The triangulation circle was at the summit of Blencathra. Photo: Bob Smith/grough
Mystery surrounds the disappearance of an Ordnance Survey ring on a Lake District mountain.
Several social media posts over the past few days have noted that the concrete circle on Blencathra has gone missing.
Ordnance Survey confirmed that the mapping agency had not removed the structure, which stood at the head of Hall’s Fell Ridge at the highest point, 868m (2,848ft), on the Blencathra massif in the northern Lake District.
Postings on the Keswick Athletic Club fellrunners’ Twitter feed show the site bereft of the ring. Rather than the more common triangulation pillar, the concrete ring was a low concrete circle about 50cm in diameter, that actually sat on top of a buried block.
A spokesman for Ordnance Survey said: “We’re really sorry to hear someone’s stolen a trig detector ring.
The design showing the purpose of the ring. Image: OS
“This was a phosphor-bronze ring, encased in concrete and buried below surface level over a secondary trig (buried block).
“It could be located using a metal detector to aid the finding of the station in areas where a description alone was not enough.
“To hear that thieves have made off with it is very disappointing.
“We do not hold any replacement rings, and as the ring is only an aid to finding the actual triangulation station, we would not get involved in replacing it.”
Geoffrey Barrow
29 August 2018Please explain. Was the ring on the surface, as the photo shows, or 16 inches underground, according to the description and diagram? If it could only be found using a metal detector, the thief must have had one of these, plus a shovel and probably a pick-axe. A rather large hole would also have been left!
Damian
29 August 2018It was on the surface last time I saw it, but was perhaps originally buried.
Simon Kellett
30 August 2018I guess this implies 16" of soil erosion?
Nordicstar
31 August 2018There was a large cairn on the summit too until a few years back, that disappeared too and hasn’t reappeared, unusually for a summit location. A miscreant at work perhaps?
Alan
03 September 2018It's difficult to imagine the ring being stolen. It looks pretty heavy and you would need to be nuts to carry it all the way down and make off with it. But perhaps not impossible . . .
If, however, it has been removed as a 'prank', it seems it could have been rolled off the summit. In which case there is a chance of finding it. A worthwhile challenge for any enterprising and experienced explorers on Blencathra?
Jane Hullock
14 September 2018We had a photo taken by the stone ring on Blencathra on the 22nd of August,we were on the summit of Blencathra again on Saturday the 25th August and noticed the ring was missing.It beggers belief why anyone would want to steal it
Bob
16 June 2020Something similar happened to a cairn at the summit of Skiddaw a while ago. The ring at Blencathra will have been broken up with a sledge hammer and the pieces most likely thrown over the cliff edge. The culprits are probably mad Lake District lovers who view any man made features at the summits as "abominations".
Phil nixon
20 July 2022Hi, we have found what looks this on a site in Carlisle.Please get in touch if you would like to discuss/view.