East Devon 8 Trigs
So, what’s involved?
Back for a second year in April 2021.
- 55km and 34km options
- Self navigate
- Teams of 2 – 6
- Solo entries available for confident navigators
- Open to runners and walkers
Trigpoints are the common name for “triangulation pillars”. These are concrete pillars, about 4′ tall, which were used by the Ordnance Survey in order to determine the exact shape of the country. They are generally located on the highest bit of ground in the area, so that there is a direct line of sight from one to the next. By sitting a theodolite (an accurate protractor built into a telescope) on the top of the pillar, accurate angles between pairs of nearby trigpoints could be measured. This process is called “triangulation”.
Our Event
Eight of these trig points sit on a beautifully varied trail loop in East Devon. The route starts on Budleigh Salterton seafront and follows the South West Coast Path to West Down Beacon trig point. Far reaching views from here extend to Berry Head to the South West and Portland to the East. The rest of the route follows the East Devon Way, crossing Woodbury Common and the Sid valley, before returning along the Jurassic Coast.
The Route
All trig points can be found without the need for complicated navigation techniques. However, a basic understanding of navigation will be required as the 8 trigs route isn’t way marked. Total distance is approximately 33 miles.
The shorter 5 trigs route avoids the biggest hills on the Eastern part of the course. A total distance of just over 21 miles.
Both routes will be available on ViewRanger and a GPX file can be downloaded. If you prefer a traditional map, Explorer 115 (Exmouth and Sidmouth) covers the whole route.
The trig points
West Down Beacon – SY045811
Black Hill – SY026854
Woodbury – SY039881
Aylesbeare – SY 055900
Beacon Hill – SY111909 (8 trigs only)
Buckton Hill – SY148908 (8 trigs only)
Weston Cliff – SY170882 (8 trigs only)
High Peak – SY103859
ViewRanger links here:
On the 17th April 2021, teams of 2-6 will leave at staggered times to enable social distancing and prevent groups forming at the start line. You must stay with at least one other person at all times. Solo entries permitted for confident navigators only. Each team will need to record their route on Strava (or similar app) for verification later.
This will be a “no frills” event but our usual team will be out there to support you where it’s needed most.
Contact info@climbsouthwest.com with any enquiries
No current events.
