Buried blocks

[stignest]

Greetings folks,

I have been quietly harvesting trigs ever since I started hill walking around 8 years ago. It started as a coincidental thing with the pillars being atop the hill I was climbing but in the last 18 months or so I have noticed I am going out of my way to visit pillars, rings, curry stools and blocks...I think I may be hooked.

I have noticed that in the wilds not far from my home (N. Shropshire) there are numerous blocks with unknown status. Is this just because no one has visited in recent times?

Also, buried blocks. How deep are blocks buried? Is it an exact science or does it vary from 6" to 6'?

Any comments, advice or thoughts most welcomed.

[ted]

I have noticed that in the wilds not far from my home (N. Shropshire) there are numerous blocks with unknown status. Is this just because no one has visited in recent times?

Most probably as you say; noone has yet visited. Also perhaps because other types of station, pillars
especially, tend to be in more interesting locations and are chosen as preferred targets.

Also, buried blocks. How deep are blocks buried? Is it an exact science or does it vary from 6" to 6'?

https://www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/gps/legacy-control-information/triangulation-stations
says:

Buried mark - This is normally a brass bolt, rod or rivet set into a concrete block 60 cm below ground level.

but I don't know consistent the OS were in this respect, or what effect subsidence or erosion has had. I think that the
relatively small number of buried blocks that have been logged as found on TrigpointingUK have mostly been no deeper
than 25cm. Arguably thats because the deeper blocks are much harder to detect


Regards
Ted

[ted]

This makes the location of a buried block seem trivial
http://www.messynessychic.com/2015/12/01/what-was-found-and-still-edible-inside-a-150-year-old-sunken-steamboat/

[peregrinus]

I have noticed that in the wilds not far from my home (N. Shropshire) there are numerous blocks with unknown status. Is this just because no one has visited in recent times?.

There tend to be a few folk who spend time looking for blocks. CJO are pretty good at finding them. I sometimes have a go but find them difficult. If you have time to spend, a long screwdriver or suitable probe, and something to dig with, it's always worth a try. If you do score, please include some measurements in your log Winter can be a good time as the ground is softer and vegetation is lower.

I've seen a couple of 'buried' blocks - both were shallow. I usually ignore them.

Shrops: There's one south of Little Stretton which I had a go at a year or two ago, without success. Wrong end of the County for you, though. http://trigpointing.uk/trig/13061

[stignest]

I have it in mind to have a good explore of the mynd this year. So many deeply incised valleys and spurs off the main whaleback so you might have just accidentally compelled me to get searching.. im also a bit of a cairn rebuilder so there may be a more aesthetically pleasing currick once I'm done.
I shall get it on the to do list.
Any others fancy joining me?

[peregrinus]

I have it in mind to have a good explore of the mynd this year. So many deeply incised valleys and spurs off the main whaleback so you might have just accidentally compelled me to get searching.. im also a bit of a cairn rebuilder so there may be a more aesthetically pleasing currick once I'm done.?

Checking under the Yearlet cairn for the supposed surface block would be quite a cairn re/building challenge, especially if you don't want to get caught doing it!
http://trigpointing.uk/trig/13060

[stignest]

I have the time and inclination on a nice day to have a go at it. I'd say I could be on site from my front door in little over 90 mins so spending half the day on moving stone isnt such an issue. The other half thinks I'm loopy anyway...
The cairn doesn't seem to have any antiquity about it and as its not on any of the main routes up to Pole Bank the liklihood of being challenged would surely be minimal. Have any other members had issues in the past when disturbing cairns? Is there any just reason some bod could have a go? - especially in light that on Cadair Idris they are pulling cairns down.

[peregrinus]

The cairn doesn't seem to have any antiquity about it and as its not on any of the main routes up to Pole Bank the liklihood of being challenged would surely be minimal. Have any other members had issues in the past when disturbing cairns? Is there any just reason some bod could have a go? - especially in light that on Cadair Idris they are pulling cairns down.

Yearlet is a fairly popular hill I think, more so at weekends perhaps. The cairn is a large pile of quite small stones, but reviewing the photo http://trigpointinguk-photos.s3.amazonaws.com/129/P129642.jpg it's not exactly shapely. If challenged I'd just say you're searching for the trig point (have a copy of something vaguely official such as the TPUK page?) and will rebuild the cairn afterwards. Take something to probe with (18 inch screwdriver works for me, well sometimes) and at least a trowel.

In less popular places I've dismantled plenty of cairns, rebuilding / relocating them afterwards, and never seen anyone. At one site down south there was a no digging sign; fortunately found nothing to dig for.

I guess you maybe ought to check with the National Trust if it's their land. They can only say no (and maybe would, as their record with trigs isn't good).

It occurs me this isn't the easiest choice for your first surface block hunt And there's a fair chance you'll find nothing. Or that it's buried near to the cairn, or destroyed.

Anyway, good luck!

[stignest]

No fear there chief, I have been out and located a previously unknown this week (TP17782, Halton farm). I have a good few up my way which I'm going to go truffling for in the next few months. I'm off work at the moment following a shoulder opp. So only going out looking for surface blocks is my idea of taking it easy.

[peregrinus]

No fear there chief, I have been out and located a previously unknown this week (TP17782, Halton farm). I have a good few up my way which I'm going to go truffling for in the next few months. I'm off work at the moment following a shoulder opp. So only going out looking for surface blocks is my idea of taking it easy.

Nice work, Sir! Good luck and go easy on the digging, with that shoulder.