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Queen Elizabeth Country Park added to Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty in South East by AeroJ on 11/08/2024

The South Downs contains a good few spectacular locations along its length, and Butser gets a lot of attention for being among the tallest and most open of them.

But the neighbouring peak of Butser is a slightly lower, almost entirely tree-covered hill where we find QECP, Petersfield's main big out-of-town country park, which deserves a pin on the map because it will occur to many to try and fly here, but we should be aware of the challenges in advance...

Parking is expensive if you bring the car, but bikes (and EUCs) get in free if you are up to the 400 ft climb to the top of the hill with another mile or 2 to go to the fly site once you get there ! Toilets and cafe facilities open within normal park sort of hours (also expensive !). The Park does not have any 'no drones' signs (as of Aug 2024), and I believe it's fine as long as you don't hang around the busy picnic and pizza oven areas at peak times. These border the closest TOAL field right next to the car park and make that one the least preferable of the 3 or 4 available - the others don't generally have stationary groups of people in them !

There ARE spectacular views available here, just not as many as you'd think ! It is MAINLY about the trees and sheer amount of them ! And it's quite a challenging place to fly for number of reasons I will briefly mention below.

All 3 of the potential fly sites are right at the top of the hill and are variously sized fields that adjoin the main gravel track running all the way along the main ridge from the upper car park to Wardown, which is the highest point of and end of the hill. The best place to fly from is undoubtedly the largest field, furthest from the car park (about 1.5km walk), and just before the hill drops off into the Wardown viewpoint (which is almost entirely obscured from view by trees from the ground). THIS is the view we want though and is a stunning vista back towards the town, in which we have imposing Butser on the left, the chalk quarry and town in front, and the A3 carving between the 2 hills, and vast, lush tree canopy in the foreground. This looks AMAZING in Autumn.

But the Achilles heel, so to speak, of this site is the fact that each of these TOAL fields are surrounded by tall trees, seriously limiting the amount of horizontal travel we have, even at some height without losing VLOS. The ONE exception is if you get your UV to follow the main track all the way along the hill ridge, which will give a long continuous shot with clear views of craft all the way along if you follow it on foot and lovely wooded drop-offs on both sides once you get about 100 ft above the tree-line.

We do get some RAF traffic appearing low over those trees on occasions, so good to notify them of any flights you may be intending to make here in advance. We also have to watch out for excess wind, which may seem calm at ground level, but can become suddenly huge as soon as you emerge from the canopy, where you are subject to a powerful prevailing wind that gets channelled along the A3 between the 2 hills. Although updrafts from this do get diffused by the woodland to some extent, some skim above it and can catch you, making descent a bit sketchy if you try it in the wrong places or need it in a hurry, so this is actually quite a challenging place to fly because you don't have much chance to see things coming and winds are unpredictable and powerful ! My advice is 'don't run low on power here - land well early'. The main risk is being blown out of VLOS for craft that can't handle big wind. I will only fly my M4P here on the very calmest of days.

A valid question to ask might be why you would fly here, when there is even bigger hill Butser right next door, which is a relatively easy-fly, vastly wide open space, with amazing all-round visibility wherever you fly on it, and I would have to agree !

QECP is for specialists, who want tree-lined ridges in certain lights, (and ones tall enough to poke through clouds occasionally) and who want to actually fly IN the woods where there are helpfully widely spaced and nicely managed trees and a number of interesting things to film including assault courses, bike trails, epic drop-offs and several crafty type play areas with rope swings and bridges and what-not. Looks great in golden hour. FPVers would have a ball in the woods if the light was right...

View and discuss this location in more detail on Grey Arrows.

Co-ordinates: 50.97363, -0.967226 • what3words: ///logs.marching.relations
The originator declared that this location was not inside a Flight Restriction Zone at the time of being flown on 10/08/2024. It remains the responsibility of any pilot to check for any changes before flying at the same location. Landowner permission may be required before taking off.

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Stanley Turner Ground Lewes, Lewes (By grandad1950)

Sharing the same facilities Lewes Rugby Club and the cricket club sit by the river nestled under the South Downs just to the south of the town. Its a good place to fly if there are no matches on. Good views of the downs and the river

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Co-ordinates: 50.86431, -0.002551 • what3words: ///eggs.gent.cracks
Hickling Basin on the Grantham Canal, Rushcliffe (By bryand)

I have been trying to document the current state of the Grantham Canal as it wends its way across the Vale of Belvoir. The Canal is mostly owned by the Canal and Rivers Trust, who have an NT-like policy. However there are enough bridges over the canal to provide TOAL spots without upsetting anybody.
Hickling Basin, at the southernmost point on the Canal is now a tourist spot popular with dog walkers. Probably best seen at this time of year with no foliage to hide the landscape and before nesting season.

View and discuss this location on Grey Arrows.

Co-ordinates: 52.85842, -0.975287 • what3words: ///factored.kebab.spooned
Pelsall Junction, North Common Canal, Walsall (By johnb78)

Pelsall Junction is a historic canal intersection in the West Midlands (grid reference SK018044) where the Cannock Extension Canal branches off the main line of the Wyrley and Essington Canal. Known for its Grade II listed footbridge (the "Red Iron"), the junction serves as a key, tranquil access point for boaters, walkers, and nature lovers exploring the Birmingham Canal Navigations
(description from wikipedia).

I have flown here a couple of times but you have to be mindful of the SSSi that is nearby, but also it is a popular spot for fishing.

Parking: there is no direct parking but there is a carpark at the Finger Post pub but I decided not to park there and parks on a public side street nearby and walked the short distance to the spot

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Co-ordinates: 52.63753, -1.972109 • what3words: ///decent.stored.bunny
(Ex) HMP Shepton Mallet, Mendip (By gasbag43)

HMP Shepton Mallet is a former prison in Shepton Mallet, Somerset. When it closed in 2013, it had been the United Kingdom's oldest operating prison, following the closure of HMP Lancaster Castle in 2011.

Recommended as a good place to fly if you ever wanted to drone over a prison location without breaching an FRZ as the architecture and layout remains authentic

Before closure, Shepton Mallet was a category C lifer prison holding 189 prisoners. The prison building is Grade II* listed, while the former gatehouse and perimeter walls are Grade II.

The prison was opened in 1625 and expanded in 1790. This included the installation of a treadwheel for those sentenced to hard labour. In 1843 the number of cells was increased by adding a second storey to each wing. In 1930 the number of inmates had fallen and the prison was closed.

Following the outbreak of the Second World War in 1939, the prison was reopened as a military prison. It was initially used by the British Army and later by American forces who constructed a new execution block to hang condemned prisoners. Following the war the prison continued as a military "glasshouse" until it was returned to civilian use in 1966.

The prison was decommissioned in 2013 and now serves as a tourist attraction, with guided tours and other activities.

View and discuss this location on Grey Arrows.

Co-ordinates: 51.19072, -2.542963 • what3words: ///pairings.handwriting.cunning
Bath Road Viaduct, Mendip (By gasbag43)

This aerial shot captures the Bath Road Viaduct, a graceful remnant of the Somerset and Dorset Joint Railway (S&D) that once cut through the heart of Shepton Mallet. Bathed in the warm glow of a winter sunrise, the structure’s 27 arches remain a testament to Victorian engineering, even as the tracks they once carried have long since vanished.

Constructed in the 1870s, this stone-built giant was part of the "Evercreech New" extension, designed to connect the Midlands with the South Coast. For nearly a century, heavy steam locomotives thundered across these arches, hauling both passengers and the region's vital coal and stone.

The viaduct fell silent following the Beeching Cuts in 1966, which closed the S&D line. Today the structure bridges the gap between the town's industrial heritage—symbolised by the nearby Kilver Court and cider mills—and the rolling Mendip Hills.

For Trivia fans, the large complex seen just beyond the viaduct is Kilver Court. Originally built as a textile mill in the 1700s, it was famously transformed in the mid-20th century by the Showering family. This site is the birthplace of Babycham, the sparkling perry that some argue revolutionized post-war drinking habits in the UK

The viaduct now serves as a spectacular elevated walkway, preserved as a Grade II listed monument that offers a "birds-eye" perspective of Shepton's unique blend of rural charm and industrial grit

View and discuss this location on Grey Arrows.

Co-ordinates: 51.1893, -2.53332 • what3words: ///gardens.orbited.tribune
Cockfield Spoil Heaps, County Durham (By Keltoi)

The Cockfield spoil heaps, located on Cockfield Fell in County Durham, are prominent industrial relics from centuries of coal and whinstone mining. These large mounds and ridges of waste stone and shale, often referred to as extraction heaps, now form a distinctive, weathered landscape that acts as a significant, preserved remnant of the region's mining heritage.

Location: Situated on Cockfield Fell, near the village of Cockfield in County Durham, UK.
Origin: They are the result of decades—and in some areas, centuries—of coal mining and industrial activity.
Appearance: From above, the heaps appear as sweeping, linear mounds and deep scars in the landscape, often described as having an "otherworldly" or artistic quality.
Significance: Cockfield Fell is recognized as one of the best-preserved industrial landscapes in England, with the spoil heaps serving as a powerful, visible reminder of the area's coal mining history.
Reclamation: The mounds have largely weathered, with nature slowly reclaiming the area, blending the industrial debris into the natural fell.

The site is popular for walking and photography, offering a direct view into the intense industrial activity that once dominated the area.

View and discuss this location on Grey Arrows.

Co-ordinates: 54.62048, -1.807401 • what3words: ///joystick.fine.pound
Priddy Nine Barrows, Mendip (By gasbag43)

The Priddy Nine Barrows are situated on the crest of North Hill, forming a sprawling Bronze Age cemetery on the Mendip Hills and date from approximately 2500 to 1500 BC. These mounds were built as monumental markers for elite burials, reflecting a sophisticated "Wessex Culture" influence involving complex funeral rites.

Historically, they have been described as a group of nine, but are often viewed as a group of seven round barrows and a separate pair. They are primarily bowl barrows, often considered some of the most impressive in Somerset, and in some cases covering earlier, lower stone cairns.

In the photo, the north-south alignment is perfectly visible and suggests a ceremonial procession route where the living would move alongside the ancestors.

The dark, pitted centres of the mounds are the lasting marks of 19th-century excavations. Rev. John Skinner famously breached these centres in 1815, discovering treasures like amber beads, bronze daggers, and "grape cups."

Approx 300 metres away is another cemetery site - the Ashen Hill Barrows. Priddy Nine Barrows consists mainly of nine mounds on the highest ridge, while Ashen Hill features eight barrows arranged in a linear alignment on a lower ridge.

Both sites are broadly contemporary, likely linked to the nearby Neolithic Priddy Circles, and reflect long-standing ritual use of the landscape. It is possible the Priddy Nine Barrows—being on the highest, most prominent point—were used slightly earlier or were considered more important than the Ashen Hill group.

View and discuss this location on Grey Arrows.

Co-ordinates: 51.26049, -2.66178 • what3words: ///tilting.inventors.installs
Ashen Hill Barrows, Mendip (By gasbag43)

The Ashen Hill Barrows, located on the Mendip plateau near Priddy, form one of the most extensive Bronze Age funerary landscapes in southern Britain. Dating mainly from around 2000–1500 BC, the site consists of long, linear cemeteries of round barrows—earthen burial mounds raised to honour important individuals or family groups.

Ashen Hill features a linear alignment of six bowl barrows and two bell barrows aligned east to west. They are located on the western end of the field of the hill.

Their deliberate alignment across the limestone grassland suggests strong ritual planning, possibly linked to territorial boundaries, processional routes, or ancestral memory embedded in the landscape. Over time, many barrows were partially levelled by erosion, grazing, and later quarrying, yet their overall pattern remains remarkably legible.

The aerial photograph reveals this prehistoric design. From above, the barrows appear as rhythmic humps casting subtle shadows, their alignment cutting diagonally across the pasture. The low winter light enhances their form, allowing the ancient geometry of the cemetery to emerge clearly against the modern agricultural landscape

Approx 300 metres away is another cemetery site - the Priddy Nine Barrows. Priddy Nine Barrows consists mainly of nine mounds on the highest ridge, while Ashen Hill features eight barrows arranged in a linear alignment on a lower ridge.

Both sites are broadly contemporary, likely linked to the nearby Neolithic Priddy Circles, and reflect long-standing ritual use of the landscape. It is possible the Priddy Nine Barrows—being on the highest, most prominent point—were used slightly earlier or were considered more important than the Ashen Hill group.

View and discuss this location on Grey Arrows.

Co-ordinates: 51.26587, -2.663159 • what3words: ///evaporate.interviewer.enjoys
St Andrews Beddingham, Lewes (By grandad1950)

On the edge of the South Downs National Park is the tiny agricultural village of Beddingham. The Parish church of St Andrews dates from the 12th century and is a grade 1 listed building. The village is a great starting point for some rather steep walks in the South Downs

View and discuss this location on Grey Arrows.

Co-ordinates: 50.85253, 0.051411 • what3words: ///consented.loops.noses
Pitstone Quarry, Dacorum (By DaveJaVu)

Amazed this wasn't already on DS tbh! This is a stunning place to fly on a clear day. The quarry is over 1km from end to end. The northern end of the quarry is still worked but the entire section with the lakes is empty. I have flown here several times on the weekends and have never seen a soul here.

I've marked a parking spot in the layby just down the road. Park there and walk back ~100m towards the roundabout. First entrance is a cottage with very sod off vibes (!). The next is a track that leads through the woods up the side of the quarry and all the way up the hill. There is a green fence that ends about 300m up the track. From there you can walk 20ft through the woods and you're on the moonscape rocks at the very southern end of the quarry. You can also walk further up the hill and fly from there too.

The footage I got this weekend was sadly garbage due to a poor set up - so I've linked a video I did here a while back.

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Co-ordinates: 51.81805, -0.632873 • what3words: ///interlude.mailboxes.loom

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