UK County Tops — Blog — Richard Gower

Richard gower19 July 2025Trek, UK County Tops, Trig Pillar, South Downs, Sussex, EnglandComment

Wrotham: Lathe of Aylesford High Point

View to the south from nearby the high point

Significance: Highest point in the Kent Lathe of Aylesford
Parent Peak: Botley Hill
Nearest Higher Neighbour: Toys Hill
Elevation: 235m
Date “climbed”: 12th July 2025
Coordinates: 51° 19' N, 0° 17' E

Route Start / End: On street parking in Stansted village on Labour-In-Vain road west of the junction with Plaxdale Green Road.
Route Distance: 2.5 km (1.6 miles)
Route Elevation Change: +/- 31m
GPX File: get via Buy Me a Coffee
Other routes touched (walk): None
OS Trig Pillar: TP7083 - Wrotham
Map: Maidstone & the Medway Towns Map | Kent Downs | Ordnance Survey | OS Explorer Map 148
Links: Wikipedia: Stansted, Wikishire: Lathe of Aylesford, Peakbagger, Hillbagging

I visited the Wrotham Trig Pillar as a part of a mission to bag the High Points of the Kent Lathes, the historic sub-divisions of Kent. I couldn’t find an established list of the Lathe High Points so I worked them out based on Trigpointing.uk and Peakbagger logs. I’m pretty sure that Wrotham is the high point of the Lathe of Aylesford but please let me know if you think that the high point is somewhere else.

This is a short out-and-back walk from a parking space in Stansted village on Labour-In-Vain road west of the junction with Plaxdale Green Road. Walk south-east along Labour-in-Vain road, past the Hilltop Restaurant, then take the footpath on the right that crosses the A20. Continue along the footpath across the field and cross the bridge over the M20. Take the first footpath on the right to head in a south-westerly direction.

I was there in mid-summer and there were narrow, nettle-filled bushes surrounding the path but it was just about passable. Longer trousers and secateurs may have helped but it was OK apart from taking home a few scratches. There’s a lot of paths around the area and they didn’t exactly match up with the map so using the GPX file was very helpful here. Eventually I found the pillar in the middle of a thorny bush on the edge of a field.

Return via the same route, taking in the long views to the south.

Richard gower18 July 2025Trek, UK County Tops, Trig Pillar, Kent, EnglandComment

Paddlesworth: Lathe of Shepway High Point

Significance: Highest point in the Lathe of Shepway
Elevation: 187m
Date “climbed”: 12th July 2025
Coordinates: 51°06'46.0"N 1°08'30.3"E
OS Trig Pillar: TP0449 - Paddlesworth
Map: Dover, Folkestone & Hythe Map | England Coast Path | Ordnance Survey | OS Explorer Map 138
Links: Wikipedia: (Lathe of Shepway, Paddlesworth), Wikishire: Lathe of Shepway

I visited the Paddlesworth Trig Pillar as a part of a mission to bag the High Points of the Kent Lathes, the historic sub-divisions of Kent. I couldn’t find an established list of the Lathe High Points so I worked them out based on Trigpointing.uk and Peakbagger logs. I’m pretty sure that Paddlesworth is the high point of the Lathe of Shepway but please let me know if you think that the high point is somewhere else.

This is a very quick drive-by bag. The pillar is in the grounds of a reservoir at the end of Fisher’s Lane in Paddlesworth. It’s private property but the pillar is very close to the gate. Easy to take a photo from a short distance or to hop over the gate to reach it.

Richard gower12 July 2025Trek, UK County Tops, Trig Pillar, Kent, EnglandComment

Farthingloe: Lathe of St. Augustine High Point

View to Aycliffe and Dover Harbour from the descent from Farthingloe

Significance: Highest point in the Kent Lathe of St. Augustine
Elevation: 182m
Date “climbed”: July 12th 2025
Coordinates: 51°12'42.1"N 0°53'51.2"E

Route Start / End: On-street parking at junctions of St David’s Avenue and Old Folkestone Road, Aycliffe, Dover, CT17 9HJ, Kent
Route Distance: 1.8 km (1.1 miles)
Route Elevation Change: +/- 66m
GPX File: get via Buy Me a Coffee
Other routes touched (walk): none
OS Trig Pillar: TP3122 - Farthingloe
Map: Dover, Folkestone & Hythe Map | England Coast Path | Ordnance Survey | OS Explorer Map 138
Links: Wikipedia: Lathe of St Augustine, Wikishire: Lathe of St. Augustine, Dover Historian: Farthingloe

I visited the Farthingloe Trig Pillar as a part of a mission to bag the High Points of the Kent Lathes, the historic sub-divisions of Kent. I couldn’t find an established list of the Lathe High Points so I worked them out based on Trigpointing.uk and Peakbagger logs. I’m pretty sure that Farthingloe is the high point of the Lathe of St. Augustine but please let me know if you think that the high point is somewhere else.

This one can be a quick out-and-back if you know where to go. The area around the pillar is quite overgrown so be careful. Long trousers and secateurs are worth taking in the summer. If you’re driving there’s plenty of free on-street parking in Aycliffe.

From the corner of St. David’s Avenue and Old Folkestone Road take a path through a gate heading west then take the first footpath on the right to ascend the steep hill. Although the route up the the hill looks straight on the map you’ll need to navigate around and through bushes to get to the top. At the path junction take a left heading west.

The trig pillar is just off the path to the left. I missed it on the way out and ended up at the wheat field. The circle on the map below is where I ended up in some abandoned farm buildings in a thorny bush. It was an interesting accidental diversion but you don’t need to go that far.

The pillar is a rare English cylindrical one and the views from it, and the descent are well worth the scramble to it. Return to Aycliffe by the same route.

Richard gower12 July 2025Trek, UK County Tops, Trig Pillar, Coast, Kent, EnglandComment

Kingswood: Lathe of Scray High Point

Significance: Highest point in the Kent Lathe of Scray
Elevation: 182m
Date “climbed”: 11th July 2025
Coordinates: 51°12'42.1"N 0°53'51.2"E

Route Start / End: Kings Wood Car Park, Challock, Ashford TN25 4AR
Route Distance: 450m (0.3 miles)
Route Elevation Change: +/- 3m
GPX File: get via Buy Me a Coffee
Other routes touched (walk): N/A
OS Trig Pillar: TP4236 - Kingswood
Map: Ashford Map | Headcorn, Chilham and Wye | Ordnance Survey | OS Explorer Map 137
Links: Wikipedia: Lathe of Scray, Wikishire: Lathe of Scray, Forestry England: Kingswood

I visited the Kingswood Trig Pillar as a part of a mission to bag the High Points of the Kent Lathes, the historic sub-divisions of Kent. I couldn’t find an established list of the Lathe High Points so I worked them out based on Trigpointing.uk and Peakbagger logs. I’m pretty sure that Kingswood is the high point of the Lathe of Scray but please let me know if you think that the high point is somewhere else.

This one is an easy drive-by bag from the Kingswood Forestry Commission Car Park. Take a left onto White Hill road and follow it for approx 150m. Enter the woods on the south side of the road and follow a faint path in the woods to find the Trig Pillar. You’ll notice a sign opposite the car park entrance saying “Private Wood. Keep Out”. I assume that this also covers the location of the Trig Pillar but it’s a very quick out-and back from the road without crossing any fences.

Richard gower11 July 2025Trek, UK County Tops, Trig Pillar, Kent, EnglandComment

Ben MacDui: Aberdeenshire & Banffshire County Top

Ascent to Macdui with Loch Morlich in the background

Also Known As: Beinn Macduibh
Significance: Historic County Top for Aberdeenshire & Banffshire
Member of: UK County Tops, Scotland County/Unitary Authority High Points, Marilyns, Munros
Nearest Higher Neighbour: Ben Nevis
Elevation: 1,309m
Date climbed: June 13th 2025
Coordinates: 57° 4' 14'' N, 3° 40' 9'' W

Route Start & Finish: Cairngorm Mountain Upper Cas Car Park, Aviemore, PH22 1RB
Route Distance: 17.4 km (10.8 miles)
Route Elevation change: +/- 1.027m
Subsidiary tops on route: Ben Macdui - North Top (1,295m), Cairn Lochan (1,215m), Stob Coire an t-Sneachda (1,176m), Cairn Gorm - Fiacaill a' Choire Chois (1,141m), Cairn Gorm (1,244m)
GPX File: get via Buy Me a Coffee
Other routes touched (walk): Cairn Gorm Trail, Miadan Path
OS Trig Pillar: TP1286 - Ben Macdhui
Pubs / Cafes on route: Cairngorm Cafe at Cairngorm Mountain Base Station and at Ptarmigan Station
Map: Cairn Gorm & Aviemore: Sheet 403 (OS Explorer Map)
Links: Wikipedia: (Aberdeenshire / Banffshire / Ben Macdui), Peakbagger, Hillbagging

Ben Macdui is the Historic County Top for both Banffshire and Aberdeenshire and the 2nd highest of all of the UK County Tops. We bagged it in 2025 on our annual County Top weekend trip, along with the Historic County Tops of Nairnshire and Morayshire.

This was The Big One of our annual Scottish County Tops trips so far. Having worked our way through the southern Scottish summits it was now time to take on the 2nd highest summit in the UK. It was also the reason why we changed our trips from the end of September to mid-June. The Cairngorm plateau can be glorious in fine weather but dangerous in poor visibility. Moving to June would give us a highler chance of good weather and more hours of light to complete the trip. There’s several ways that you can approach Ben MacDui but we opted for a route that took in several other nearby peaks plus a trip on the Cairngorm Funicular.

Starting from the car park at the Cairngorm Mountain ski centre cross over the end of the ski runs to take the Cairn Gorm Trail in a south-westerly direction. After 4 km you’ll reach a split in the path where you’ll leave the Cairn Gorm Trail to keep on the Miadan Path heading south. You’ll reach the Trig Pillar at the summit of Ben Macdui after 8.5 km from the start.

At the summit we were grateful that we’d chosen to do the trip in June and that we had swapped from a rainy Saturday to a bright, dry Sunday. The views across the National Park were spectacular and made up for many cloudy ascents of UK high points in the past.

On a day of poor visibility the obvious route back would be to return the same way to the Base Station. As we had great weather and it was still early in the day we kept to our best-case plan and took the interesting route back, bagging more summits on the way. First up was Ben Macdui North-Top. This is just 700m from Ben Macdui summit and only 16m lower in elevation. From here you can decend carefully taking a north-westerly curve down the slope to rejoin the Miadan Path. Soon you’ll reach a split in the path where you’ll take the right-hand path heading north. At the 12 km mark leave the path to take a bearing up the slope to rejoin the Cairn Gorm Trail at the summit of Cairn Lochan.

After Cairn Lochan continue along the Cairn Gorm Trail in a north-easterly direction to the summit of Stob Coire an t-Sneachda then continue towards Cairn Gorm Mountain. Along the way you can take a minor diversion off the Trail to bag Fiacaill a' Choire Chois. After bagging Cairn Gorm, the 6th highest Munro, descend in a northerly direction to the Ptarmigan Station to visit the cafe, exhibition and the Funicular.

If you’re planning to take the Funicular check first that it’s running and don’t leave it too late in the day. We arrived an hour before the last train and were able to get onto one around 30 minutes after we arrived. If you miss the train or it’s not running you can also walk down via the Cairn Gorm Trail. Also note that you can only descend via the Funicular if you’ve been hiking as they don’t allow anyone out onto the hills if you’re using the train to ascend.

Richard gower15 June 2025Trek, UK County Tops, Trig Pillar, Mountain, Scotland, Aberdeenshire, Banffshire, National ParkComment

Carn a'Ghille Chearr: Morayshire County Top

After the rain: descent of Carn a'Ghille Chearr

Significance: Historic County Top for Morayshire (formerly Elginshire)
Member of: UK County Tops, Scotland County/Unitary Authority High Points, Marilyns
Parent Peak:
Nearest Higher Neighbour: Creagan a' Chaise
Elevation: 710m
Date climbed: June 13th 2025
Coordinates: 57° 21' 4'' N, 3° 25' 53'' W

Route Start & Finish: Car park at Ballcorach off the B9136
Route Distance: 11.6 km (7.2 miles)
Route Elevation change: +/- 497m
Subsidiary tops on route: Carn Eachie (705m)
GPX File: get via Buy Me a Coffee
Other routes touched (walk): None
OS Trig Pillar: TP2604 - Cromdale
Pubs / Cafes on route: None
Map: OS Explorer OL61 Grantown-on-Spey & Hills of Cromdale
Links: Wikipedia: (Morayshire), Peakbagger, Hillbagging

Carn a'Ghille Chearr is the Historic County Top for Morayshire and the 33rd highest of all of the UK County Tops. We bagged it in 2025 on our annual County Top weekend trip, along with the Historic County Tops of Nairnshire, Aberdeenshire and Banffshire.

In our original plan we were going to do Ben Macdui on the Saturday of our weekend away but, on checking the weather, we moved it to the dryer Sunday and went for the shorter, easier walk of Carn a'Ghille Chearr instead. It turned out to be a good choice, but did mean that we hardly got any views. In Jonny Muir’s UK County Tops book he describes it as “a miserable trudge through sopping bog over grassy tussocks” on a miserable day. We had a miserable day and Jonny was 100% correct.

The start of the route is a small free car park at Ballcorach off the B9136. Before you start take a few minutes to walk down to the banks of the River Avon for a nice view of the river and the bridge that you will have just driven across. To start the walk, first head north keeping to the western side of the river. After ~200m take the footpath on the left heading towards the mountain.

The route is straightforward with just one path leading up to the Trig Pillar at the summit. The path is well defined for most of the way but loses itself in the bog near the point where is curves towards Carn Eachie. We were in drizzly cloud by then so we relied on the GPS to keep us on track. We had read that there’s remains of a crashed plane between Carn Eachie and the summit but we couldn’t find anything despite a bit of hunting. Maybe it would have been obvious on a clear day.

On the return to strayed off route a bit, taking a more direct route to the start, cutting off the big curve that we came up on.

Richard gower14 June 2025Trek, UK County Tops, Trig Pillar, Mountain, Scotland, MorayshireComment

Càrn Glas-choire: Nairnshire County Top

Significance: Historic County Top for Nairnshire
Member of: UK County Tops, Scotland County/Unitary Authority High Points, Marilyns, Grahams
Nearest Higher Neighbour: Geal-charn Mor
Elevation: 659m
Date climbed: June 13th 2025
Coordinates: 57° 20' 22'' N, 3° 50' 36'' W

Route Start & Finish: Parking spot 200m south of farm track to Aucherteang Cottage on the B9007.
Route Distance: 13.1 km (8.1 miles)
Route Elevation change: +/- 385m
Subsidiary tops on route: None
GPX File: get via Buy Me a Coffee
Other routes touched (walk): None
OS Trig Pillar: TP1956 - Carn Glas Choire
Pubs / Cafes on route: None
Map: Lochindorb, Grantown-on-Spey & Carrbridge Map | Caingorms National Park | Ordnance Survey | OS Explorer Map OL60
Links: Wikipedia: (Nairnshire), Peakbagger, Hillbagging

Càrn Glas-choire is the Historic County Top for Nairnshire and the 40th highest of all of the UK County Tops. We bagged it in 2025 on our annual County Top weekend trip, along with the Historic County Tops of Morayshire, Banffshire and Aberdeenshire.

We picked Càrn Glas-choire as the first of our weekend walks as it’s roughly 45 minutes from Inverness airport and on the way to Aviemore where we were staying. There’s not many options for parking but fortunately it’s not a popular mountain so it wasn’t a problem. We found a parking spot next to a gate a few minutes walk to the south of the route.

First find the track off the B9007 with the sign to Auchterteang Cottage and follow it in a north-easterly direction through the farm. The path soon crosses over Duthill Burn and continues to meander up the mountain to the trig point at the summit. It’s a well maintained path and navigation is simple. The only time that we needed to rely on our GPS was to check the return route down from the cloudy top.

We returned by the same route, completing the whole trek in just over 3 hours. After returning to the car we headed for a whisky at Glenlivet Distillery, a 10 minute drive away. It was a nice warm-up for the weekend but I don’t think this one will stand out in our memories of the full set of County Tops.

Richard gower13 June 2025Trek, UK County Tops, Trig Pillar, Mountain, Scotland, NairnshireComment

Brimmond Hill: Aberdeen High Point

Approaching the summit of Brimmond Hill from the car park.

Significance: High Point for the City of Aberdeen Council Area
Member of: Scotland County/Unitary Authority High Points, Marilyns
Nearest Higher Neighbour: Cairn-mon-earn
Historic County: Aberdeenshire (of which Ben Macdui is the County Top)
Elevation: 266m
Date climbed: September 30th 2024
Coordinates: 57° 10' 23'' N, 2° 14' 22'' W

Route Start & Finish: Brimmond Hill Car Park, Aberdeen, AB15 8RQ
Route Distance: 2.6 km (1.6 mile)
Route Elevation change: +/- 100m
Subsidiary tops on route: None
GPX File: get via Buy Me a Coffee
Other routes touched (walk): Brimmond Hill Circular
OS Trig Pillar: TP0666 - Brimmond
Pubs / Cafes on route: None
Map: Aberdeen & Banchory Map | Deeside Way | Ordnance Survey | OS Explorer Map 406
Links: Wikipedia: (Aberdeen / Brimmond Hill), Peakbagger, Hillbagging

Brimmond Hill is the highest point in the present-day Council Area of Aberdeen within the Historic County of Aberdeenshire. We bagged this one in 2024 on the final day of our annual County Top trip having also visited the high point of Dundee City and the Historic County Tops of Angus and Kincardineshire.

This one can be bagged in a short out and back walk from the Brimmond Hill car park off the Borrowstone Road. It’s a 1.3 km walk the top which is marked by a Trig Pillar, a radio transmitter and a flag pole. It was a little misty when we were there but we still had a good view across to Aberdeen City, the airport and the surrounding hills.

We returned to the car-park via the same route but there’s also a circular option which returns via a path to the south adding around 500m to the total trip.

Richard gower30 September 2024Trek, UK County Tops, Trig Pillar, Aberdeenshire, ScotlandComment

Mount Battock: Kincardineshire County Top

Path split on the circular route. Mount Battock in the distance

Significance: Historic County Top for Kincardineshire
Member of: UK County Tops, Scotland County/Unitary Authority High Points, Marilyns
Nearest Higher Neighbour: Mount Keen
Elevation: 778m
Date climbed: September 29th 2024
Coordinates: 56° 56' 57'' N, 2° 44' 31'' W

Route Start & Finish: Small parking space near Millden Lodge, Glen Esk
Route Distance: 15 km (9.3 miles)
Route Elevation change: +/- 637m
Subsidiary tops on route: Wester Cairn
GPX File: get via Buy Me a Coffee
Other routes touched (walk): None
OS Trig Pillar: TP0677 - Mount Battock
Pubs / Cafes on route: None
Map: Glen Esk and Glen Tanar (OS Explorer Map Series): No. 395
Links: Wikipedia: (Kincardineshire / Mount Battock), Peakbagger, Hillbagging

Mount Battock is the Historic County Top for Kincardineshire and the 27th highest of all of the UK County Tops. We bagged it in 2024 on our annual County Top weekend trip, along with the Historic County Top of Angus and the Council Area High Points of Dundee and Aberdeen.

The start of the route is from a small parking area in Millden just off the minor road that tracks the northern edge of the River North Esk. From here take the lane that heads north from the parking spot, past the old water mill to a path junction at Muir Cottage. Take the right hand path to follow the track that follows the left-hand side of the Burn of Turrett. At the 2km mark you’ll reach another path junction which marks the start of the main circular section of this walk. Take the left hand path to the Trig Pillar and stone shelter at the summit of Mount Battock.

To descend cross over the fence to the south of the summit, using the ladder stile. There’s a path here in places but it’s often hard to track as it passes through very boggy ground. Just keep close to the fence on your left for around 800m until you reach a well-defined track. Follow the track in a south / south westerly direction until it meets the Burn of Turrett. Cross over the burn and you’ll reach the path junction where you previously took a left to start the circular section. From here take a left to retrace the first 2 km of the route back to the start.

Kincardine Kirkyard

One of the highlights of this year's County Top bagging trip was finding the remains of the lost County Town of Kincardine. This was originally a Scottish Burgh that developed around Kincardine Castle. By 1600, the burgh was in decline, and the county town moved to Stonehaven where it is now.

Our hunt for the lost town of Kincardine began on the way to Aberdeen after our Mount Battock walk. We stopped for a drink in Fettercairn and discovered a plaque in the main square detailing the town's history. The last sentence on the plaque reads: "All that remains of the old County Burgh today is the tiny Kirkyard of St Catherine's Chapel with a solitary tombstone dated 1786"

The site of Kincardine Castle is easy to find with a 5 minute drive to the east of Fettercairn along the B966. Take a left off the B966 to find Castleton Kincardine Farm (AB30 1EX). Turning left into the farm drive you can see the foundations of the old castle on your right. Slightly further down the farm track you'll see a clump of trees in the middle of a field. This is the remains of the old kirkyard.

We parked at the side of the lane and crossed the field to the kirkyard. In late September the field had been ploughed but be careful not to damage crops at other times of the year and, if possible, ask permission from the landowner. The tombstone and remains of the old wall are easy to find in the centre of the trees with not too much foliage to get through.

Links: Fettercairn, Kincardine

Richard gower29 September 2024Trek, UK County Tops, Trig Pillar, Mountain, Kincardineshire, ScotlandComment

Glas Maol: Angus County Top

Walking from Glas Maol towards Creag Leacach

Significance: Historic County Top for Angus
Member of: UK County Tops, Scotland County/Unitary Authority High Points, Munros, Marilyns
Parent Peak: Lochnagar
Nearest Higher Neighbour: Carn a' Coire Boidheach
Elevation: 1,068m
Date climbed: September 28th 2024
Coordinates: 56° 52' 23'' N, 3° 22' 6'' W

Route Start & Finish: Small parking area on A93 Old Military Road, ~3km north of Glenshee Ski Centre
Route Distance: 19.3 km (12 miles)
Route Elevation change: +/- 808m
Subsidiary tops on route: Carn an Tuirc, Cairn of Claise, Creag Leacach
GPX File: get via Buy Me a Coffee
Other routes touched (walk): The Monega Pass
OS Trig Pillar: TP3372 - Glas Maol
Pubs / Cafes on route: Cafe at Glenshee Ski Centre
Map: Glen Shee & Braemar Map | The Cairnwell & Glas Maol | Ordnance Survey | OS Explorer Map OL52
Links: Wikipedia: (Angus / Glas Maol), Peakbagger, Hillbagging, Glenshee Ski Centre

Glas Maol is the Historic County Top for Angus and the 7th highest of all of the UK County Tops. We bagged it in 2024 on our annual County Top weekend trip, along with the Historic County Top of Kincardineshire and the Council Area High Points of Dundee and Aberdeen.

The quickest way to conquer Glas Maol is an out-and-back from the large car park at Glenshee Ski Centre. I always prefer an interesting circular over an out-and-back so we opted for the 4-Munro circuit that I found on the Walk Highlands site. For this we started at a small parking spot around 3 km north of the Ski Centre. If that parking spot is full then park at the Ski Centre and walk to the northern parking at the start of the walk rather than at the end.

From the northern parking spot take the footpath that ascends to Carn an Tuirc in an east/north-easterly direction on the northern side of a small stream. After 1.2km you’ll cross over the stream, continuing to ascend. You’ll reach the summit of the first of the day’s Munros after 2.9km.

Continue along the path, now curving to the south-east, for another 2.6 km to reach the summit of Cairn of Claise. This is the second Munro of the day and, at 1.064m, just 4 metres lower than Glas Maol. Continue along the path, now heading south-west. The route descends slightly then ascends, crossing over the Monega Pass, to the summit of Glas Maol. The high point is marked by a Trig Pillar and a stone shelter large enough for 4 people.

After the Glas Maol summit, continue heading south-west, descending for 1km to the 10 km point in the walk. Here you’ll reach a path junction marked by a large cairn. This is a good point to make a decision to either take a short out-and-back to the 4th Munro, or return straight down to the road. We expected bad weather but, as it turned out, we had a bright, albeit cold, day with good visibility so we decided to bag the 4th Munro.

To reach Creag Leacach continue south for 1.5 km following the ridge line towards the steep ascent to the summit. The path gets very close to a steep drop on the left hand side just ahead of the climb so be extra careful in low visibility. After the summit, retrace your steps back to the large cairn, then continue descending in a north-westerly direction towards the ski-slopes. As you get closer to the slopes, continue along the path as it curves to the west and descend back to A93 Old Military Road at the large Glenshee Ski Centre car park. Take a right onto the road and follow the grass verge back to the starting point.

There’s a cafe at the Ski Centre that’s a great place to stop at the end to celebrate completing the route. Don’t rely on it if you’re out late in the day though. Our excitement to stop there quickly vanished when we arrived there 5 minutes after closing time.

While some of the County Top walks are starting to blur together in our memories, Glas Maol will likely be one that will stand out as a real classic route. The great visibility that we had that day certainly helped but the chance to bag 4 Munros in 1 walk was a big factor too.

Richard gower28 September 2024Trek, UK County Tops, Trig Pillar, Mountain, Angus, ScotlandComment

Gallow Hill: Dundee City High Point

Significance: High Point for the Dundee City Council Area
Member of: Scotland County/Unitary Authority High Points
Parent Peak: King's Seat
Nearest Higher Neighbour: Craigowl Hill
Historic County: Angus (of which Glas Maol is the Historic County Top)
Elevation: 175m
Date climbed: September 27th 2024
Coordinates: 56° 29' 41'' N, 3° 2' 5'' W

Route Start & Finish: Clatto Country Park Visitor Centre, 83 Clatto Country Park, Dundee, DD3 9SE
Route Distance: 1.2 km (>1 mile)
Route Elevation change: +/- 20m
Subsidiary tops on route: None
GPX File: get via Buy Me a Coffee
Other routes touched (walk): None
OS Trig Pillar: N/A. Nearest is TP6425 - The Roundie
Pubs / Cafes on route: None
Map: Dundee & Sidlaw Hills Map | River Tay | Ordnance Survey | OS Explorer Map 380
Links: Wikipedia: (City of Dundee), Peakbagger, Hillbagging

Gallow Hill is the highest point in the present-day Council Area of Dundee City within the Historic County of Angus. We were in town for the day as a part of our annual Scottish County Top weekend. As a warm-up for bagging Glas Maol, the Angus Historic County Top, on the following day we visited Gallow Hill plus a couple of Trig Pillars in the area.

The summit of Gallow Hill is a short out-and-back from either of the car parks at Clatto Country Park or the Templeton Woods Ranger Station. From either start point walk to the large concrete water tower at the top of the hill. The actual high point isn’t marked so we walked round a few possible contenders. The coordinates from Peakbagger take you to a bend in a path to the south of the tower. This seems unlikely to be the place as it’s not the highest ground and it’s not on a boundary. The water tower base is also unlikely as it’s man-made but we walked a full circuit of the outer fence anyway. Most likely seemed to be a small knoll on the east of the tower. Whichever point was the highest, we felt satisfied that we’d bagged it and returned back to the car.

There’s no Trig Pillar at the high point but The Roundie, nearby at 159m elevation is worth a visit. We also visited Dundee Law earlier in the day. This is 1m lower than Gallow Hill, but a more satisfying visit as it has a Trig Pillar and a great view over the city and the Tay Estuary.

Richard gower27 September 2024Trek, UK County Tops, Trig Pillar, Angus, ScotlandComment

West Midlands High Points

The West Midlands, a Ceremonial County in the heart of England, was formed ass result of a series of political and administrative changes that took place over centuries. Before the creation of the West Midlands, the region was divided into Staffordshire, Warwickshire and Worcestershire, The Local Government Act of 1974 marked a significant turning point in the history of the West Midlands. This legislation abolished the existing county boundaries and created a new county, the West Midlands. Today the 7 sub-divisions of the West Midlands are Metropolitan Boroughs.

For county-top hill-baggers, the region is, be honest, not very interesting. There’s a few good views but they’re mostly drive-bys in areas you’re not likely to go to unless you lived there or had an obscure hill-bagging obsession. If you’re in the latter camp, here’s a guide to the high points of the West Midlands. Click on the Blog Post link for each summit shown below for details on each.

Birmingham

Highest Point: Rednall Hill North Top, 250m
Historic County of High Point: Worcestershire (of which Worcestershire Beacon is the County Top)
OS Trig Pillar: N/A, nearest is TP4411 - Lickey Hill
Links: Blog Post, Wikipedia (Birmingham), Peakbagger, Hillbagging
Flag shown is the official flag of Birmingham

Coventry

Highest Point: Corley Moor, 167m
Historic County of High Point: Warwickshire (of which Ebrington Hill is the County Top)
OS Trig Pillar: N/A, nearest is TP2413 - Corley Resr
Links: Blog Post, Wikipedia (Coventry), Peakbagger, Hillbagging
Flag shown is the official flag of Coventry

Dudley

Highest Point: Cawney Hill, 251m
Historic County of High Point: Staffordshire (of which Cheeks Hill is the County Top)
OS Trig Pillar: N/A, nearest is TP1060 - Barrow Hill
Links: Blog Post, Wikipedia (Dudley), Peakbagger, Hillbagging
Flag shown is the work of Andy Underscore

Sandwell

Highest Point: Turner’s Hill, 271m
Historic County of High Point: Staffordshire (of which Cheeks Hill is the County Top)
OS Trig Pillar: N/A, nearest is TP6743 - Warley Resr
Links: Blog Post, Wikipedia (Sandwell, Turner’s Hill), Peakbagger, Hillbagging
Flag shown is the work of Andy Underscore

Solihull

Highest Point: Meigh’s Wood, 185m
Historic County of High Point: Warwickshire (of which Ebrington Hill is the County Top)
OS Trig Pillar: N/A, nearest is TP3975 - Hollyberry End
Links: Blog Post, Wikipedia (Solihull), Peakbagger, Hillbagging
Flag shown is the work of jet_man1990

Walsall

Highest Point: Barr Beacon, 227m
Historic County of High Point: Staffordshire (of which Cheeks Hill is the County Top)
OS Trig Pillar: TP1049 - Barr Beacon Resr
Links: Blog Post, Wikipedia (Walsall, Barr Beacon), Peakbagger, Hillbagging
Flag shown is the work of Andy Underscore

Wolverhampton

Highest Point: Sedgley Beacon, 235m
Historic County of High Point: Staffordshire (of which Cheeks Hill is the County Top)
OS Trig Pillar: N/A, nearest is TP5243 - Orton Hill
Links: Blog Post, Wikipedia (Wolverhampton, Beacon Hill), Peakbagger, Hillbagging
Flag shown is the work of Andy Underscore

The Metropolitan Boroughs of West Midlands, with the highest points grouped by Historical County.
Note that not all of each Metropolitan Borough was fully inside each Historical County shown here.

Back to West Midlands High Points Index

Richard gower28 July 2024Trek, UK County Tops, Trig Pillar, Staffordshire, Warwickshire, Worcestershire, West Midlands, England Comments

Turner’s Hill: Sandwell High Point

Significance: Metropolitan Borough High Point for Sandwell
Parent Peak: Walton Hill
Nearest Higher Neighbour: The Four Stones
Historic County: Staffordshire (of which Cheeks Hill is the County Top)
Elevation: 271m
Date climbed: July 27th 2024
Coordinates: 52° 29' 46'' N, 2° 2' 57'' W
OS Trig Pillar: N/A, nearest is TP6743 - Warley Resr

Route Start / End: Dudley Golf Club, Turner's Hill, Rowley Regis, B65 9DP
Route Distance: 1.2 km (0.75 miles)
Route Elevation Change: +/- 6m
GPX File: get via Buy Me a Coffee
Other routes touched (walk): None
Map: Wolverhampton & Dudley Map | Stourbridge & Kidderminster | Ordnance Survey | OS Explorer Map 219
Links: Wikipedia (Sandwell, Turner’s Hill), Peakbagger, Hillbagging

At 271m elevation, Turner’s Hill is the highest point in the Metropolitan Borough of Sandwell and the West Midlands Ceremonial county. We’d had an afternoon of bagging the boring high points of other West Midlands UAs and saved the “big one” to the end. We parked at Dudley Golf Club although it’s probably for members only. It was late in the afternoon and a party was kicking off in the clubhouse so no-one seemed to notice.

From the Golf Club walk south down Turner’s Hill road until you get to the gates of the transmitter station. This is the furthest you can get to the summit on a public right of way. We managed to get a bit closer though, by re-tracing our steps back towards the club house and taking the footpath on the right. This passes the north edge of a field of horses where we found a hole in the fence where we could cross the field to get right up to the transmitter. It’s still not the absolute highest point but close enough for us. There’s also good views from the field.

Richard gower27 July 2024Trek, UK County Tops, Staffordshire, EnglandComment

Cawney Hill: Dudley High Point

Significance: Metropolitan Borough High Point for Dudley
Parent Peak: Walton Hill
Nearest Higher Neighbour: Turner’s Hill
Historic County: Staffordshire (of which Cheeks Hill is the County Top)
Elevation: 251m
Date climbed: July 27th 2024
Coordinates: 52° 30' 19'' N, 2° 4' 14'' W
OS Trig Pillar: N/A, nearest is TP1060 - Barrow Hill

Route Start / End: On-street parking at Shirley Road, Dudley, DY2 7DH
Route Distance: <1 km (<1 miles)
Route Elevation Change: +/- 5m
GPX File: get via Buy Me a Coffee
Other routes touched (walk): None
Map: Wolverhampton & Dudley Map | Stourbridge & Kidderminster | Ordnance Survey | OS Explorer Map 219
Links: Wikipedia (Dudley), Peakbagger, Hillbagging

Cawney Hill is the high point of the Metropolitan Borough of Dudley, within the Historic County of Staffordshire and Ceremonial County of West Midlands.

This was the dullest of an afternoon of dull high points in the West Midlands. It was the quickest one too as there’s free on-street parking a few metres from the “summit”. From the corner of Bennett’s Hill (road) and Shirley Road take follow the steps up the hill then take the footpath on the left heading north west. After a couple of metres take a right onto a small path that leads to a bench. Apparently this is the high point of Dudley but there appeared to be (inaccessible) higher ground further to east. Note that Hillbagging posts have the high point at the fence of the Cawney Hill transmitter compound at the end of East Street. Alternatively there’s the access road to the transmitter off Hilltop Road. All of these are at 251m elevation and, given the dullness of the area, I didn’t feel the need to bag all the possible points.

Back to West Midlands High Points Index

Richard gower27 July 2024Trek, UK County Tops, Staffordshire, EnglandComment

Sedgley Beacon: Wolverhampton High Point

Also known as: Sedgley Beacon - East Slope
Significance: Metropolitan Borough High Point for Wolverhampton
Parent Peak: Walton Hill
Nearest Higher Neighbour: Cawney Hill
Historic County: Staffordshire (of which Cheeks Hill is the County Top)
Elevation: 235m
Date climbed: July 27th 2024
Coordinates: 52° 32' 51'' N, 2° 6' 51'' W
OS Trig Pillar: N/A, nearest is TP5243 - Orton Hill

Route Start / End: Parking spot near 62 Beacon Ln, Sedgley, Dudley DY3 1NA
Route Distance: <1 km (<1 miles)
Route Elevation Change: +/- 6m
GPX File: get via Buy Me a Coffee
Other routes touched (walk): Limestone Walk
Map: Wolverhampton & Dudley Map | Stourbridge & Kidderminster | Ordnance Survey | OS Explorer Map 219
Links: Wikipedia (Wolverhampton, Beacon Hill), Peakbagger, Hillbagging

Sedgley Beacon is the high point of the Metropolitan Borough of Wolverhampton, within the Historic County of Staffordshire and Ceremonial County of West Midlands.

This is definitely one for the completists as you’re highly unlikely to visit this place unless you live there or are high-point bagging. We noted the line in the Wikipedia article: “By 2024, the area was being plagued with anti social behaviour, vandalism and car thefts.” and decided not to hang around. You can drive almost to Beacon Tower, however you need to park at the gates at the end of Beacon Lane and take the footpath for the final few metres. However, bagging the Beacon doesn’t mean that you’ve got the high point of Wolverhampton as the border with Dudley is on the other side of the tower. You can’t get to the actual Wolverhampton high point but you can get close if you walk or drive around the corner to the #38 Monument Lane, a small cul-de-sac off the main Monument Lane. There’s some metal railings at the end of the road where you could imagine a nice view.

Back to West Midlands High Points Index

Richard gower27 July 2024Trek, UK County Tops, Staffordshire, EnglandComment

Barr Beacon: Walsall High Point

Significance: Metropolitan Borough High Point for Walsall
Parent Peak: Walton Hill
Nearest Higher Neighbour: Turner’s Hill
Historic County: Staffordshire (of which Cheeks Hill is the County Top)
Elevation: 227m
Date climbed: July 27th 2024
Coordinates: 52° 34' 24'' N, 1° 54' 40'' W

Route Start / End: Parking at Beacon Road, Aldridge, Walsall, WS9 0QW
Route Distance: 0.8 km (0.5miles)
Route Elevation Change: +/- 4m
GPX File: get via Buy Me a Coffee
Other routes touched (walk): Beacon Way
OS Trig Pillar: TP1049 - Barr Beacon Resr
Map: Birmingham Map | Walsall, Solihull & Redditch | Ordnance Survey | OS Explorer Map 220
Links: Wikipedia (Walsall, Barr Beacon), Peakbagger, Hillbagging

Barr Beacon is the high point of the Metropolitan Borough of Walsall, within the Historic County of Staffordshire and Ceremonial County of West Midlands.

After our Wrekin walk earlier in the day we got talking to a guy in a pub where we were having lunch. He overheard our conversation about the day’s hill-bagging and offered us some advice. For Barr Beacon his main advice was “don’t go there unless you want to have your car stolen” … and especially don’t go there at night. We couldn’t really tell if he was joking or not but we were definitely going to bag it and had no intention of going there at night anyway.

Barr Beacon is a high, narrow ridge with views to the east and west. There’s a large car park at the top and the summit, near the War Memorial, can be done in a few minutes. We got there early afternoon on a Saturday and, although there were some dodgy looking cars, there were also families around having picnics.

The OS Trig Pillar is a little further north from the high point and in private land protected by a metal fence. There’s a spot in the fence with a post missing to the right of the road where it curves down the hill. If you can find that you can squeeze through and climb through the hedge into the field to bag the pillar. It’s fairly unpleasant as you need to climb over some fly-tipped debris and avoid the tree that has been used as a toilet.

Having bagged the high point and Tig Pillar we were happy to see that our cars were still there.

Back to West Midland High Points Index

Richard gower27 July 2024Trek, UK County Tops, Trig Pillar, Staffordshire, EnglandComment

Castle Ring: Cannock Chase National Landscape High Point

Significance: National Landscape High Point for Cannock Chase
Parent Peak: Walton Hill
Nearest Higher Neighbour: Cawney Hill
Historic County: Staffordshire (of which Cheeks Hill is the County Top)
Elevation: 242m
Date climbed: July 27th 2024
Coordinates: 52° 42' 49'' N, 1° 56' 15'' W

Route Start / End: Parking area for Castle Ring Scheduled Ancient Monument Holly Lane, WS15 4RN
Route Distance: >1 km (>1 miles)
Route Elevation Change: +/- 10m
GPX File: get via Buy Me a Coffee
Other routes touched (walk): E2 Hiking Trail Birmingham
Map: Cannock Chase & Chasewater Map | Stafford, Rugeley & Cannock | Ordnance Survey | OS Explorer Map 244
Links: Wikipedia (Cannock Chase, Castle Ring), Peakbagger, Hillbagging

Castle Ring is an Iron Age hill fort and the highest point of the Cannock Chase National Landscape. I’ve heard that there’s a lot of great walking in Cannock Chase but that will need to wait for another day as we were on a mission to bag a lot of high points that day.

We did this as a quick drive-by with a 15 minute walk from the free car park. According to the coordinates in peakbagger the Cannock Chase high point is right in the centre of the ring. The man-made outer circle is higher so we walked round the top of it to the high point on the western edge. You can take a faint path through the vegetation to cross the centre, bag the high point and exit on the south-eastern side.

Richard gower27 July 2024Trek, UK County Tops, National Landscape, Staffordshire, EnglandComment

The Wrekin: Telford and The Wrekin High Point

View to the toposcope and transmitter from the Trig Pillar

Significance: Unitary Authority High Point for Telford and The Wrekin
Nearest Higher Neighbour: Caer Caradoc Hill
Historic County: Shropshire (of which Brown Clee Hill is the County Top)
Elevation: 407m
Date climbed: July 27th 2024
Coordinates: 52° 40' 9'' N, 2° 33' 5'' W

Route Start / End: The Wrekin Forest Glen Car Park, Little Wenlock, Telford, TF6 5AL
Route Distance: 7.2 km (4.5 miles)
Route Elevation Change: +/- 307m
Subsidiary tops on route: Little Hill (232m)
GPX File: get via Buy Me a Coffee
Other routes touched (walk): Telford T50, Shropshire Way
OS Trig Pillar: TP0712 - Wrekin
Map: Telford, Ironbridge & The Wrekin Map | Ironbridge Gorge | Ordnance Survey | OS Explorer Map 242
Links: Wikipedia (Telford and The Wrekin, The Wrekin), Peakbagger, Hillbagging

The Wrekin was the literal high point of a day of bagging High Points of the West Midlands. The rest were quick drive-bys in obscure and often dodgy areas so we made the most of the Wrekin trip to make it a circular rather than an out-and-back.

Like most people we started at The Wrekin Forest Glen Car Park. It gets full quickly in the summer but we were lucky and got a space. The annoying thing was that payment is only by credit card or via an app that I’d never seen before. The card machine wasn’t working and there was no mobile signal so we ended up having to pay on-line half-way up the ascent.

With parking drama out of the way we took the shortest route to the summit on the Telford 50 trail. We were there on a clear day so we got a great view at the top across to Wales on the western side and Staffordshire on the east. The summit has an OS trig pillar, a toposcope, a transmitter tower and the remains of an Iron Age fill fort.

From the top we continued walking south-west for another 1 km down to Little Hill. It was marked on the map so we thought we’d check it out but there was little to mark it and no view. Continuing another 20m we took a left onto a footpath, then another left to pick up a path that lead us back to the car-park on a lower level.

Richard gower27 July 2024Trek, UK County Tops, Trig Pillar, Shropshire, EnglandComment

High Points of The Sussex Rapes

The English county of Sussex holds a unique historical term that can raise eyebrows: the "Rapes." Unlike modern definitions, the term in Sussex refers to a historical administrative division. The origin of the term "Rape" for these regions is shrouded in mystery. Theories range from a possible link to the Old English word "raep," meaning "harvest," to a connection with the Danish word "rape," signifying "district."

The Historic County of Sussex has six Rapes: Arundel, Bramber, Chichester, Hastings, Lewes, and Pevensey. Established sometime before the Norman Conquest of 1066, these Rapes likely predate the current county borders. Each Rape contained smaller subdivisions called "Hundreds," forming the backbone of local administration for centuries. Some historians believe the Rapes might have originated as defensive units, with each Rape centered around a strategically placed castle. This theory aligns with the arrival of the Normans, who are known to have built fortifications across England.

The Rapes continued to be used for administrative purposes for centuries, but their importance gradually declined. By the 19th century, their role had largely been superseded by more modern administrative structures. Today, the Rapes of Sussex remain a fascinating relic of the county's past. Though no longer serving an administrative function, they hold cultural significance and continue to spark curiosity.

Rape of Chichester

Rapal Town: Chichester
Norman Castle: Chichester Castle
Highest Point: Black Down, 280 metres, is also the Historic County Top of Sussex, the Present-Day County Top of West Sussex and the highest point in the South Downs National Park.
OS Trig Pillar: TP1443 - Blackdown
Links: Blog Post, Wikipedia, Peakbagger, Hillbagging

Rape of Arundel

Rapal Town: Arundel
Norman Castle: Arundel Castle
Highest Point: Glatting Beacon, 245 metres
OS Trig Pillar: TP1358 - Bignor Beacon
Links: Blog Post, Wikipedia, Peakbagger, Hillbagging

Rape of Bramber

Rapal Town: Bramber
Norman Castle: Bramber Castle
Highest Point: Chanctonbury Hill, 242 metres
OS Trig Pillar: TP2110 - Chanctonbury Ring
Links: Blog Post, Wikipedia, Peakbagger, Hillbagging

Rape of Lewes

Rapal Town: Lewes
Norman Castle: Lewes Castle
Highest Point: Ditchling Beacon, 248 metres, is the Present-Day County Top of East Sussex.
OS Trig Pillar: TP0760 - Ditchling
Links: Blog Post, Wikipedia, Peakbagger, Hillbagging

Rape of Pevensey

Rapal Town: Pevensey
Norman Castle: Pevensey Castle
Highest Point: Crowborough Beacon, 242 metres, is also the high point of the High Weald National Landscape.
OS Trig Pillar: TP2630 - Crowborough
Links: Blog Post, Wikipedia, Peakbagger, Hillbagging

Rape of Hastings

Rapal Town: Hastings
Norman Castle: Hastings Castle
Highest Point: Brightling Down, 197 metres
OS Trig Pillar: N/A. Closest is TP4140 - Jurys Gut
Links: Blog Post, Wikipedia, Peakbagger, Hillbagging

Sources