Shaun is right about the views from the lanes up there! Funnily enough, I'd never really worked out why you can see so far but his 'top of the world' remark intrigued me. I know that the photo was taken at an elevation of about 335 m (1,100 ft) but there are hills 100 m (330 ft) higher in the area so why is the view so special to the north-east?
I fired up my mapping software and discovered the answer! It may not be the highest local point but it is the highest point for 53 miles in a NE direction! The Pennines are gradually dropping away over Halifax, Bradford, and Leeds to York.
You can see 53 miles on a clear day like the one we had for our ride!
The Drax power station near Goole is 65 km away (40.5 miles) and it was very obvious in the distance.
Have a look at the map and profile below. (The profile is taken along the red line on the map.)
I bet there aren't many places in England where you can see for 53 miles!
Hmm, I've had a rethink about this - I hadn't allowed for the curvature of the earth! The horizon for an elevation of 335 metres is about 65 km away which happens to be how far Drax is from that hill. I could see the tops of the cooling towers and only just see the bottoms of them so that is about right.
I'm pretty sure that I would have been able to see Birdsall Brow (the hills NE of York on the way to Filey) too but I don't think I'd see the flat countryside between York and the hills. I reckon I'd be able to see York Minster with a pair of binoculars. I'll have to take mine up there on a bright, clear, sunny day to check.
