Longest line of sight (UK)

[Altrincham]

I've been looking at your excellent phone photo, what is the structure poking above the horizon to the right hand side, is that Liverpool or Blackpool tower? (Too far away?).

I’m pleased to read that some detail can be picked out on this photo. It was one of those moments where I really wished I’d had a good zoom lens camera with me.

The structure to the right sticking above the horizon is the main chimney at Fiddlers Ferry power station. Due to the nature of the light, the chimney’s adjoining cooling towers were very difficult to pick out with the naked eye but they were just about discernible.

I think that the single tower towards the right edge must be Blackpool tower, with possibly Heysham power station also sticking up roughly midway between that and the right edge (in line with a prominent light coloured building in the foreground).

What I think is Liverpool is about 2/3 across from left to right, just to the right of a steep drop on the dark ridge which I assume from the accompanying post must be Frodsham Hill. There are several skyline projections there, and the leftmost one just about looks like the Anglican cathedral (with a bit of imagination ).

It’s the main chimney at Fiddler’s Ferry power station. It would be amazing to see Blackpool Tower from Mow Cop. The land beyond the chimney rises up towards Billinge Hill, and the west Lancashire high ground stops any views further north west.

You are completely right about Liverpool’s Anglican Cathedral. The backdrop to the Liverpool skyline was a band of brightly-lit clear air, possibly somewhere over the Irish Sea, and combined with scattered cloud over Cheshire set the scene for a spectacularly clear view of the horizon. The first building to the right of Frodsham/Helsby Hill is the Anglican Cathedral. Quite distinct to the naked eye, as too was St John’s Tower.

 

[Watershed]

Ben Nevis (50 miles away) is visible in the distance of this shot along the vast expanse of Loch Ness:



Not the furthest we've had on here, but it's pretty rare to get a view this clear!

 

[D6130]

The structure to the right sticking above the horizon is the main chimney at Fiddlers Ferry power station. Due to the nature of the light, the chimney’s adjoining cooling towers were very difficult to pick out with the naked eye but they were just about discernible.

Shortly to be demolished, I believe?

 

[Altrincham]

Ben Nevis (50 miles away) is visible in the distance of this shot along the vast expanse of Loch Ness:

View attachment 100903

Not the furthest we've had on here, but it's pretty rare to get a view this clear!

Great shot of the distant mountains. Is Ben Nevis just to the left of the end of Loch Ness?

Shortly to be demolished, I believe?

Yes. I will miss seeing them as they are quite a landmark from a distance. Saw them last year from the A55 in North Wales while heading east from Prestatyn.

 

[Bald Rick]

Is Ben Nevis just to the left of the end of Loch Ness?

It is ... the first ‘highest’ lump just to the left of the end of the Loch.

 

[Watershed]

It is ... the first ‘highest’ lump just to the left of the end of the Loch.

Indeed. Considering it's right next to Fort William, which is at sea level, you'd somehow expect it to look a bit bigger.

Quite some buffeting around it though!

 

[najaB]

Considering it's right next to Fort William, which is at sea level, you'd somehow expect it to look a bit bigger.

Thing is, while it's the highest point in Britain, it's not really that high - plus it's in the middle an area of high ground so doesn't have steep slopes.

 

[Altrincham]

Indeed. Considering it's right next to Fort William, which is at sea level, you'd somehow expect it to look a bit bigger.

Quite some buffeting around it though!

Thing is, while it's the highest point in Britain, it's not really that high - plus it's in the middle an area of high ground so doesn't have steep slopes.

I find something similar when viewing the mountains of North Wales. When viewed from east or west, the mountains of Carnedd Llewelyn, Glyder Fawr, and even Tryfan, seem far more commanding and prominent than nearby Snowdon.

 

[Scotrail314209]

Clandon to Canary Wharf - London skyline seen from Surrey Hills

Clear skies over Clandon allowed for impressive views of the capital - some 35 miles away!

www.getsurrey.co.uk

Stunning.

With the clear blue skies and panoramic views, you could be mistaken for thinking central London was just a stone's throw away.

But these stunning images were actually captured from the Surrey Hills in Clandon, 35 miles from Canary Wharf, the Shard and the Gerkin, all of which are visible in the photos.

Skyline of London, including Canary Wharf, London Eye, Gherkin and the Shard.

The London Eye doesn't seem that huge when you are up close, but the fact you can see it 35 miles away really does show it's sheer size.

 

[Peter Mugridge]

Clandon to Canary Wharf - London skyline seen from Surrey Hills

Clear skies over Clandon allowed for impressive views of the capital - some 35 miles away!

www.getsurrey.co.uk

Stunning.



View attachment 101443
Skyline of London, including Canary Wharf, London Eye, Gherkin and the Shard.

The London Eye doesn't seem that huge when you are up close, but the fact you can see it 35 miles away really does show it's sheer size.

I'm not 100% sure, but could the two towers I've marked as 1 below be the two at New Malden, and the one I've marked as 2 could be Tolworth Tower - if it is, then the same view in winter with no foilage on the trees should reveal the lower level portion of the building which would stick out to the left of it from this angle.

 

[Bald Rick]

I'm not 100% sure, but could the two towers I've marked as 1 below be the two at New Malden, and the one I've marked as 2 could be Tolworth Tower

Yes, that is correct.

 

[Altrincham]

Clandon to Canary Wharf - London skyline seen from Surrey Hills

Clear skies over Clandon allowed for impressive views of the capital - some 35 miles away!

www.getsurrey.co.uk

Stunning.



View attachment 101443
Skyline of London, including Canary Wharf, London Eye, Gherkin and the Shard.

The London Eye doesn't seem that huge when you are up close, but the fact you can see it 35 miles away really does show it's sheer size.

Fantastic photo.

Possibly a contender for “what’s the furthest point the London skyline is visible from”?

 

[DerekC]

Actually Clandon to Central London is only 26 miles - and you can get a similar view from the Hog's Back west of Guildford which is considerably further.

 

[kjsway]

Actually Clandon to Central London is only 26 miles - and you can get a similar view from the Hog's Back west of Guildford which is considerably further.

And a similar London view from the south west can be seen from a highpoint called Caesars Camp near Aldershot. About 55km from the centre. I was there in early summer to see if London was visible from this far eastern part of Hampshire, and lo it is. I only have a grainy mobile shot of the view.

 

[nlogax]

And a similar London view from the south west can be seen from a highpoint called Caesars Camp near Aldershot. About 55km from the centre. I was there in early summer to see if London was visible from this far eastern part of Hampshire, and lo it is. I only have a grainy mobile shot of the view.

I was going to say.. Clandon's alleged epic distance from London is courtesy of poor local journalism. Caesar's Camp is precisely 35.5 miles from the Shard. I've found a great image, albeit heavily filtered to provide some contrast. Sadly no idea who took the original shot.



Per @Taunton's original suggestion and my post 424, Gibbet Hill still wins out in terms of distance. 37.75 miles to the Shard.

 

[D6130]

Spectacular though these photos are, they just go to show vividly how, IMHO, the skyline of London has been totally ruined by corporate greed and property speculation. Try finding St Paul's cathedral in either of them! Cities such as Rome and Paris don't permit the construction of city centre buildings more than six stories high in the case of the former and - I believe, although I'm open to correction - eight in the latter, although the 1960s Tour Montparnasse is a notable exception. Compare and contrast the views across the rooftops of Paris or Rome from Montmartre/Belleville or the Gianicolo with those of cities which are dominated by the big banking groups, such as London, Frankfurt ('Mainhattan') and Milan. I don't agree with everything that the heir to the throne says and does, but I am sympathetic to his 'monstrous carbuncle' speech from many years ago. I appreciate that not eveyone will agree with me, so....discuss! (May need a new thread eventually).

 

[najaB]

Spectacular though these photos are, they just go to show vividly how, IMHO, the skyline of London has been totally ruined by corporate greed and property speculation.

I'm sure the same was said in the early 1700s about how St Pauls had ruined the skyline...

 

[Scotrail314209]

Spectacular though these photos are, they just go to show vividly how, IMHO, the skyline of London has been totally ruined by corporate greed and property speculation. Try finding St Paul's cathedral in either of them! Cities such as Rome and Paris don't permit the construction of city centre buildings more than six stories high in the case of the former and - I believe, although I'm open to correction - eight in the latter, although the 1960s Tour Montparnasse is a notable exception. Compare and contrast the views across the rooftops of Paris or Rome from Montmartre/Belleville or the Gianicolo with those of cities which are dominated by the big banking groups, such as London, Frankfurt ('Mainhattan') and Milan. I don't agree with everything that the heir to the throne says and does, but I am sympathetic to his 'monstrous carbuncle' speech from many years ago. I appreciate that not eveyone will agree with me, so....discuss! (May need a new thread eventually).

I believe St. Pauls can’t have its line of sight blocked, but i’m not sure if that just includes ones from different parts of London.

 

[nlogax]

I believe St. Pauls can’t have its line of sight blocked, but i’m not sure if that just includes ones from different parts of London.

The protected views of St Paul's are all within the boundaries of London. Within the context of the modern London skyline the cathedral is very hard to see from some of the more distant locations mentioned without a large camera lens or binoculars.

 

[Bald Rick]

Try finding St Paul's cathedral in either of them!

Easy!

Just above and to the left of Tolworth Tower in the Clandon picture, and just in front of the Nat West Tower in the Caesar’s Camp photo.

 

[Calthrop]

I'm sure the same was said in the early 1700s about how St Pauls had ruined the skyline...

In the 17th century, the future King James II described Wren's brand-new St. Paul's as "awful, amusing and artificial": but he was being complimentary, in the English of the time -- meaning that it filled one with awe; the sight of it amused = gave pleasure; and that its design featured much ingenious and inspired artifice.

 

[Taunton]

I believe St. Pauls can’t have its line of sight blocked, but i’m not sure if that just includes ones from different parts of London.

There's an official map in post 440 above by @Bald Rick . Unfortunately the back view (yellow on the map), restrictions on buildings further behind St Pauls, only extends across Tower Hamlets. Presumably nobody ever thought that Newham, further behind, would have high structures. But the recent glut of these on the Olympic site development at Stratford sticks right up behind it and muffles the view from Richmond Hill and further out into Surrey.

 

[Altrincham]

I came across this incredible photo taken at night from above Conwy. (I saw it on Twitter and it’s credited to a photographer named Mel Hughes from a Facebook page called Footpaths of Snowdonia).

It took me a while to figure out the angle of the near locations in the foreground. It’s looking in an easterly direction, and captures the brightness of the docks at Seaforth.

 

[nlogax]

I came across this incredible photo taken at night from above Conwy. (I saw it on Twitter and it’s credited to a photographer named Mel Hughes from a Facebook page called Footpaths of Snowdonia).

It took me a while to figure out the angle of the near locations in the foreground. It’s looking in an easterly direction, and captures the brightness of the docks at Seaforth.

Another beautiful shot. I've just about figured out from where that was taken and by Google Maps' reckoning that's just over 35 miles as the crow flies.

 

[Scotrail314209]

I came across this incredible photo taken at night from above Conwy. (I saw it on Twitter and it’s credited to a photographer named Mel Hughes from a Facebook page called Footpaths of Snowdonia).

It took me a while to figure out the angle of the near locations in the foreground. It’s looking in an easterly direction, and captures the brightness of the docks at Seaforth.

Is that Winter Hill in the left?

 

[D6130]

Is that Winter Hill in the left?

Yes.

 

[nlogax]

Is that Winter Hill in the left?

Yeah.. judging by the number of beacon lights it could well be. Which would make this a nearly 60 mile nighttime view.

 

[Altrincham]

Is that Winter Hill in the left?

Yes, it’s Winter Hill (apologies - I should’ve mentioned that in the text). On really clear nights I’ve seen the mast lights of Winter Hill from the outskirts of Newcastle-under-Lyme. It’s a great beacon when travelling from any direction to Greater Manchester.

Yeah.. judging by the number of beacon lights it could well be. Which would make this a nearly 60 mile nighttime view.


View attachment 101616

Yes, definitely Winter Hill. It’s a marvellous beacon across the north west, especially on crisp clear nights. 60 miles is impressive.

A night-time view like this has set me thinking how incredible the view would be on a dark clear night from somewhere like the top of Snowdon. Especially transmitters. I’m sure from the top of Snowdon in the right conditions (and a strong pair of binoculars) it must be possible to see the lights of Holme Moss transmitter in West Yorkshire in one direction, and the lights of the Mount Leinster transmitter in Ireland in the other direction.

 

[Ianno87]

I came across this incredible photo taken at night from above Conwy. (I saw it on Twitter and it’s credited to a photographer named Mel Hughes from a Facebook page called Footpaths of Snowdonia).

It took me a while to figure out the angle of the near locations in the foreground. It’s looking in an easterly direction, and captures the brightness of the docks at Seaforth.

Amazing!

 

[D6130]

Yes, definitely Winter Hill. It’s a marvellous beacon across the north west, especially on crisp clear nights. 60 miles is impressive.

Crossing Cock Hill Moor on the A6033 between Keighley and Hebden Bridge on a clear night, you can see the red warning lights on three different TV transmitters....Winter Hill, Holme Moss and Emley Moor. While not by any means a 60 mile clear line of sight, it's quite impressive all the same. The Emley Moor television tower - at 323 metres, the tallest free-standing structure in these islands - is actually taller than the hill on which it stands and can be seen from a very long distance at night from some directions.