Logged Visits:

3rd Feb 2024  15:00  by Robert Phillips

FB Number: Not logged  Condition: Good  Score: 5/10

3rd Feb 2024  11:31  by Poppy60

FB Number: Not logged  Condition: Not Logged  Score: 5/10

Walked up from Earlston towards Birkenside, good tracks, then though felled wood. Good views

©Poppy60

11th May 2023  14:56  by NJM

Gridref: NT 57725 41148   FB Number: S7394  Condition: Good  Score: 7/10

Second visit: A year after my first visit I noticed no one has visited Birkenside in the last 12 months, so decided to go and put an afternoons labour in to clear it of fallen timber. Packed saws, loppers and gorse protective gloves etc and set off for the hill. Parked by the poultry 'farm' to the SE and walked a mile & a half to the TP. Surprised and delighted to find that the whole shelter-break N of the pillar has been felled and cleared, all that was left around the pillar now was a bit of gorse which I soon disposed of. Extensive views now in all directions except between N to E. Pillar is, probably for the first time in a very long time, a fine entry in the Border Regions catalogue of great TP Pillars! ~~ 05/05/22 First visit: Took a good pair of loppers with me to deal with the gorse, but in truth the gorse in flower added a splash of colour to an otherwise dull, grey and chilly day of what seems to have been an unremittingly poor spring, so I let the gorse be and simply cleared as much of the brash and branches of the fallen tree from around the pillar as I could. A decent bow saw and the tree across the top of the pillar would be gone in ten minutes. There's a great view S from here, with Rubers Law framed by Black Hill to the L and Eildons to the R.

View North 05/05/22 Storm's OS Pillar #383
View North West 11/05/23 Identical photo to the one below presented by 'Schmuppets'
View North 11/05/23 Identical picture to the one above, 12 months later...
View North East 11/05/23 Identical photo to the one below presented by 'Rococo1805'
View South East 11/05/23 Views as far as The Cheviot
View South 11/05/23 To Black Hill and The Eildons

5th Mar 2022  12:56  by rococo1805

FB Number: S7394  Condition: Good  Score: 5/10

More than secateurs required now as a whopping big tree has fallen over this trig. The tree has been cut off to not obstruct the field however the trig now props up the rest of the tree.

15th Sep 2021  10:45  by Analoguesat

FB Number: S7394  Condition: Good  Score: 6/10

A pleasant walk in from Birkenside to the north west There is a good tractor track from the mapped sheepfold at the entrance to the field north of the trig then a walk east across stubble to the other corner. Pillar being encroached by gorse again, so a future visitor take a pair of secateurs.

18th Jun 2021  15:30  by Schmuppets

FB Number: Not logged  Condition: Good  Score: 6/10

Nice walk up from Birkenside - Trig is hiding in the trees and the gorse!

Birkenside ©Schmuppets

10th Apr 2021  11:33  by sarm1975

FB Number: S7394  Condition: Not Logged  Score: 6/10

Scorching day walking from Lauder to Earlston. Very peaceful spot.

Sunny Birkenside
2 weeks later, 25th April

2nd Oct 2020  12:00  by Oldhortus

FB Number: Not logged  Condition: Good  Score: 6/10

Lovely walk up from Birkenside

10th Jan 2020  15:55  by A1Mushroom

FB Number: S7394  Condition: Good  Score: 5/10

Parked on the minor road opposite Kelso Hill where the verges are nice and wide, at spot height 157. Nice walk to the trig on a good tar road then onto hard packed gravel. Lots of deer in the woods at dusk. Was quite light on the way up, pitch dark on the way back!

Trig

28th Dec 2019  10:10  by Old-hortus

FB Number: Not logged  Condition: Good  Score: 7/10

Parked at Birkenside NT564423 followed the track, which must have been a tarmac road at one point. Left this track at the third strip of woodland turning due south. The trig is nicely hidden by Gorse. You can not see the pillar until you are beyond into the field. Nice view towards the Eildons and Black Hill

25th Aug 2019  14:30  by Mickandkim

Gridref: NT 57721 41145   FB Number: S7394  Condition: Good  Score: 6/10

From track to NE nearly drove to it

29th Apr 2018  15:21  by coinea

Gridref: NT 57723 41138   FB Number: S7394  Condition: Good  Score: 7/10

Walked up from Birkenside, handy layby just after leaving A68. Route as Borderer though no cows today. Pillar was clear of gorse.

S7394 Birkenside

4th Sep 2017  00:00  by caroleengel

Gridref: NT 57723 41140   FB Number: Not logged  Condition: Good  Score: 5/10

With HuMP - Legerwood Hill - to ENE

21st Jan 2017  11:58  by Moira293

FB Number: S7394  Condition: Good  Score: 6/10

Bagged the trig by making a detour from the Earlston Paths Huntshaw circular walk. After being thwarted by barbed wire at the bottom of the neighbouring field, we ended up walking along the top edge of the field and nearly walked past the trig, as it was so overgrown with gorse! Restricted views due to the neighbouring woods, but nice open view across the fields to the Eildons through the mist.

The rather overgrown trig
Moi posing at the trig...at arms length due to the gorse!!

24th Jun 2015  19:00  by Borderer

FB Number: S7394  Condition: Good  Score: 6/10

Walked up from Birkenside to the third woodland strip on the south side of the track and then followed a nice grass track up the woodland side of the fence avoiding the mad cows (although they still tried to charge) up to the pillar. Limited views due to the low cloud.

©Borderer

17th Jul 2011  06:30  by agentmancuso

Gridref: NT 57721 41141   FB Number: S7394  Condition: Good  Score: 5/10

I don't usually do drive-ins, but at half six on a Sunday morning there seemed little chance of objection, so drove up the track from Birkenside to directly north of trig, reachable via track by beach trees. Went straight over to Yeaman at Legerwood Hill on the way back.

S7394 Birkenside

18th Jan 2011  16:17  by Border Peat

Gridref: NT 57726 41144   FB Number: S7394  Condition: Good  Score: 8/10

Drove in from west nobody about No Keep Out signs drove up to edge of wood and parked track between wood and fence straight up to trig

good views S7394©Border Peat

7th Mar 2009  12:30  by ocean soul

FB Number: S7394  Condition: Good  Score: 5/10

On edge of woodland not far from a minor track to industrial units.

24th Jul 2006  12:00  by peregrinus

FB Number: S7394  Condition: Good  Score: 5/10

vgc, metal cap deep letters, S edge of tree belt. Track from NW evidently driveable, judging by the cars which passed me during the walk up.

2nd Feb 2006  16:15  by fasgadh

FB Number: S7394  Condition: Good  Score: 5/10

On the edge of a woodland strip, so probably only intended for southward views. Not far off a minor road passing several industrial poultry units. Intact.

30th Jan 2006  12:00  by iainmac

FB Number: S7394  Condition: Good  Score: 5/10

S7394
S7394
S7394

24th Jul 2004  14:52  by clochandighter

Gridref: NT 57726 41142   FB Number: S7394  Condition: Good  Score: 6/10

Second visit. For photographs and GPS reading. HISTORY: Pillar completed 5th May 1953 costing £13.1s.0d. Levelled for height in 1955. Computed as tertiary triangulation station NT72/T6 within the Jedburgh block during 1957. Last maintained by the OS in November 1986. SITE VISIT: Pillar in good condition. Spider retains OS centre plug with deep indented lettering. FB faces south. East sight hole open, others plugged. In the NE corner of a grazing field. Woods behind. Views to Black Hill NT72, Eildon Mid Hill, Green Hill, Meigle Hill.

S7394 - Birkenside flush bracket
S7394 - Birkenside from the south
S7394 - Birkenside from the SW
S7394 - Birkenside from the east

5th May 1990  14:50  by clochandighter

FB Number: S7394  Condition: Good  Score: 6/10

Five trig circular walk from Galashiels. Trig 3 of 5 for the day. First visit. To record FB number, and unknown to me at the time, the date was this pillar's 37th Birthday. The pillar was completed 5th May 1953 costing £13.1s.0d. Flush bracket S7394 was levelled for height in 1955. This marker was computed for triangulation as tertiary station NT72/T6 in the Jedburgh secondary block in 1957, and was last maintained by the OS in November 1986. No photos taken.