Langton Matravers
Dec. 14th, 2025 01:47 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
puddleshark
Three Norths.
‘True north’ is the direction to the geographic north pole.
‘Grid north’ is where the vertical blue lines shown on Ordnance Survey (OS) maps converge.
‘Magnetic north’ is the direction that a compass needle points, as it aligns with the Earth’s magnetic field.
In November 2022, geospatial history was made as all three ‘norths’ aligned, and met at a point in Langton Matravers in Dorset.
https://www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/news/three-norths-departing-england
Rather a wild day up by the coast, with a cold strong wind blowing on the high ground. But the sun put in frequent appearances between the clouds, so it wasn't really a bad day to be out and about. Met up with C. & her terrier for a little walk from Acton to the neighbouring village of Langton Matravers, where she bought me breakfast at the café as a birthday treat.
Christmas yarnbombing on the postbox in the village of Acton.
Acton. Stone cottages once inhabited by workers in the local quarries, and between the cottages, a maze of little lanes and alleyways.
From Acton, onto the Priest's Way, the stone track used in medieval times by the priest at Worth Matravers on his windswept daily walk to the chapel of ease in Swanage. In the distance, golden & sunlit, the spoil heaps of the local quarry.
Langton Matravers. There are rows of old stone quarryworker cottages along the main road, but a lot of the paddocks and fields around the village were built on in the last half of the 20th century, so it's mostly a modern village now. It still looks to be a lovely place to live. The modern houses and bungalows are in varied styles, built at a time before land prices rocketed, when houses were still allowed to have big gardens. And the village has managed to retain all the old footpaths and alleys once followed by the quarrymen on their way to work.
A young Exmoor pony trying to play with a very long-suffering neighbour.
After a pot of tea, and a very nice vegetarian breakfast at the Salt Pig café at Putlake Farm, it was time to set off back to Acton, this time through the fields.
Past the allotments. Only one person at work in the sunshine.
The fields still very green. So far December has been very mild, very wet.
Dodging brush piles where someone has been hedging.
no subject
I rarely require that level of precision!
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Date: 2025-12-15 04:32 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2025-12-14 03:59 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2025-12-15 04:34 pm (UTC)Out of the wind, it was actually really nice yesterday. Back to rain today, of course.
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Date: 2025-12-15 01:16 am (UTC)Love the yarn bomb. :D
And what a nice birthday treat and get together and Happy Birthday!
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Date: 2025-12-15 04:40 pm (UTC)The ponies are Exmoors - you can tell from the distinctive 'mealy muzzle'. They're an ancient breed which evolved to live on the bleak upland moors in Devon, but they're often used for conservation projects these days.
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Date: 2025-12-17 03:00 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2025-12-15 10:34 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2025-12-15 04:42 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2025-12-15 02:39 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2025-12-15 04:45 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2025-12-31 01:59 pm (UTC)Further details via hacker news for the geodesy inclined.
https://www.spatialsource.com.au/three-norths-alignment-about-to-end/
tldr: A rare conjunction of true, magnetic and grid north in Great Britain is about to come to an end and will likely not be seen again for several centuries.
no subject
Date: 2025-12-31 07:04 pm (UTC)In no hurry to reach Berwick-upon-Tweed, then.
Fascinating article - thank you!