2020-09-09 51 -1

Dan Q also wrote about this expedition on his blog. For more details and higher-resolution pictures, see this expedition's log at https://danq.me/2020/09/09/geohashing-expedition-2020-09-09-51-1/

Have you seen our geohashing marker? We'd love to hear from you! Click here to say "hi" and tell us what you've seen!

Curious about what geohashing is? Read more!

Location

Edge of a field bounded by Letcombe Brook, over the A338 from Landmead Solar Farm.

Participants

Dan Q

Plans

We're discussing the possibility of a Subdivision geohash achievement for people who've reached every "X in a Y", and Fippe pointed out that I'm only a hash in the Vale of White Horse from being able to claim such an achievement for Oxfordshire's regions. And then this hashpoint appears right in the Vale of White Horse: it's like it's an omen!

Technically it's a workday so this might have to be a lunchtime expedition, but I think that might be workable. I've got an electric vehicle with a hundred-and-something miles worth of batteries in the tank and it looks like there might be a lay-by nearby the hashpoint (with a geocache in it!): I can drive down there at lunchtime, walk carefully back up the main road, and try to get to the hashpoint!

Expedition

I worked hard to clear an hour of my day to take a trip, then jumped in my (new) electric car and set off towards the hashpoint. As I passed Newbridge I briefly considered stopping and checking up on my geocache there but feeling pressed for time I decided to push on. I parked in the lay-by where GC5XHJG is apparently hidden but couldn't find it: I didn't search for long because the farmer in the adjacent field was watching me with suspicion and I figured that anyway I could hunt for it on the way back.

Walking along the A338 was treacherous! There are no paths, only a verge covered in thick grass and spiky plants, and a significant number of the larger vehicles (and virtually all of the motorbikes) didn't seem to be obeying the 60mph speed limit!

Reaching the gate, I crawled under (reckoning that it's probably there to stop vehicles and not humans) and wandered along the lane. I saw a red kite and a heron doing their thing before I reached the bridge, crossed Letcombe Brook, and followed the edge of the field. Stuffing my face with blackberries as I went, it wasn't long before I reached the hashpoint on one edge of the field.

I took a short-cut back before realising that this would put me in the wrong place to leave a The Internet Was Here sign, so I doubled-back to place it on the gate I'd crawled under. Then I returned to the lay-by, where another car had just pulled up (right over the GZ of the geocache I'd hoped to find!) and didn't seem to be going anywhere. Sadly I couldn't wait around all day - I had work to do! - so I went home, following the satnav in the car in a route that resulted in a figure-of-eight tracklog.