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Forgotten Woodlands

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11–19 of 19 posts

Re: Forgotten Woodlands

#11
post #3

If someday someone does this study for South Florida, they will wonder how a previously mountainous terrain became so flat. You can drive around and spot "Hills," "Heights,” “Ridge,” “Vista,” and “View” on pancake-flat sites. Hopefully there weren't ancient Scottish versions of real estate developers confounding this study.

In a low lying area, all these names can refer to far more smaller features than they would in hillier places. The "ridge" in question may have been only twenty foot tall for example, and smaller than a railway foundation. Some of these may have been artificial and built by native peoples. Others might be remnants of ancient tsunami and hurricanes, changing sea levels, floods and so on. The same phenomenon occurs els…

Yes. My in-laws in East Anglia lived near Ramsey Heights, which (just checked my OS map) is almost entirely below the 10m contour. The nearby Ramsey Forty Foot mostly exceeds the 10m contour. They are great places for lazy cyclists but the downside side is the relatively high winds that are uninterrupted by terrain, and which always seem to orient themselves to be a local headwind.

Re: Forgotten Woodlands

#12
post #4

Speaking of forgotten woodlands, I've talked about this on HN two times already, might as well say it third time. Go on Google maps and look at the size of the Sherwood forest. I've never truly recovered from that experience.

Did it used to be a lot bigger? Looks like a couple wooded lots side by side now.

Re: Forgotten Woodlands

#13
post #3

If someday someone does this study for South Florida, they will wonder how a previously mountainous terrain became so flat. You can drive around and spot "Hills," "Heights,” “Ridge,” “Vista,” and “View” on pancake-flat sites. Hopefully there weren't ancient Scottish versions of real estate developers confounding this study.

My favorite developer name is "Vista del Camino."

Re: Forgotten Woodlands

#14
post #4

Speaking of forgotten woodlands, I've talked about this on HN two times already, might as well say it third time. Go on Google maps and look at the size of the Sherwood forest. I've never truly recovered from that experience.

Did it used to be a lot bigger? Looks like a couple wooded lots side by side now.

Much much bigger. Visiting it now is quite sad.

Re: Forgotten Woodlands

#15
post #3

If someday someone does this study for South Florida, they will wonder how a previously mountainous terrain became so flat. You can drive around and spot "Hills," "Heights,” “Ridge,” “Vista,” and “View” on pancake-flat sites. Hopefully there weren't ancient Scottish versions of real estate developers confounding this study.

My favorite is "Florida Hill Country" of Dade County. I raced a bicycle road race in Dade County once. It did, indeed, have a few hills, but the toughest climb of the whole race was literally an interstate overpass.

Re: Forgotten Woodlands

#16
post #3

If someday someone does this study for South Florida, they will wonder how a previously mountainous terrain became so flat. You can drive around and spot "Hills," "Heights,” “Ridge,” “Vista,” and “View” on pancake-flat sites. Hopefully there weren't ancient Scottish versions of real estate developers confounding this study.

My favorite developer name is "Vista del Camino."

View of the footpath?

Re: Forgotten Woodlands

#17
post #14

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Did it used to be a lot bigger? Looks like a couple wooded lots side by side now.

Much much bigger. Visiting it now is quite sad.

If you go to England, you're better off going to the New Forest in Hampshire. Despite the name, it was established during the Norman period and at least feels like a substantial tract of older woodland. (Tiny by North American standards of course.)

Re: Forgotten Woodlands

#18

Earlier quoted context omitted.

In a low lying area, all these names can refer to far more smaller features than they would in hillier places. The "ridge" in question may have been only twenty foot tall for example, and smaller than a railway foundation. Some of these may have been artificial and built by native peoples. Others might be remnants of ancient tsunami and hurricanes, changing sea levels, floods and so on. The same phenomenon occurs els…

Yes. My in-laws in East Anglia lived near Ramsey Heights, which (just checked my OS map) is almost entirely below the 10m contour. The nearby Ramsey Forty Foot mostly exceeds the 10m contour. They are great places for lazy cyclists but the downside side is the relatively high winds that are uninterrupted by terrain, and which always seem to orient themselves to be a local headwind.

I had to look up Ramsey Heights but it looks to be in one of the flattest parts of East England!

No one believes me, but there is a respectable example in Norwich called Kett's Hill. It's not huge, but it has enough of a slope on it to qualify as a hill, and I've walked up it.

Re: Forgotten Woodlands

#19
post #3

If someday someone does this study for South Florida, they will wonder how a previously mountainous terrain became so flat. You can drive around and spot "Hills," "Heights,” “Ridge,” “Vista,” and “View” on pancake-flat sites. Hopefully there weren't ancient Scottish versions of real estate developers confounding this study.

The equivalent study in Florida would be of native names and old Spanish ones at a stretch.
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