Logged Visits:

17th Feb 2024  09:50  by Lynnebe

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

From layby to N. Armed with old gardening clothes, wellies and secateurs I set off SSE. Picked up an old branch along the way. Found relatively easily going under then over large, fallen tree trunks. Didn't quite find the same route back and went too far W where it was thicker. Never saw concrete structure, didn't care! Who knows if another route is better. Been, got the picture, never again. 30 mins but I'd do it again for a different trig!

Flush bracket and equipment
Mossy Trig

2nd Feb 2024  19:42  by Oldhortus

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

Bagged this after walking back from St Ninians. Found a way in to the old water tower. All that can be said it was grim

28th Jan 2023  09:30  by allyhoust

FB Number: S3166  Condition: Good  Score: 4/10

Found on 2nd attempt! Ditto all previous attempts - be prepared for jungle trek!

14th Jan 2023  13:40  by alright_dave

FB Number: S3166  Condition: Good  Score: 5/10

Bit of an adventure this one. Came from the east and managed (just) to work way through trees, bogs and brambles. Thanks to those below for instructions otherwise I think I would have given up! Once I spotted the water tower and managed to hack through the undergrowth I was able to find it about 5m west of the tower. My advice, don't do it in January in the pouring rain! :-)

Thornton

25th Sep 2021  13:26  by Nellydean

FB Number: S3166  Condition: Good  Score: 5/10

2nd Apr 2021  14:35  by Fife Walking

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

This one was fun. 10 out of 10 for the challenge in finding it. Rough, boggy, brambly walk from Thornton Woods entrance to water tower. Circled around the tower looking for trig, went under the tower looking for trig. Eventually spotted it from its south side but easiest access seemed to be from its west side by crawling under the fallen trees. Trig located to the west of the tower as noted by others, surrounded by the fallen trees. Had to repeat the whole process to get back to the car. Top tips: wear boots with ankle support (this is ankle turning territory), don't wear shorts and short sleeves! probably best to use tough gaiters to protect legs from brambles, gloves would also have been helpful to protect hands from getting torn to bits.

8th May 2020  11:30  by COVID Trig Point Challenge

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

Terrible brash to get through to it

8th May 2020  11:30  by gordonpryde

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

31st Dec 2019  13:55  by A1Mushroom

FB Number: S3166  Condition: Good  Score: 5/10

Parked by the entrance to the reservoir. Wife got two feet from the road and turned around back to the car. Followed the edge of the fence of the compound and then found the stone wall which is the boundary on the map, if no sat nav, follow this until you meet another stone wall. Follow this to the derelict concrete structure, go round this on the road side and through the saplings is the trig!! Now . . .the felled woodland is full of brambles, the brash which has been left is rotten so if you step of it it may collapse into a water logged bog under it. There's a lot of ruts and deep holes covered by grasses. They have dug ditches through the area to drain it and use the soil for the new saplings, these are also covered by brash and grasses, some you can spot, some not so much. I landed flat on my face once and I'm usually like a cat.

29th Sep 2018  00:00  by caroleengel

Gridref: NT 12627 93458   FB Number: Not logged  Condition: Good  Score: 5/10

Only access to the trig is from the W due to windthrow surrounding the pillar. The concrete structure (a tower) is almost adjacent the pillar and easily visible from the W. MUST pass this to find the trig. The approach is thru' felled/replanted woodland and very rough

18th Sep 2018  19:55  by pricklyangelduo

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

©pricklyangelduo

6th Jul 2017  20:36  by Cootking

FB Number: S3166  Condition: Good  Score: 8/10

Forget moorland wanders or trails up hills. This is real trig bagging. Park on main road to north of trig.Only 100m away but 100m of shoulder high vegetation, hidden ditches, logs with bark that slips off,every step an adventure. Head to left of scrubby trees and find concrete building.Trig 20m to West. Great fun!! Views 1 Entertainment 9.

View from below tree in front of flush bracket

18th Jun 2017  10:00  by Ham Mathieson

FB Number: S3166  Condition: Good  Score: 3/10

Lucky trig to have survived the tree felling and in surprisingly good condition with cement plug. Limited views due to location almost surrounded by fallen not felled trees near old observation tower. Only visited as local wouldn't recommend this one for the views or route to it.

©Ham Mathieson
©Ham Mathieson

18th Jun 2017  00:00  by Kctrig

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

©Kctrig

28th Feb 2017  14:15  by Sandgrownun

Gridref: NT 12628 93459   FB Number: S3166  Condition: Good  Score: 5/10

Same route as monkeydestructor, head for the left side of clump of trees, and in by concrete tower. Pillar in good nick, moss covered, tarmac plug, FB partially obscured by tree trunk, rear sight hole open.

Thornton Way in from concrete tower.
Thornton Pillar.
Thornton Flush bracket.
Thornton Top.

25th Feb 2017  16:30  by monkeydestructor

FB Number: S3166  Condition: Good  Score: 5/10

Parked in the layby only 400 feet away, but took half an hour to do! Fallen trees and ditches to negotiate. Best to approach to the left of the clump of trees, heading for the concrete structure (water tank?), then in from under the tank.

Thornton ©monkeydestructor

15th Feb 2016  07:00  by Signum-GB

FB Number: S3166  Condition: Good  Score: 5/10

I have only discovered trig pointing recently so logging retrospective finds. My main hobby is Geocaching and there are usually Geocaches near trig points.

Early morning Geocache find at the trig point

15th Jan 2016  14:30  by Amelia Pond

FB Number: S3166  Condition: Good  Score: 4/10

Not the easiest to get to. Parked at Thornton Wood sign and followed track down, before cutting into the left and walking opposite concrete structure. Walked round fallen trees till we found a way in. View totally blocked.

23rd Nov 2015  12:55  by thejackrustles

FB Number: S3166  Condition: Good  Score: 5/10

Tough cookie. Only 150m from layby but a tough 150m through some large deep drainage ditches and then a hunt to find a route in, head for the concrete structure and go in from there, it was the only route I could find.

Mrs TJR at the trigpoint ©thejackrustles
Fallen/felled trees ©thejackrustles
Concrete structure ©thejackrustles
Thornton Collage ©thejackrustles

15th Apr 2015  12:15  by Borderer

FB Number: S3166  Condition: Good  Score: 5/10

Worked on the site next door for nearly 5 years and never new this pillar existed before using this website. Witnessed the tree felling and surprised it survived. Best park in the first lay-by after the St Ninians opencast entrance and head south 100 metres or so towards the concrete structure / clump of felled trees. Mind the water filled drainage ditches!

©Borderer

26th Mar 2015  12:03  by vegibagger

FB Number: S3166  Condition: Good  Score: 5/10

welcome to the land of dead trees. Fascinating for the bewildering grandeur of this tree graveyard landscape. Lovely and curious on a sunny day. glad old Triggy has survived, mossy but proud.

surrounded by tree death ©vegibagger
half fb from under a felled trunk ©vegibagger
top ©vegibagger

29th Jul 2014  12:30  by Wubbleyew

FB Number: S3166  Condition: Good  Score: 2/10

Tried to find this pillar last year (July 2013) but time was limited (en route to Edinburgh Airport) and the 'jungle' was pretty nigh impenetrable; also I was inappropriately dressed for such an expedition. Today, dressed for combat, I was bemused to see that much of the felled trees and debris has been cleared making this visit much easier. It remains an ugly pot-holed wasteland, but thankfully the pillar has survived thus far, albeit a long tree trunk lies across the FB side ( the number is still visible) - asphalt cap and one sight hole open.

30th Nov 2013  11:59  by descarte1

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

CJO said it all. Desperate! Took an hour to get to it and back. Didn't manage to hurt myself too badly although the phone battery went just before I reached it. So, no records! Least enjoyable trig to date (that exists)

5th Oct 2013  14:02  by CJO

Gridref: NT 12628 93460   FB Number: S3166  Condition: Good  Score: 5/10

Desperate, trees either too rotten to stand on but the moment I tried to push through an obstacle the branches would not yield. Best progress was made by walking above the collapesed branches on the more solid tree trunks. Ceramic cap. FB half hidden by fallen tree. In a relative clearing (fire break)20 m west of tank/or possibly an aircraft observation tower. Ripped trousers and nearly poked my eye out on the way in. An alternative route might be to the east down past the fenced off reservoir and then west along the largly blocked fire break, as apposed to directly south from the road through the mostly inpenatrable barrier of fallen trees.

Thornton pillar 20m west of this observation tower
Thornton

6th Sep 2011  13:57  by stonestreaker

FB Number: S3166  Condition: Good  Score: 10/10

This is what trigging's all about. Found the trig before seeing the tower.

Now get out
Now get out

14th May 2011  14:01  by agentmancuso

Gridref: NT 12629 93454   FB Number: S3166  Condition: Good  Score: 5/10

Found it easily enough despite the dozens of wind-felled trees. Saw the trig before the tower actually, then almost left GPSr on the trig. Only a matter of time I suppose.

S3166 Thornton

28th Jan 2011  10:22  by Border Peat

Gridref: NT 12626 93464   FB Number: S3166  Condition: Good  Score: 4/10

Followed compass bearings found old tower then trig

Well hidden S3166©Border Peat

7th May 2010  00:00  by Mickandkim

Gridref: NT 12626 93464   FB Number: S3166  Condition: Good  Score: 7/10

A 7 for entertainment value Is the trig trying to hide or has Ray Mears been building shelters Can be found but look out for falling trees Directions to trig ! ! ! Its there somewhere just keep looking

6th Jun 2009  15:45  by Sandman

FB Number: Not logged  Condition: Good  Score: 4/10

If you go down to the woods today; take a chain saw

14th May 2008  15:53  by SlainteJimmy

FB Number: S3166  Condition: Good  Score: 6/10

Aragorn would have trouble in this wood! <Mental note - wear long sleeves for crashing around woods!) Our mossy lad is on an overgrown NE-SW wall surrounded by fallen trees near an old broken water tank. Cap filled, NorthWest sight open.

Thornton ..in the thick of it!

1st Mar 2008  10:15  by Boys from the Dyes

Gridref: 12 62690 34580   FB Number: S3166  Condition: Good  Score: 3/10

Had to use GPS to locate, even then still hard to find because of the fallen trees.

Thornton pillar, flush bracket and water tower.

26th Jul 2007  11:37  by andyc

FB Number: S3166  Condition: Good  Score: 3/10

Hard to find in fly tipped wood. It really disgusts me the way people treat the world

12th Jun 2007  09:40  by rhayader_wanderer

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

some kind of abandoned "tower" next to the trig quite hard to find considering how close to the road it is

20th Apr 2007  13:35  by coinea

FB Number: S3166  Condition: Good  Score: 5/10

S3166 Thornton

1st Jan 2006  12:00  by peregrinus

FB Number: S3166  Condition: Good  Score: 3/10

vgc, asphalt plug, among wind-felled pines, 100m SSE from layby. FB not BSM style

Montaged by Jon Rouse ©peregrinus

5th Feb 2005  12:00  by iainmac

FB Number: S3166  Condition: Good  Score: 5/10

Plenty of trees down.

S3166
S3166
S3166

4th Nov 2004  12:13  by sky high boys

FB Number: S3166  Condition: Good  Score: 4/10

Nipped up after claiming some routes at the Hawkcraig. Sunny Fife indeed on a day like this.

20th May 2004  11:12  by clochandighter

Gridref: NT 12631 93456   FB Number: S3166  Condition: Good  Score: 5/10

Built 4th November 1943. Tertiary station in Block NT18, Dunfermline. 50% moss coverage but pillar otherwise VGC. Spider plugged with cement. Flush bracket faces south. Back sighting hole open, others plugged. In a dense wood, no views - dirty mags are still there. Original visit 1985, revisited and photographed 20/05/2004, GRP.

S3166 - Thornton Pillar & FB.

29th Mar 2004  10:35  by fasgadh

Gridref: NT 12614 93502   FB Number: S3166  Condition: Good  Score: 3/10

Deep in the manky forestry, past the bogroll and soggy scud books, over a stagnant ditch and next to the windthrow, lies a mossy pillar and a ruined water tank. Pillar in fine condition, under the moss. Unfortunately this is opencast country and the current workings are close by to the south. May be vulnerable. Oh and please, please.. dont map this forest. Save green ink!

Thornton Bits
Thornton Old water tower
Thornton

17th Sep 2003  12:00  by iainmac

FB Number: S3166  Condition: Good  Score: 5/10

S3166

15th Jul 1985  15:36  by clochandighter

FB Number: S3166  Condition: Good  Score: 5/10

First visit. To record FB number. The pillar was completed 4th November 1943 costing £5.17s.9d. In 1947 this marker was computed for triangulation as tertiary station NT18/T47 in the Dunfermline secondary block. The flush bracket was levelled for height in 1965. This trig point was last maintained by the OS in September 1987. Located in fairly dense woods, established lines of sight with other stations have long since been lost.