Longest line of sight (UK)

[Tetchytyke]

If it is indeed the Wicklow hills, then they reach 2400', but Anglesey IS in the way

The hills I can see from here are the Mountains of Mourne, which are in Northern Ireland near Newcastle. I've not been up Snaefell so not sure if the Wicklow Mountains can be seen from up there. But the Mountains of Mourne are clear as day from the cafe at The Sound, which overlooks the Calf of Man.

Just to be clear I've never been talking about the Wicklow Mountains, which are way to the south of Dublin.

 

[Gonzoiku]

Port Lympne I think? Or thereabouts.

https://www.peakfinder.org/?lat=51....=4&ele=107&date=2020-08-31T20:52Z&name=Lympne

View attachment 82986

I'll "see" your Port Lympne and raise you SUMMERHILL LODGE, SCOTLAND COMMON, TEMPLE EWELL, DOVER, KENT CT16 3EA

I make it 3.3 miles from the coast.

Thanks to all for some interesting diversions from the day-to-day.

GZ

 

[Calthrop]

The hills I can see from here are the Mountains of Mourne, which are in Northern Ireland near Newcastle. I've not been up Snaefell so not sure if the Wicklow Mountains can be seen from up there. But the Mountains of Mourne are clear as day from the cafe at The Sound, which overlooks the Calf of Man.

Just to be clear I've never been talking about the Wicklow Mountains, which are way to the south of Dublin.

I hesitate a bit, to address an IOM inhabitant about this stuff (grandmothers, eggs, etc. come to mind) -- but I've been given to understand that in conditions of optimum clarity (not all that common): the Wicklow Mountains, and the Welsh mountains, can be seen from the top of Snaefell; as well as the closer-to and more often visible Northern Ireland / south-west Scotland / English Lake District and Cumbria. I've been up Snaefell three times -- the best I've ever done, on just one of those occasions, was the three last-named countries.

 

[Tetchytyke]

I've been given to understand that in conditions of optimum clarity (not all that common): the Wicklow Mountains, and the Welsh mountains, can be seen from the top of Snaefell

I think you're right. You can certainly see north Wales- Snowdonia, Great Orme and Anglesey, even from low down. I've just not yet been up to see!

 

[route101]

The Mull of Galloway is good on a clear day , with IOM , Cumbria and Northern Ireland visable.

 

[Taunton]

Always helps to get a bit higher ...

I used to skydive near the Chilterns, just where the M40 comes through. One clear evening, from a quietly descending parachute at probably 3,000 feet, I could see three bodies of water in the sunlight. To the west, the Severn Estuary in Gloucestershire. To the east, the Thames Estuary. To the south, the Channel at Portsmouth. They are all about equidistant.

Coming back from Scotland to London on a clear night by plane, overhead Preston/Blackburn, the lights of Dublin visible more than once.

And heading by plane out from London, over Clacton and then overhead Rotterdam, Netherlands beneath us, you could still just see Dover.

 

[Altrincham]

Always helps to get a bit higher ...

I used to skydive near the Chilterns, just where the M40 comes through. One clear evening, from a quietly descending parachute at probably 3,000 feet, I could see three bodies of water in the sunlight. To the west, the Severn Estuary in Gloucestershire. To the east, the Thames Estuary. To the south, the Channel at Portsmouth. They are all about equidistant.

Coming back from Scotland to London on a clear night by plane, overhead Preston/Blackburn, the lights of Dublin visible more than once.

And heading by plane out from London, over Clacton and then overhead Rotterdam, Netherlands beneath us, you could still just see Dover.

That view from 3000 feet above the Chilterns sounds wonderful. Seeing bodies of water like that from a distance reminds me of the time I was on a plane taking off westerly from Manchester Airport and as the plane was banking over Knutsford I saw the wonderful sight of the Irish Sea glinting in the sun between Llandudno and Anglesey. It was incredibly clear, the coastline of northern Anglesey especially.

 

[Gonzoiku]

.... I was really surprised to see the Irish Sea glinting in the sun between Llandudno and Anglesey.

Umm, I would have been really surprised to see the Tyrrhenian Sea there, glinting or not, but isn't that where the Irish Sea is usually found?



Has anybody seen my coat?...

GZ

 

[Ianno87]

Umm, I would have been really surprised to see the Tyrrhenian Sea there, glinting or not, but isn't that where the Irish Sea is usually found?



Has anybody seen my coat?...

GZ

Hoardes of Wildebeest? The Hanging Gardens of Babylon, perhaps? What, may I ask, did you expect to see out of a Torquay hotel window?

(C) Basil Fawlty


(Sorry, just teasing!)

 

[C J Snarzell]

Billinge Hill is quite impressive - you can see across Merseyside and the hills of North Wales in one direction and Greater Manchester and the Peak District the other way.

 

[route101]

Had a good view from the A1079 today northwest of Hull. Could see over the Humber into Lincolnshire, big power station was visable. Not sure if you could see Lincoln though

 

[Halish Railway]

Had a good view from the A1079 today northwest of Hull. Could see over the Humber into Lincolnshire, big power station was visable. Not sure if you could see Lincoln though

I’ll assume that the big power station that you saw was West Burton just south of Gainsborough. As the crow flies it’s roughly 25 miles from Gainsborough to Hull.

 

[route101]

I’ll assume that the big power station that you saw was West Burton just south of Gainsborough. As the crow flies it’s roughly 25 miles from Gainsborough to Hull.

I think that was the further away power station. There was one closer nearer Goole.

 

[Peter Mugridge]

The Isle of Wight from 15,000ft over Reading.

 

[Altrincham]

Umm, I would have been really surprised to see the Tyrrhenian Sea there, glinting or not, but isn't that where the Irish Sea is usually found?



Has anybody seen my coat?...

GZ

Text edited to highlight “wonder” instead of “surprise”.

 

[route101]

I’ll assume that the big power station that you saw was West Burton just south of Gainsborough. As the crow flies it’s roughly 25 miles from Gainsborough to Hull.

I think it was Power Station at Eggborough and one at Ferrybridge or Drax.

 

[Altrincham]

As I was in the area over the weekend, I ventured up the Weaver Hills in north Staffordshire. These hills reach a height of 1220ft and are considered the very southern end of the Pennine chain. It is very obvious too that they are the end of the Pennines because the southern vista covers a huge expanse of the Trent floodplain and beyond. In fact, I think that due south of the Weaver Hill trig point there is no hill higher between that spot and the English Channel.

From the trig point on extremely clear days it is possible to experience a view that takes in the hills of Charnwood forest; the power station at Ratcliffe-on-Soar; Cannock Chase and transmitter; the Wrekin; and the Clwydian Range.

When I was there over the weekend there was quite a bit of distant haze in the sunshine, but it was still possible to see a view that stretched from the Notts/Leics border across to the Wrekin.

It’s a lovely part of north Staffordshire, with some very fine villages.

 

[Howardh]

mentioning the Wrekin above, again from Winter Hill, is the hill in the background 64 miles away the Wrekin? The panorama views show that on a clear day the Wrekin is visible from Scout Road/Winter Hill and the profile looks about right.

 

[Bald Rick]

Looks like it.

 

[route101]

mentioning the Wrekin above, again from Winter Hill, is the hill in the background 64 miles away the Wrekin? The panorama views show that on a clear day the Wrekin is visible from Scout Road/Winter Hill and the profile looks about right. View attachment 83938

What are the hills to right of the Wrekin and theres something to left of it too?

 

[Howardh]

What are the hills to right of the Wrekin and theres something to left of it too?

Without looking it up, to the west/right may be the Long Mynd.

 

[Pete_uk]

What about far south west Scilly looking towards America? You can see all the way to the horizon...

 

[Bald Rick]

Yep right is Long Mynd, left is Clent Hills.

 

[Altrincham]

mentioning the Wrekin above, again from Winter Hill, is the hill in the background 64 miles away the Wrekin? The panorama views show that on a clear day the Wrekin is visible from Scout Road/Winter Hill and the profile looks about right.

That’s a great picture. Looking at Viewfinder Panoramas, it looks like you have captured the Wrekin. Taking a closer look, I can also see Brown Clee Hill immediately to the right of the Wrekin through the haze. Brown Clee Hill is 80 miles away from Winter Hill.

 

[Taunton]

Interesting to think of some long "chains" of sight. Apparently The Wrekin can see Cleeve Hill in the Cotswolds. I've seen that (I believe) from the Exmoor hill to the west of Minehead, Selworthy Beacon. So Exmoor-Cleeve Hill-The Wrekin-Winter Hill-Scafell Pike seems possible with just four links in the chain.

I remember the Surveyors' organisation RICS doing a bonfire chain up the country for one major occasion (Millenium?) where they lit from one end of the country to the other from hilltops in about half an hour.

 

[Altrincham]

Billinge Hill is quite impressive - you can see across Merseyside and the hills of North Wales in one direction and Greater Manchester and the Peak District the other way.

Billinge Hill is on my list of hills to visit. It’s classed as a ‘County Top’ as it’s the highest point on Merseyside. I have heard it’s a great spot for a view in mid-winter when there’s a dusting of snow on the Pennines that acts as a backdrop to urban Greater Manchester. And then from the same spot in the other direction being able to see the Irish Sea and the North Wales coast, plus Carnedd Llewelyn in Snowdonia.

 

[Howardh]

Interesting to think of some long "chains" of sight. Apparently The Wrekin can see Cleeve Hill in the Cotswolds. I've seen that (I believe) from the Exmoor hill to the west of Minehead, Selworthy Beacon. So Exmoor-Cleeve Hill-The Wrekin-Winter Hill-Scafell Pike seems possible with just four links in the chain.

I remember the Surveyors' organisation RICS doing a bonfire chain up the country for one major occasion (Millenium?) where they lit from one end of the country to the other from hilltops in about half an hour.

Yes, rount these parts there's a hill called Beacon Fell, it's close to Winter Hill but entirely seperate, thinking that for a chain you wouldn't necessarily go for the highest point (which, ironically, can be hidden!!) but the one most visible from all directions.
Round here, the very top of Winter Hill can't be seen from low down, as the top is fairly flat, so Rivington Pike would be a better beacon location.

 

[PhilipRhayader]

Interesting to think of some long "chains" of sight. Apparently The Wrekin can see Cleeve Hill in the Cotswolds. I've seen that (I believe) from the Exmoor hill to the west of Minehead, Selworthy Beacon. So Exmoor-Cleeve Hill-The Wrekin-Winter Hill-Scafell Pike seems possible with just four links in the chain.

I remember the Surveyors' organisation RICS doing a bonfire chain up the country for one major occasion (Millenium?) where they lit from one end of the country to the other from hilltops in about half an hour.

I've seen The Cheviot from Scafell Pike so that adds another 132Km as the crow flies.

 

[route101]

What can you see looking North from Scafell Pike into Scotland?

 

[Altrincham]

What can you see looking North from Scafell Pike into Scotland?

Looking at the Viewfinder Panorama for Scafell Pike facing north, the distant summits stretch to Culter Fell, South Lanarkshire. Dun Rig in the Southern Uplands is also a possible line of sight.

http://viewfinderpanoramas.org/panoramas/CUM/Scafellpike-north.gif

Interesting to think of some long "chains" of sight. Apparently The Wrekin can see Cleeve Hill in the Cotswolds. I've seen that (I believe) from the Exmoor hill to the west of Minehead, Selworthy Beacon. So Exmoor-Cleeve Hill-The Wrekin-Winter Hill-Scafell Pike seems possible with just four links in the chain.

I remember the Surveyors' organisation RICS doing a bonfire chain up the country for one major occasion (Millenium?) where they lit from one end of the country to the other from hilltops in about half an hour.

I remember a similar chain of bonfires up the country in the summer of 1988 to mark the anniversary of the Spanish Armada.

On the subject of ‘chains’ of sight, via Viewfinder Panoramas I worked out an extreme chain with as few links as possible that would link a view of the English Channel with a view of the Atlantic in the far north of Scotland.

Starting point: Dartmoor (view south to Portland Bill and English Channel)

Dartmoor to Foel Cwmcerwyn (Pembrokeshire)
Foel Cwmcerwyn to Snowdon (Gwynedd)
Snowdon to Merrick/Lamachan Hill (Dumfries & Galloway)
Merrick to Ben Lui (Southern Highlands)
Ben Lui to Ben Macdui (Cairngorms)
Ben Macdui to Ben Hope (Sutherland)

Ending point: Ben Hope (view north to the Atlantic, North Rona, and Orkney)