Game: Name that road!

[robjh]

Well, since you lot have been skiving, I'll have to do it for you...

HERE!

View attachment 673361

It is obviously somewhere with very flat agricultural land, and drainage ditches along both sides of the road. The road is narrow and very straight. I just opened my digital OS map at the Humber and panned it east and west while scrolling southwards looking out for reservoirs. It actually only took me a few seconds to spot it!

@ColinJ how did you first recognise that it was a reservoir? Was it the flat top?
My 'road winding up a hillside' at the top right turned out to be a small access road to the top of the dam, for Covenham sailing club.

 

[ColinJ]

Or even... 2 pm!

There are a few things in the picture which should help. Let's see if anybody can do it without explicit clues. A name is not shown on my OS maps or Google Maps, so... Find That Road!

@ColinJ how did you first recognise that it was a reservoir? Was it the flat top?

Yes - it just looked man-made, and I couldn't think what else it could be!

 

[Aravis]

Is it Yorkshire?

 

[ColinJ]

Is it Yorkshire?

Oops - I had forgotten about this!

No, not Yorkshire.

The shadows should give you a good idea of the direction of the road.

What you see on the left hand side of the road is pretty much what you would expect to see around there. The wall on the right hand side is not. I looked up what is behind the wall. It is a heritage site not open to the public.

 

[All uphill]

Hmm.

I think that could be Devon, but I can't find a suitable heritage site in Devon that is not open to the public.

 

[ColinJ]

I think that could be Devon, but I can't find a suitable heritage site in Devon that is not open to the public.

It is Devon.

There are impressive listed buildings nearby which are open to the public. What is behind the wall is an historic site, rather than buildings. I'm not sure how much that will help you.

What else you can see in the photo:

1. The direction that the road is heading in
2. Which way the hillside slopes
3. A public footpath heading down from the gate on the left
4. Buildings in the distance to the left.

 

[ColinJ]

It is in Devon and less than 30 km (19 miles) from (say) Exeter St David's station.

 

[lazybloke]

Oh man, I gave up a couple of days ago, thinking I must in the wrong part of the county.

I bet someone finds it before I get to my laptop later tonight....

 

[ColinJ]

If I can't think of a more interesting clue and nobody gets it, I'll bring the outer limit in and start moving the inner limit out from Exeter!

PS To prompt you... Approximately what direction is the road headed in? And therefore which way does the hillside slope?

 

[Ming the Merciless]

An Iron Age hill fort?

 

[ColinJ]

An Iron Age hill fort?

Warm. Very warm. Hot. Okay, STEAMING!

 

[lazybloke]

It is Devon.

There are impressive listed buildings nearby which are open to the public. What is behind the wall is an historic site, rather than buildings. I'm not sure how much that will help you.

What else you can see in the photo:

1. The direction that the road is heading in
2. Which way the hillside slopes
3. A public footpath heading down from the gate on the left
4. Buildings in the distance to the left.

I assume it's a recent Devon photo. The sun is behind the camera, and is 'up a bit', the length of shadows is misleading because of the ground falling away. But the sun never climbs very high this time of year, so I think the sun is close to due south.

Didn't get very much further. There are lots of tumuli which might be relevant to another clue. Beyond the 3rd fields the ground looks very pale - I thought buildings/caravans but then thought waterlogged/flooded land reflecting sky.. ooh hang on what's that latest clue..?

 

[ColinJ]

I assume it's a recent Devon photo. The sun is behind the camera, and is 'up a bit', the length of shadows is misleading because of the ground falling away. But the sun never climbs very high this time of year, so I think the sun is close to due south.

Didn't get very much further. There are lots of tumuli which might be relevant to another clue. Beyond the 3rd fields the ground looks very pale - I thought buildings/caravans but then thought waterlogged/flooded land reflecting sky.. ooh hang on what's that latest clue..?

It is lifted from Street View. It was December, 2021.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

Warm. Very warm. Hot. Okay, STEAMING!

One on a hill beginning with W?

 

[ColinJ]

One on a hill beginning with W?

I can see some nearby Ws on my OS map, but nothing that identifies the hill...

Ah, I just searched for Iron Age hill forts in Devon. I found a list of 74, including one on a hill beginning with W. No, it isn't that one. It is one of the other 73!