Campaigners Seek Listed Status for Historic British Trig Points
Heritage campaigners from the Twentieth Century Society (C20) have applied for Grade II-listed status for two historic trigonometric pillars in Britain. The application targets the first pillar built in Cold Ashby, Northamptonshire, and the last one used at Thorny Gale, Cumbria, which bookended the Retriangulation of Great Britain project. These concrete structures, part of a 6,500-strong network designed by Brig Martin Hotine, were vital for modernizing mapping before being rendered obsolete by GPS technology. Although hundreds have been lost to development and erosion, the remaining pillars serve as cultural landmarks for walkers and enthusiasts. C20 argues that these modest obelisks represent significant modernist design and historical importance, symbolizing a nationwide surveying effort of unprecedented scale. The society urges Historic England to protect them, highlighting their role in British countryside heritage and their influence on popular culture, including literature and music. This move follows previous successful campaigns to prevent the Ordnance Survey from demolishing the pillars in the 1990s, shifting maintenance responsibility to local groups.
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Campaigners Seek Listed Status for Historic British Trig Points
Heritage campaigners from the Twentieth Century Society (C20) have applied for Grade II-listed status for two historic trigonometric pillars in Britain. The application targets the first pillar built in Cold Ashby, Northamptonshire, and the last one used at Thorny Gale, Cumbria, which bookended the Retriangulation of Great Britain project. These concrete structures, part of a 6,500-strong network designed by Brig Martin Hotine, were vital for modernizing mapping before being rendered obsolete by GPS technology. Although hundreds have been lost to development and erosion, the remaining pillars serve as cultural landmarks for walkers and enthusiasts. C20 argues that these modest obelisks represent significant modernist design and historical importance, symbolizing a nationwide surveying effort of unprecedented scale. The society urges Historic England to protect them, highlighting their role in British countryside heritage and their influence on popular culture, including literature and music. This move follows previous successful campaigns to prevent the Ordnance Survey from demolishing the pillars in the 1990s, shifting maintenance responsibility to local groups.
The Guardian