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the Degree Confluence Project
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Belgium

2.2 km (1.4 miles) NNW of Staden, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium
Approx. altitude: 8 m (26 ft)
([?] maps: Google MapQuest OpenStreetMap ConfluenceNavigator)
Antipode: 51°S 177°W

Accuracy: 32 m (104 ft)
Quality: good

Click on any of the images for the full-sized picture.

#2: Looking North from the middle of the road in front of the house #3: Looking East #4: Looking South #5: Looking West #6: GPS reading in front of the door of the house

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  51°N 3°E (visit #8)  

#1: The Confluence 51°N 3°E is in the garden at 27 m distance

(visited by Henk Pouwels)

07-May-2009 -- This time I decided to follow without any alterations the route calculated by the navigation module of my GPS. In general the GPS selects first the main roads then the lesser roads. From a certain level each road is considered applicable. And so I was guided into a very small road, “Vuilpanstraat” (literally: Dirty Pot street, Vuilpan is a hamlet nearby), which is indeed the shortest connection of the N36 from Staden to the confluence.

About halfway a faded sign seemed to warn me for a dead-end road but I had decided to follow my GPS. The last section of about 300-m before I could turn right into the “Hazewindstraat” (Greyhound Street) was a dirt road. You may say a very dirty dirt road where I had to steer my car carefully and very slowly to avoid damage. Home again I studied the map and discovered that just a few 100 meters less short provided an easier access to the confluence.

As reported before the confluence is in the garden of a house at the “Hazewindstraat”, where the “Zuidbosstraat” (South Forest Street) connects to it. Through the gate of the garden the location is visible; it must be close to the shaped tree. No need to go inside for those last 27 m. The GPS display is photographed while the GPS was in front of the main door of the house. The N,E,S,W photographs were taken from the middle of the road in front of the house. And at that moment my camera ran out of memory.

During my activities the lady of the house came to me and we had a nice chat. She was fully aware of the confluence and told me the last visitor was somebody from Yemen (must be Phil Boyle.

The day before I visited two confluences’s in Normandy in the region of the first days after D-day of World War II. The region of this confluence, close to Ieper is forever connected to World War I or Great War. In the period of 1914 – 1918 over 1.700.000 soldiers died here. And it was here that for the first time chlorine gas and mustard gas were used as weapons. The town of Ieper (and many, many others) was completely devastated. Ieper was rebuild in the old style. The Menenpoort (=gate) is the monument where every evening at 08:00 p.m. the “Last Post” is blown to commemorate the victims.


 All pictures
#1: The Confluence 51°N 3°E is in the garden at 27 m distance
#2: Looking North from the middle of the road in front of the house
#3: Looking East
#4: Looking South
#5: Looking West
#6: GPS reading in front of the door of the house
ALL: All pictures on one page