Megalithic mapping

[spiral]

http://i100.independent.co.uk/article/t ... lkY2dqGjne

I am not sure what to do this, after a bit of trialing, so I thought I would let the experts tell me.....

[Boreades]

Err I'm not sure either.

Us being way out in the sticks, with wet-string dial-up connections, it took a dreadfully long time to load. So long that I lost my patience with it.

Have you had any joy, and what did you learn?

[TisILeclerc]

While reading an article about Ascension Island I noticed that it was on a strangely curved line with St Helena and Tristan Da Cunha midway between Africa and South America. This turns out to be the mid Atlantic Ridge which has other highpoints in its journey from south to north. Notably Iceland.





It would appear that there are Ridges all over the place. We live on a very lumpy planet which is obviously not very well planned.



https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mid-Atlantic_Ridge

Which led me to thinking. Have we been left out completely in all this. But then I remembered that repeated pattern from the north to the south of Britain. The Highland fault, the Southern Uplands fault, the Scottish border and all the way down to the Michael Line and the Ridgeway.



https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Highl ... dary_Fault



https://ixquick-proxy.com/do/spg/proxy? ... 0&/file.gz

What they all have in common is a south west to north east orientation. Or, if you prefer north east to south west.

They are all tributaries of the mid Atlantic ridge. Or the Mid Atlantic Ridgeway as we should perhaps start to call it.

And our ancestors realised this fundamental truth and built lasting monuments in the landscape so we should remember this fact.

Deny this if you will, you mockers.

[Boreades]

This might have been mentioned before, but what do I care?

The National Library of Scotland (blessings be upon them) has digitised the whole of the Ordnance Survey six-inch series maps. Thousands of 'em!

There's a choice of editions:
* Ordnance Survey, Six-inch to the mile, 1st edition - 1843-1882 - 2,123 sheets
* Ordnance Survey, Six-inch to the mile, 2nd and later editions - 1892-1960 - 7,486 map sheets
The latter is available as a seamless tapestry.

These are rather wonderful, because they show many features completely missing from the more recent 25,000 series maps.
e.g. Avebury
And the "British Settlements" that used to be on Fyfield and Marborough Downs. Presumably now robbed or ploughed out?

Or places like Lerryn with the western end of The Giant's Hedge (drove road?)

Or ports like Plymouth that were a triumph of Victorian railway engineering, with branch lines everywhere, down to every port and quayside.

[Mick Harper]

This is interesting politically. Are they free? The OS has been the subject of a long running battle to make everything free to us what paid for them. This isn't in itself a justification but it has been argued that, once free, all kinds of things will take off. Maybe so, maybe not, but why the National Library of Scotland? Is it because they are Scottish rather than British? Like free Scottish universities? Do they have powers over the OS or did they just have a bright idea? Investigate, Borry.

On a side note, Meetings with Remarkable Forgeries is obliged by law to be sent to the British Library without their asking whereas the NLoS gets one free but only if they ask.

[Boreades]

It might simply be because of their age (1843-1882 and 1892-1960) they are now out of copyright and can be freely copied?

[hvered]

Scotland seems to have a 'right to roam' unlike England where walkers have to keep to the public footpaths as marked on the (not free) OS map. I'm not sure if anyone in Scotland uses public footpaths as such.

The OS is setting up an initiative called OS Greenspace to "help people and their families reconnect with nature and the outdoors, which is scientifically proven to benefit both health and wellbeing". I just tried clicking but it's not yet working. It will be for everywhere in Britain though Scotland may be one step ahead.

[Boreades]

I'm not sure if anyone in Scotland uses public footpaths as such.

Please see https://www.scotways.com/faq/rights-of-way-law
e.g.

Is there any need for rights of way, now that there is freedom of access?

People will have to depend on these existing rights in circumstances where access rights do not apply or where they are limited in some way. In particular:

Many well-used rights of way exist through the curtilages of buildings or other land where access rights do not apply, particularly through farm steadings and in urban areas.
Any limitations applying to access rights (e.g. for land management needs) do not apply to the use of rights of way, although people should still act responsibly when using them.
Statutory means of limiting access rights do not restrict the use of a right of way, although byelaws may affect how people can use it.

Rights of way (and rights of navigation) also provide important strategic cross-country routes. Some (such as drove roads) are of great historic interest. Most key local rights of way are likely to have been incorporated into the core path system. However, other rights of way will often complement and extend local access beyond core path networks.

[Boreades]

Additions to the TME map

https://tme.carto.com/tables/the_megali ... e/map#/map

Kit's Coty House
Addington Longbarrow
Coldrum Longbarrow (allegedly the oldest in Britain)
in Kent, close to the North Downs Way / Pilgrims Way



Coldrum Longbarrow, allegedly the oldest longbarrow in Britain, c.6,000 y/o, on a site that had lynchites that are even older.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MqU8DQ19G6o

[hvered]

If it's not too complicated, would it be possible to put the east-west route on the map? It would be helpful to see the markers in context, are they on high ground, at fords, junctions of drover routes etc.