If you have stumbled on this site in the hope or expectation that it will provide insights on heraldic iconography, delicate decorative details on household items, the geographical distribution of the crested or great crested newt across the United Kingdom, a new dating app, or just an understandable misunderstanding that this is a euphemism based blog, you are probably in the wrong domain, though of course you’re welcome to stay.
In early May 2024 I had a weekend with my daughter in Bristol. It’s a Friday night. We (daughter, her partner and I) looked at the weather forecast for Saturday and almost fell over backwards to discover that there was no rain fall predicted at all. We agreed to sally forth across the Severn (if you get my drift) the next morning.
A drive across the new bridge and into Wales and an hour or so on we were taking a slow climb up Mynydd Pen-y-fâl, aka Sugar Loaf. On a glorious day we reached the top, scanned the view, and after a light lunch at a nearby vineyard, went home.
A few days later, and looking to find out a bit more about Sugar Loaf on Google (I may lose the will to cut and paste if I must resort to Mynydd Pen-y-fâl every time, so any Welsh readers please take pity), I discovered it is the highest peak in Monmouthshire. I thought a bit about that and was pleased with the idea that we had conquered a minor peak, but also that it was the top of the pile for the county. *
I thought about it a bit more and wondered if there were other places I had been to where I had stood at the top of a county. A couple of obvious ones came to mind. Ben Nevis for one (done some decades before), Yr Wyddfa (Snowdon) at least three times, Leith Hill in Surrey and maybe one or two others too.
I decided to compile a list of all the counties in Wales, Scotland, England and Northern Ireland (I do not have any realistic plans to visit Northern Ireland but if I ever do then who knows), identify the highest points in each county, where they are near, check if I had been there before, and then consider what the prospects were for visiting and taking each on.
There is no real point to this proposed activity, but once I had put the list together it made me realise that I am quite predictable in my travels. I know the places I like, and I tend to go to them again and again whenever I get a chance. For instance, I try to get to the Peak District once a year to climb Mam Tor or Jacob’s Ladder. I love it every time, but it dawned on me that there are numerous counties that I have either never visited or have just passed through on the way to one of my favourite places. Attempting this might at least alter my direction of travel and take me places new.
By the time I had completed the list (there are 105 counties, including Greater London and Metropolitan counties, but whether this is entirely correct is open to debate…. ahem), it frustratingly dawned on me that over the years I had missed out on some easy wins. For instance, despite, on numerous occasions, traipsing over many miles of bog above Edale in the Peak District, I cannot say with 100% certainty that I have stood on Derbyshire’s iconic highest point, Kinder Scout.
I am not naive enough to think that in the time left I will achieve anywhere near all the target peaks. ** But I have decided to make a start. I have also resolved that, if for instance the weather is absolute pants and there is a car park near the top, driving, along with cycling and by any other means necessarily, qualifies.
And so, a week on from mounting Sugar Loaf, I made the first official conquest – Betsom’s Hill in Kent. I wrote up an account of the short climb and it forms the first of these short posts.
*When (if) I write up the Monmouthshire account a subtle nuance in definitions will become apparent. ** Here’s a clue.
El Colmado 57 