Mapping Great Britain one trig at a time

Did you know that High Wheeldon is home to one of 88 trig points in the Peak District National Park and is one of 6,000 remaining in the UK?

We often meet walkers (or trig baggers as they are known) visiting High Wheeldon to mark off another trig point on their list.

Guests staying in our Peak District cottages can see the High Wheeldon trig point from their windows. They can also walk directly to the top of High Wheeldon and claim the trig right from the front door of their cottage.

Honouring the Second World War

Our own Derbyshire trig pillar was presented to the National Trust 75 years ago on 11 November, 1946. It was handed over in honour of the men in Derbyshire and Staffordshire who lost their lives in the Second World War. With two children currently serving in the army, we’re proud to continue honouring everyone who serves for our country.

So, what’s the story behind trig pillars?

The trig pillar was first used in 1936 in the retriangulation of Great Britain. A group of surveyors gathered around a white pillar in a field in Cold Ashby to begin the retriangulation of Great Britain. In layman’s terms, triangulation is a mathematical process that makes accurate map-making possible. It works by determining the location of a point by measuring angles to it from known points at either end of a fixed baseline. In the UK, this was around 6,500 trig pillars.

More than 6,500 trig pillars were originally built across the country and used for the retriangulation between April 18, 1936, and June 4, 1962. The trig pillar at Thorney Gale, Westmorland, was used for the final calculation.

The highest trig pillar sits on the top of Ben Nevis and the lowest trig pillar is at Little Ouse, sited at -1m.

If you’ve got a spare few months and would like to trig bag the entire Peak District here’s a list:

Trig name and grid reference

Abney Moor SK 18043 79421

Aleck Low SK 17502 59475

Alphin Pike SE 00296 02817

Axe Edge SK 03502 70613

Back Tor SK 19763 90991

Bank Top (P) SK 11802 60064

Birchen Edge SK 27825 73093

Black Edge SK 06254 77006

Blacka Plantation SK 28995 81251

Blackstones Low SK 21000 55420

Blake Mere SK 04134 60999

Blakelow Hill SK 25454 59395

Bole Hill SK 18403 67589

Bradnop SK 03842 54265

Bradwell Moor SK 13179 80133

Brown Knoll SK 08369 85129

Burbage Edge SK 02960 73247

Calton Pastures SK 23779 68174

Chinley Churn SK 03549 83633

Cock Hill SK 05931 96189

Dead Edge End SE 12445 01728

Ecton Hill SK 09979 57998

Edale Moor SK 12927 87809

Elton Common SK 22069 60220

Emlin Ridge SK 23987 93364

Featherbed Moss SE 04643 01169

Flask Edge SK 28492 78842

Grindon Moor SK 07153 55089

Gun SJ 97006 61515

Hardings Booth SK 07203 63937

Harland South SK 30088 68157

Harry Hut SK 04477 90771

Hawks Low SK 16972 57028

Hey Edge SE 08030 00440

High Low SK 15571 67700

High Neb SK 22816 85344

High Rake SK 20881 73402

High Wheeldon SK 10037 66111

Higher Shelfstones SK 08894 94787

Hill House SK 05169 58571

Hollinsclough Moor SK 05531 65838

Holme Moss SE 07816 04684

Hopping Top SK 20977 62718

Kinder SK 07904 87059

Kirk Edge SK 27723 92947

Ladder Hill SK 02772 78867

Lantern Pike SK 02390 87945

Lean Low SK 14956 62235

Long Rake SK 18363 64158

Mam Tor SK 12769 83612

Margery SK 18911 95695

Martins Low SK 07112 51986

Moor Plantations SK 24496 62906

Moor Top SK 02964 55303

Musden Low SK 11832 50080

Noton Barn SK 21667 66169

Oaker Hill SK 27120 61303

Outer Edge SK 17703 96973

Ox Stones SK 28021 83134

Parsley Hay Farm SK 14594 64229

Revidge SK 07739 59910

Reynards SK 15107 52677

Rod Moor SK 26268 88413

Saddleworth SE 02076 06964

Sheen Hill SK 11055 62539

Shining Tor SJ 99463 73739

Shutlingsloe SJ 97645 69574

Sir William Hill SK 21538 77891

Slipper Low SK 22701 56897

Snailsden SE 13198 03311

Soles Hill SK 09794 52505

Sough Top SK 13330 70896

South Nab SE 15629 00319

Sponds Hill SJ 97001 80294

Stanage Edge SK 25094 83017

The Edge SK 07698 89370

The Roaches SK 00107 63891

Wardlow SK 17851 73972

West End Moor SK 12878 93255

West Nab SE 07644 08792

Wetton Low SK 11223 54743

Wheston SK 13841 76565

White Edge SK 26378 75855

Whitwell Moor SK 24972 97237

Wibben Hill SK 18374 52247

Winhill Pike SK 18678 85093

Wolfscote Hill SK 13705 58323

Wormhill SK 10721 75621