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Favourite viewing points - How far can you see on a clear day ?

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Edward Lever
Edward Lever
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Joined: 22nd Dec 2005
Location: UK
quotePosted at 23:36 on 12th May 2016

One of my favourite landscape photography locations is Watlington Hill in South Oxfordshire. It is a delightful open space with free public access and free car parking.

I am fortunate that it is within easy driving distance from home, about twenty minutes driving time. There are marvellous views across the Oxfordshire countryside to Oxford in the North, Didcot to the West and Aylesbury to the East plus many wildlife and plants to study.

On a clear day, it is possible to see for over 15 miles. My simple visibility test  is to look north and see if I can see the TV Transmitter Mast at Beckley. If I can see the mast clearly, the visibility is 15 miles plus.

I'm sure other members have a favourite landscape viewing point within easy driving distance of their home. Any suggestions or recommendations ?   

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Ron Brind
Ron Brind
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Joined: 26th Oct 2003
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quotePosted at 08:19 on 13th May 2016

Shotover Country Park between Headington and Wheatley is also an amazing viewpoint Edward. Lots of opportunity to take some unique photographs of the landscape and the wildlife.

On a clear day I would guess one could see for something in excess of 20 to 30 miles, but working out which particular area is which becomes challenging to say the least. That said Didcot Power Station used to be the obvious and most easily recognized.

It's a fantastic place to take the kids for a picnic or to just chill out for a few hours, with plenty of parking, but my one warning would be to watch out for ticks and mosquitoes (use insect repellent and check the kids and yourself for that matter for ticks when you get home) that are becoming a real issue throughout the woodlands and grassed areas of the UK - especially so where Deer roam.

More visitor information about Shotover Country Park can be seen at https://www.oxford.gov.uk/directory_record/907/shotover_country_park



Edited by: Ron Brind at:14th May 2016 18:57
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Edward Lever
Edward Lever
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quotePosted at 14:16 on 14th May 2016
Thanks, Ron, unfortunately your link does not work but I found the info anyway. I had heard of Shotover Country Park but never had the inclination to do battle with the Oxford Ring Road to get there. Maybe I should get the SATNAV out of its box and try the back roads instead. It certainly looks like a great place to visit though, another one for my list of places to go. Hopefully we can get some suggestions from other members too ?
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Ron Brind
Ron Brind
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quotePosted at 19:00 on 14th May 2016

Thanks for pointing that out Edward. I didn't check the link which was unusual for me, but there you go good job we have some sharp eyed members. lol

I have added another link which does work and yes, lets hope more POE members join in with suggestions.

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Paul HiltonPremier Member - Click for more info
Paul Hilton
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quotePosted at 16:00 on 24th May 2016

In West Berkshire, there's Walbury Hill near Combe Gibbet, the highest point in South East England at 297m (974 feet). You can see 4 counties up here-- Berkshire, Hampshire, Wiltshire, and Oxfordshire. 

South of Kingsclere, North Hampshire is White Hill where, just from the roadside, you get good views of Watership Down. There's a dirt road that leads to a car park where the ITV/BBC transmitter is easily seen, and in late 1977, I believe this is where some pranksters parked and tapped into a early evening ITV local news show hosted, I believe, by veteran broadcaster Cliff Michelmore ( died 17 March 2016 age 96) and purported to be an alien broadcast with a message for human kind. The people responsible were never caught and there's those who believe it really was an alien broadcast using Hannington transmitter.  



Edited by: Paul Hilton at:24th May 2016 16:01
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Ron Brind
Ron Brind
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quotePosted at 07:58 on 25th May 2016
Nice to hear from you Paul and as usual a useful piece of information, thank you!
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Edward Lever
Edward Lever
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Joined: 22nd Dec 2005
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quotePosted at 08:02 on 25th May 2016

Thanks, Paul, for the recommendation about Combe Gibbet and Walbury Hill. Someone else had mentioned these to me as places worth visiting and now you have reminded me, I must go.

I remember the story of the 1977 hijacking of the feed to the Hannington TV transmitter. I'm sure it would be more difficult to do now, but that was in the analogue era and the technology was fairly simple. I missed seeing the actual broadcast, because at that time, we used the Crystal Palace transmitter. There is a youtube video of the prank Here

The main TV transmitters are all located at high elevations for maxiumum coverage, so provided they are accessible (as you say in the case of Hannington, there is a car park nearby), they must be good locations for visual coverage too.

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