B'ham to Bristol train view question.

What are those mountains i could see out of my window. ?

I live in Sheffield btw so this was just one leg of a long train journey, and the first for me on this line.

As a low land Peaks man they looked juicy.

Include a little history in your walks. Pecsaetan - Ancient Derbyshire, Staffordshire and South Yorkshire - http://pecsaetan.weebly.com/

Possibly the Malverns?

Unless you went by a really weird route (cf: G.K.Chesterton, Before the Romans came to Rye, and that's about roads anyway), you won't have seen any mountains between Birmingham and Bristol. You may have spotted the Malvern Hills?

Cheers.

Malverns it probably was then, looked mountainous in proprotion to the Peaks.

Include a little history in your walks. Pecsaetan - Ancient Derbyshire, Staffordshire and South Yorkshire - http://pecsaetan.weebly.com/

Noooo, they're mere pimples and a lot smaller than the Peak!

Hmmmmmm, With a stretch of imagination you could say it looked like the Kinder plateau standing alone several miles into the distance, maybe more, it was a wonderfully clear day.

My destination was Temple Mead (sp?) btw.

Include a little history in your walks. Pecsaetan - Ancient Derbyshire, Staffordshire and South Yorkshire - http://pecsaetan.weebly.com/

Which side were the hills you saw? Left or right (if facing the direction of travel)?

Ok, where were you (approx) when you saw this, and were they on the east or west side of the train?

Boarded at B'Ham sat facing Temple Mead, the hills were out of my right window. not sure of the compass point as it was in my pack, which wasblocking the aisle.

Include a little history in your walks. Pecsaetan - Ancient Derbyshire, Staffordshire and South Yorkshire - http://pecsaetan.weebly.com/

That's gotta be the Malverns then, you can see the Brecon Beacons from the bottom end of the M50, but not from the M5.

Meads, btw.

Thanks Kate.

Going on experience i'd say they were 7-12 miles distant, so deffo not the Brecons then.

Include a little history in your walks. Pecsaetan - Ancient Derbyshire, Staffordshire and South Yorkshire - http://pecsaetan.weebly.com/

As above... it was definitely the Malvern Hills. Small of stature, limited in extent, but despite that, they always look like proper mountains. In fact, there are mountains twice their height, even three or four times their height, that fail to look anything like as impressive as the Malverns. One day... you should divert off-route and visit them.

Another 'vote' for the Malvern Hills from the Warwickshire judge.

Do a Google image search, Twigs, and look at the outline. It should be familiar (couple of photos below).

The ridge runs north-south (so parallel to your train's direction of travel) and rises impressively from the plain of the Severn Valley south of Worcester. The highest point is little over 1,300 feet and the hills are smooth and, mostly, grass-covered above the tree line - but they certainly look more 'mountainous' than they are.

If you fancy a closer acquaintance with them thar hills, join the OM Malverns day walk on 9 September (see Meets thread).

Definitely the Malverns. One evening I saw three sunsets from the train as the sun dissappeared and reappeared through gaps in the hills.

I think it's because they rise so abruptly from near flat farmland. On bleary eyed early morning journeys to Snowdonia, I have mistaken the distant Long Mynd and Shropshire hills for loftier peaks further west.

Allegedly the next highest ground due east are the Urals.

That second pic nails it Skip.

Cheers everyone.

Include a little history in your walks. Pecsaetan - Ancient Derbyshire, Staffordshire and South Yorkshire - http://pecsaetan.weebly.com/