Kent - worst top yet

Gloom in the garden of England

Top Facts

All my topping trips to Kent have taken place in the winter, hence the gloomy photos. Kent has one of the worst tops possible with the actual location in the back of someone's garden and no views at all. This was as close as I could get without committing trespass.
Betsom's Hill is on the North Downs across the road from Westerham Heights, (the highest point in Greater London). I wandered up there along the North Downs way with some impressive views (which sadly included the M25.) Next time you stop at Clacketts Lane Services, lift up your eyes to the hills and you'll be looking at the highest point of Kent and Bromley.

Kent tops in pictures

If ever you needed proof that topping is a very silly hobby, look no further than Kent. One traditional top, two marilyns and three unitary authority tops and not a decent view (or very good photo) to show for it.

Isle of Ely - first top of 2009

Happy New Year, Dear Readers


You could be forgiven for thinking that lack of blogging in the last few months means I've been hibernating over the winter, but you'd be wrong. I've been topping in Nottinghamshire, Kent and Surrey and spent the last few days of 2008 camping in Thetford Forest.

You may remember that the week after Christmas was rather cold, with temperatures just above freezing, and if you are thinking I'm mad to go camping, there were some really hard people in tents! It was rather chilly, but it's amazing how warm you can keep with two duvets, a sleeping bag and hot water bottle, not to mention the electric fire.

Thetford Forest is huge, it's the largest lowland forest in Britain, big enough to hide an Army training ground which was where the outdoor scenes in Dad's Army were shot. However, low winter light and trees are not conducive to photography so I didn't take any pictures. I did however do quite a bit of walking, as it was the only way to keep warm, including a 10 mile circuit involving the Peddars Way and the Great Eastern Pingo trail. (A pingo is a small lake left over from the ice age not a Norfolk penguin.)


On the way home I visited the Isle of Ely and bagged the first top of the year. Ely was an independent county until 1965 when it was swallowed up by Cambridgeshire. The cathedral is an absolute treasure and is stuck on the top of quite a hill (for East Anglia). However it was not the high spot of the country (altitudinally speaking), that honour goes the recreation ground in Haddenham. People there must wonder why every so often, walkers armed with maps, compasses and GPS gravitate the mound by the football pitch. Luckily for me it was deserted as I wandered around looking for the exact spot. Sadly there was no view back to Ely Cathedral