Course overview

This talk is of particular interest to people who have come across Trig Points on their walks and are curious to find out more about how they came to be there. We will cover some of the quirky stories relating to early map-making and then explore some even more quirky stories about the way that triangulation was introduced to Britain.

Course description

Map making made huge leaps forward in the eighteenth century when ideas were shared between countries during the period of the Enlightenment. The Cassini family based in Paris pioneered the use of triangulation across France and Scottish military map maker William Roy adopted these techniques to form the foundations of the national Ordnance Survey mapping system we have today. This session will introduce you to some of the background to these development with a focus on the human stories and quirky anecdotes. The session is for anyone with a general interest in why we now have over 6000 concrete blocks on the tops of British hills.

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