminder of how we used to map this country, and there are people who, like our cousin, who go and seek them out. It must give them a great way to see the country. I’ve sort of got the Trig Bug now and when a trip is planned I think of where they might be. There’s a website for Trig Spotters where they can log their finds and where you can locate local ones via a map.