HINTS TO LEY HUNTERS.
Keep to the discovery of lines through undoubted sighting points, as artificial mounds (including castle keeps), moats and islands in ponds or lakes. In practice churches can be treated as sighting points, but in some cases a ley passes through a tump or well close to the church. Avoid for a time the temptation of taking every bit of narrow straight road and extending it into a ley. Scrap every ley you think you have discovered if it does not pass through at least four undoubted sighting points exclusive of roads.
You must use Government ordnance maps. One mile to the inch is the working scale. Other maps of two or four miles to the inch are quite useless, save for checking long leys.
The (B) “Popular edition, mounted and folded in covers for the pocket,” is the most convenient for field work and is the cheapest, as it contains over double the area of the older (C) 18 x 12 edition; but I have found the latter (uncoloured, in flat sheets) necessary for transferring leys from one map to the next on drawing boards in the office.
Maps cut in sections are useless for this exact work.
About four drawing boards, a light 24-inch straight edge, a T square for pinning down the maps accurately to line with the boards, a moveable head T square to adjust to the angle of the ley, so as to transfer to the next map, and a box of the glass headed pins used by photographers (in addition to the usual drawing pins) are the minimum essentials for real work. A sighting compass for field work used in conjunction with a special divided quadrant on the moveable head of square are aids I have found valuable.
Remember that the entire course of a ley can be found from two undoubted sighting points on it if marked on the map. Therefore stick a glass headed pin in these two points, apply the straight edge, and rule the line, pencil it at first, ink afterwards.
When you get a “good ley” on the map, go over it in the field, and fragments and traces of the trackways will be found, always in straight lines, once seen recognised with greater ease in future.
Where close detail is required, as in villages and towns, the 1´´scale is far too small, and the 6´´ scale is necessary. The angle of the ley is transferred to it from the 1´´ map with the aid of the moveable head square. Maps must be pinned square on the board by the T square passing through identical degree marks on the edges, latitude for leys running E. and W., but longitude for leys N. and S. The edges of the maps are not truly in line with the degree lines, and must not be the guide.
Ley hunting gives a new zest to field rambles, and the knowledge of the straight ley provides new eyes to an eager observer.
I have a mental vision of a Scout Master of the future, out ley hunting with the elder boys of his troup, instructing them as they look out from a high sighting point. “Now, Harold! if you only take that pole out of your eye, you will see better to pick out that distant moat that Cyril has in his eye. He’s got it, right enough, just a speck of light from the ring of water round the island. When I told you to use your pole as a sighting staff, I didn’t tell you to see nothing else. Now we have found the ley, I think we shall see a bit of the old track in that far grassy field this side the moat; it’s narrow and straight, and there are many who never find it because they look for a broad way like our present wheel tracks.”
A FEW LEYS.
(Additional to others detailed in text and maps).
Colva Hill to Birdlip Hill, via Parton Cross, Breinton Camp and Ford, Red Hill, Holme Lacy House, Caplar Camp, Yatton Church, Moat and Camp beyond Newent, and dead on “Ermin Street” for five miles.
Gwaun Ceste Hill to Brimpsfield Castle, via Michaelchurch, Eaton Camp, Perry Hill, Dinedor Cross, Tump, Brockhampton Old Church, Cross in Hand, Upton Court, The Conigree, Rudford Church, Gloucester Cathedral, Castle Hill, Witcombe Park, and Blacklains.
Gwaun Ceste Hill to West Tump, via Colva Church, Brilley Green, The Scar Rock (Brobury), down Monnington Walks (central), Monnington Church, The Chantry, Perrystone, Mullhampton, Anthony’s Cross, Tibberton Court, Llanthony (Glos.) Abbey, and dead on a Gloucester street.
Little Mountain (Westbrook) to St. Ann’s Well and Priory Church, Malvern, via Arthur’s Stone, Cross End, Moccas Church, Monnington Church, Credenhill (old) Court, Pipe and Lyde Church, and Beacon Hill.
Pen-y-Beacon to North Hill, Malvern, via Sugwas Park, Ten Houses Pond ([Plate VI].), Burcot Pool, White Stone Chapel, Shucknell Hill, Stretton Grandison Church, Moat at Birchend, and Mathon Church.
Croft Ambury to Y-Fan-Drongarth (2,410 peak in Brecon Beacon group), via Hill Barn, Easthampton, Milton House, Court of Noke, Elsdon, Bollingham Chapel Tump, Clyro Church, Llowes Church, Bryn-Rhydd, and Slwch Camp, Brecon.
Bailey Hill (Knighton) to May Hill (Longhope), via The Warden, Presteign, Golf Course Tump, Holmer, Holmer House, Holmer Lane Tump, Venn’s Lane, The Prospect and Tupsley Hospital Road, Main Street and Church, Fownhope, Caplar Camp, How Caple Church, Old Gore Cross, and Linton Church.