This was taken from the R.A.F. compound, and the nearest part of the path looks like the main one which bears down to the road off to the right, but I am not sure about any paths that people on the left seem to be using. (Andrew S)
Battys h.
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Submitted by Andrew Suddaby
Date picture taken (may be approximate):
Thursday, October 1, 1953
Gallery:
Connections:
- Battys h. shows Place RAF Batty's Belvedere [????-????]
- Battys h. shows Place Haystack - RBL 509 formerly FL 60 & 61 - 19 Mount Austin Road [????- ]
Comments
Battys h
Hi Andrew,
The building in the top left is Haystack on Mt Austin Road.
I agree with your comment about the main path. I think it's probably the section just below the underground reservoir, the top of the perimeter wall of which may be seen along the bottom of the photo.
I note with interest the short path that disappears as it continues over the top edge of the photo. It gave access to a minor hillock, the top of which is just out of sight. A few years ago, I attempted to access the top of this hillock to confirm where another, older, photo had been taken from. Although an old map marked this path, in reality it no longer existed and I never made it to the top of the hillock. I guess that in the days before the Peak became overgrown it was much easier to cut paths across country to wherever you wanted to go. As of a few years ago only the main path still existed.
Hi Geoff,
Hi Geoff,
Yes, I think that you are correct with where Peter must have been standing. Last time I was up there in December 2007, I stood on the grass covered reservoir and it fitted well. Vegetation was quite sparse in the 1950s and with few exceptions, it was possible to walk over most of the hills on the Island without difficulty. Somewhere in the 367 archive there are, or will be when I get round to loading them, several photogaphs of R.A.F. young men wandering on avery grassy Mt Parker and other hills. Now it's all dense scrubland and growing trees. On my several return visits in later years, I felt quite frustrated not being able to get off the paths and return to areas that I had been on in 1957/8. In the 1950s the main path up to Batty's from the small gharry park at the bottom of the path was concrete - the R.A.F. would not have wanted men going on shift to be late because they'd had to flounder through mud in the wet season! If access is now possible, it was still in good condition in 2007. Regards Andrew
Batty's h
Hi Andrew,
Yes, the path up from Mt Austin Rd was in excellent condition when I last visited, I guess about 2 years ago.