|
The weather was cold and on the top of the hill the wind was
biting, but the expedition was still enjoyed by all. Only
five explorers turned up (the weather forecast was very bad):
Amie MacMaster, Amy Mulhern, David John, DJ, and Robert, with
Robert and Sheila, plus Suzie the Labrador.
We set off from the EFG Forestry car park and climbed straight
up the hill to the west, looking at some old cultivation areas
on the way. At the top of the hill we examined the Trig Point,
the first one reached by any expedition and then moved on
to the old Observer Post , where local men watched all through
the second World War for German bombers. John told them about
the post and the men who worked in it and also gave some stories
about the local ARP and Home Guard, including a description
of two HG members: one had been issued with very narrow trousers
and his wife had cut them and sewn in triangular extension
pieces which did not match, the other insisted on wearing
his old Regimental cap with its original badge, plus the Home
Guard badge.
The expedition returned to the road, trying all the time to
find traces of the old path built by the observers during
the war. Then we got back in the cars and drove down the road
to the Electricity Transformer House.
We left the cars and climbed up the hill into the old forestry
plantation and John pointed out several old recessed platforms
which might have been used for charcoal burning. On the high
ground the explorers had a hard time crossing some newly-felled
spruce trees but eventually they arrived at a large dead tree
with a bat box fixed to the trunk.
There was another recessed platform here and the explorers
spent some time collecting charcoal from an exposed earth
bank. Then, feeling rather cold, we returned to the car and
thence to the Resource Centre for soup.
|
|
 |
