While watching an archeological programme on. the TV the other night, I ended up googling for a map of roman roads…And somehow found myself investigating the Ivinghoe Beacon near Aylesbury/Bierton/Tring.
Before the lockdown I had intended to activate Wendover Woods (I have friends in Bierton). However, when I went looking I couldn’t find the Ivinghoe Beacon listed as a SOTA summit, nor could I find any discussion of it (or at least my google foo couldn’t find any)
I was just wondering why, if it had just been overlooked, or is it like Barr Beacon where (If I remember correctly), it isn’t “that” high with regards to the local average terrain ?
Regardless of it’s status, I am making plans to climb it once all this is over - It looks like a great spot for a bit of microwave beacon spotting!
Ivinghoe Beacon does not meet the criteria for inclusion in the SOTA programme.
It’s “parent” hill is indeed Haddington Hill - Wendover Woods G/CE-005, the highest point of which is 267m ASL - so 34m higher than Ivinghoe Beacon. The drop between them is not deep enough for Ivinghoe Beacon to be counted as a separate hill under the “Marilyn” definition (150m prominence).
It doesn’t even qualify as a “HuMP” (hundred metre prominence).
Ah, thank you, that explains it. Looking at both of them, I think it will be the better of the two for microwave work - from what I’ve seen, while 267m ASL, there are lots of trees and other obstructions around at G/CE-005
You can activate from the car park area, where all the tourists go, but it is too busy for me. The activation zone on this summit is quite large, and the trig point (in the activation zone) is in a field all on its own, next to car park, with plenty of space to activate from.
Yeah I agree. I also always activate from the trig point on Aston Hill, about 1km distant from the summit but only 1m lower with negligible drop in-between. Still not an optimum VHF-and-up take-off, but better than the wooded summit, and unlike Ivinghoe Beacon - in the activation zone.
Until I moved to south Cumbria last May I lived not far from Ivinghoe Beacon and for 19 years it was a regular dog walk for me. Once I got into SOTA I too thought surely it must qualify as a Marilyn and was surprised not to find it on the list. I immediately got my OS map and traced out the contour lines and confirmed that sadly - like so many great summits around the country - it doesn’t quite make it.
'Twas my local SOTA summit - even worse on 23cm especially if that wall of tall trees surrounding the trig point field are wet from rain. Even the 23cm beacon 19 miles away at Dunstable isn’t strong.
Nearby Dunstable Downs (e.g. the car park for the new NT cafe) is even better. I joined my first 23cm contest there using a low-power ‘Ukrainian’ 23cm transverter and Yagi on a re-purposed camera tripod and got cracking reports.
My HEMA activations and chases are still not accepted despite support from both the originator of the HEMA scheme and the current HEMA G Association Manager.
Still, never mind. I hurt my back badly while tying my bootlaces yesterday and now not even sure I can go for one of my lockdown walks out of my front door never mind anything else.
