From: admin@127.0.0.1   
      
   On Fri, 11 Apr 2025 10:04:36 -0400   
   Cryptoengineer  wrote:   
      
   > On 4/6/2025 10:36 AM, Evelyn C. Leeper wrote:   
   > > THE MT VOID   
   > > 04/04/25 -- Vol. 43, No. 40, Whole Number 2374   
   >    
   > > THE ENGLISHMAN WHO WENT UP A HILL BUT CAME DOWN A MOUNTAIN (1999):   
   > [...]   
   > > Of course, the solution in the movie wouldn't work.  Soil has a   
   > > 20-degree angle of repose, hence a 20-foot mound would have a   
   > > radius of about 55 feet, so a volume of about 63,000 cubic feet.   
   > > At 75 pounds per cubic foot (the average for soil), that's 2400   
   > > *tons*.  There were not enough people to move that much soil in   
   > > the time given.  [-ecl]   
   >    
   > It's easy to say that, but I wonder....   
   >    
   >  From Wikipedia:   
   >    
   > "The film is based on a story heard by Christopher Monger from his    
   > grandfather about the real village of Taff's Well, in the old county of    
   > Glamorgan, and its neighbouring Garth Hill. Due to 20th century    
   > urbanisation of the area, it was filmed in the more rural    
   > Llanrhaeadr-ym-Mochnant and Llansilin in Powys."   
   >    
   > So, I looked up Garth Hill on Google Earth. Its at   
   > 51°32'35.72" N   3°17'39.26" W   
   >    
   > Here's the thing. There's a mound on top of the hill, about 120   
   > feet in diameter. Its apparently called 'The Garth'.   
   >    
   > The surrounding land on this gentle hill is around 990 feet high.   
   > However, 'the Garth' tops out at 999 feet.   
      
   I blame erosion. Or the Englishman who came down a Hill after going up a   
   Mountain.   
      
   >    
   > I can't find anything about this mound specifically. Theoretically,   
   > it could be a geologic feature, or built by aspirational peasants   
   > for a map.   
   >    
   > Silbury Hill has an angle of about 25 degrees, and has stood for   
   > over 4000 years, but its more engineered than a mere heap of dirt.   
   > Its volume approaches 9 million cubic feet. 'The Garth' would be   
   > a mere 37,000 cf.   
   >    
      
   > However, the Wikipedia article for Garth Hill notes the presence   
   > of a number of Bronze Age round barrows on the top of the hill. It   
   > seems very likely that 'The Garth' is one of these, and the top   
   > being nearly exactly 1000 feet a coincidence that engendered   
   > a nice local legend.   
   >    
      
   More likely. And the locals of the time would have had a longer time to do   
   it.   
      
      
   PS Taff's Wells was (not now alas) more recently not quite famous for   
   having a general hardware store that had a tinbath outside; inspiring   
   Ronnie Barker to create "Open All Hours"    
      
      
   --    
   Bah, and indeed Humbug.   
      
   --- SoupGate-DOS v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)