List of hills of Cornwall

This is a list of hills in Cornwall based on data compiled in various sources, but particularly the Database of British and Irish Hills, Jackson's More Relative Hills of Britain[1] and the Ordnance Survey 1:25,000 Explorer and 1:50,000 Landranger map series.

Many of these hills are important historic, archaeological and nature conservation sites, as well as popular hiking and tourist destinations in the county of Cornwall in southwest England.

Colour key

Class Prominence
Marilyns 150 – 599 m
HuMPs 100 – 149 m
TuMPs 30 – 99 m
Unclassified 0 – 29 m

The table is colour-coded based on the classification or "listing" of the hill. The three types that occur in Cornwall are Marilyns, HuMPs and TuMPs, listings based on topographical prominence. "Prominence" correlates strongly with the subjective significance of a summit. Peaks with low prominences are either subsidiary tops of a higher summit or relatively insignificant independent summits. Peaks with high prominences tend to be the highest points around and likely to have extraordinary views. A Marilyn is a hill with a prominence of at least 150 metres or about 500 feet.[2] A "HuMP" (the acronym comes from "Hundred Metre Prominence) is a hill with a prominence of at least 100 but less than 150 metres.[3] In this table Marilyns are in beige and HuMPs in lilac. The term "sub-Marilyn" or "sub-HuMP" is used, e.g. in the online Database of British and Irish Hills to indicate hills that fall just below the threshold. To qualify for inclusion, hills must either be 300 metres or higher with a prominence of at least 30 metres, below 300 metres with a prominence of at least 90 metres (the threshold for a sub-HuMP) or be in some other way notable. For further information see the Lists of mountains and hills in the British Isles and the individual articles on Marilyns and HuMPs. In this context, a "TuMP" is a hill with a prominence of at least 30 but less than 100 metres; by way of contrast, see also the article listing Tumps (a traditional term meaning a hillock, mound, barrow or tumulus).

List of hills

Hill Height (m) Prom. (m) Grid ref. Class Parent Range/Region Remarks Image
Brown Willy[1] 420 314 SX158799 Marilyn High Willhays Bodmin Moor Cornwall's county top.

Highest of Cornwall's 5 Marilyns.
Rough Tor[4] 400 87 SX145807 TuMP Brown Willy Bodmin Moor Bodmin Moor's second highest summit.

Site of tor cairn and historic settlements and monuments.
Kilmar Tor[1] 396 118 SX252748 HuMP Brown Willy Bodmin Moor Tor 50m SW of summit trig point
Stowe's Hill[4] 381 78 SX257724 TuMP Brown Willy Bodmin Moor Massive tor enclosure (Stowe's Pound)
and site of the Cheesewring
Langstone Downs[4] 379 33 SX255738 TuMP Brown Willy Bodmin Moor Large ancient cairn at summit. S of Kilmar Tor
Caradon Hill[4] 371 69 SX272707 TuMP Brown Willy Bodmin Moor Caradon Hill transmitting station, former mining area
The Beacon (Hendra Downs)[4] 369 91 SX196792 TuMP, sub-HuMP Brown Willy Bodmin Moor Outcrop near fence is the summit.
Tolborough Tor[4] 348 42 SX175778 TuMP Brown Willy Bodmin Moor Outcrop at the summit.
Bray Down[4] 346 54 SX189821 (est.) TuMP Brown Willy Bodmin Moor Small cheesewring at the summit.
Buttern Hill[4] 346 48 SX174816 TuMP Brown Willy Bodmin Moor Mound is near Bronze Age chamber tomb.
Newel Tor[4] 346 62 SX236741 TuMP Brown Willy Bodmin Moor Leaning rock slab at summit.
Brown Gelly[4] 342 74 SX196727 TuMP Brown Willy Bodmin Moor Tor, hut circles, barrows and cairns.
Kit Hill[1] 334 171 SX374713 Marilyn Brown Willy Cornish Killas One of Cornwall's five Marilyns

Highest point in Cornwall outside Bodmin Moor

Ridge[4] 331 44 SX242777 TuMP Brown Willy Bodmin Moor Rock on south edge of summit plateau.
Garrow Tor[4] 330 57 SX374713 TuMP Brown Willy Bodmin Moor Several tors and extensive Bronze Age

and Medieval settlements, hut circles, etc.

Hawk's Tor, North Hill[4] 329 36 SX253763 TuMP Brown Willy West Bodmin Moor Rock tor at summit. No trig point.
Leskernick Hill[4] 329 36 SX183803 TuMP Brown Willy Bodmin Moor Summit is grassy mound near pool.
Fox Tor[4] 323 35 SX226785 TuMP Brown Willy Bodmin Moor Summit is a rocky tor, 20 metres SW of trig point.
Butter's Tor[4] 316 34 SX154783 TuMP Brown Willy Bodmin Moor Outcrop at summit.
Louden Hill[4] 315 32 SX137803 TuMP Brown Willy Bodmin Moor Flat granite plinth at summit.
Hensbarrow Beacon[1] 312 193 SW996575 Marilyn Brown Willy Hensbarrow One of Cornwall's five Marilyns

Summit dominated by spoil heaps of china clay mine

Condolden Barrow[4]

Condolden

308 50 SX090872 TuMP Cornish Killas Summit trig point, Bronze Age barrows

Second highest point in Cornwall outside Bodmin Moor

Hawk's Tor, Blisland[4] 307 61 SX143763 TuMP Brown Willy East Bodmin Moor Summit is the outcrop next to the trig point. Site of Stripple stones, stone circle, Hawkstor Pit SSSI
Brockabarrow Common[4] 306 31 SX160747 TuMP Brown Willy Bodmin Moor Pile of boulders at summit.
Alex Tor[4] 291 30 SX118787 TuMP Bodmin Moor Summit tor cairn
Hingston Down[4] 268 47 SX409714 (est.) TuMP Tamar Valley There is a tumulus, a transmission tower and various buildings around the summit
Carnmenellis[1] 252 165 SW695364 Marilyn Hensbarrow Beacon Carnmenellis One of Cornwall's five Marilyns

Summit trig point

Watch Croft[1] 252 225 SW420357 Marilyn Brown Willy West Penwith One of Cornwall's five Marilyns
Trig point nr summit
Carn Marth[4] 235 60 SW715408 TuMP Carnmenellis Site of former granite quarry
Carn Brea[4] 228 47 SW683407 TuMP Carnmenellis Neolithic and Iron Age settlement
Castle Downs[5] 216 67 SW945623 TuMP Cornish Killas Site of major Iron Age fort: Castle an Dinas
Trink Hill[4] 212 62 SW504371 (est.) TuMP Watch Croft West Penwith Trig point and mound at summit.
Helman Tor[4] 210 37 SX062615 TuMP Hensbarrow Tor, nature reserve, logan stone,
prehistoric hillfort and stone hut circle
Bin Down[1] 203 101 SX276578 HuMP Kilmar Tor Cornish Killas Tall man-made mound on summit

On Looe Golf Course by 7th tee.

Carn Kenidjack[6] 202 ~25 SW388329 Unclassified West Penwith Open hilltop, subpeak is Wheal Bal Hill with a transmission tower.
Chapel Carn Brea[5][7] 198 30 SW386280 TuMP West Penwith Hercynian granite outcrop;
westernmost hill in Britain;
site of old chapel, beacon.
Tregonning Hill[1] 194 102 SW599300 HuMP Carnmenellis Cornish Killas Summit trig point
Prospidnick Hill[6] 162 ~10 SW654312 Unclassified Cornish Killas Open summit; wood on SW hillside.
Brea Hill[4] 62 41 SW928771 TuMP Cornish Killas Bronze Age tumuli at summit

See also

References and footnotes

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i Name, height, prominence, grid, class and parent data from: Jackson, Mark (2009). More Relative Hills of Britain, Marilyn News Centre, UK, p. 168. E-book Archived 2013-10-12 at the Wayback Machine.
  2. ^ Dawson, Alan (1992). The Relative Hills of Britain. Milnthorpe: Cicerone Press. ISBN 1-85284-068-4. Archived from the original on 21 September 2010.
  3. ^ Jackson, Mark. "More Relative Hills of Britain" (PDF). Relative Hills of Britain. Archived from the original (PDF) on 12 October 2013. Retrieved 31 March 2013.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa Name, height, prominence, grid and class data from Database of British and Irish Hills - Dorset. Accessed on 01 Sep 2013.
  5. ^ a b Tumps, P30 Appendix v2.1 to the Database of British and Irish Hills at www.hills-database.co.uk. Accessed on 4 Sep 2013
  6. ^ a b Ordnance Survey 1:50,000 map series, no. 203
  7. ^ Bond, Chris (2007). An Index to the Historical Place Names of Cornwall: Vol 1 - A to K. East Sussex: The Cornovia Press. ISBN 978-0952206446. Retrieved 4 January 2015.