List of hills of Somerset
This is a list of hills in Somerset. Many of these hills are important historical, archaeological and nature conservation sites, as well as popular hiking and tourist destinations in the county of Somerset in southern 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 types that occur in Somerset 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.[1] A "HuMP" (the acronym comes from "Hundred Metre Prominence) is a hill with a prominence of at least 100 but less than 150 metres.[2] In this table Marilyns are in beige and HuMPs in lilac. In this context, a "TuMP" is a hill with a prominence of at least 30 but less than 100 metres, and should not be confused with the traditional term appearing in place names 'Tump'. 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, HuMPs, TuMPs, and Tumps.
List of hills
Hill | Height (m) | Prom. (m) | Grid ref. | Class | Parent | Range/Region | Remarks | Image |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Dunkery Beacon[3] | 519 | 414 | SS891415 | Marilyn, Dewey, HuMP, TuMP, Somerset county top (historical and current) | High Willhays[4] | Exmoor | Somerset's county top. Highest point of Exmoor. | ![]() |
Great Rowbarrow[3] | 510 | 22 | SS875415 | sub-Dewey | Dunkery Beacon | Exmoor | Second highest point of Exmoor and Somerset. Large tumulus at summit. Tumulus 110m SW is at least 1m lower[3] | ![]() |
Chains Barrow[3] | 487 | 65 | SS734419 | TuMP | Dunkery Beacon | Exmoor | Trig point on tumulus at summit. | ![]() |
Black Mires[3] | 465 | 42 | SS844429 | TuMP | Dunkery Beacon | Exmoor | No feature on heather-covered summit. | ![]() |
Horsen Hill[3] | 443 | 45 | SS781364 | TuMP | Dunkery Beacon | Exmoor | Summit on rim of tumulus. | ![]() |
Winsford Hill[3] | 428 | 87 | SS876342 | TuMP | Dunkery Beacon | Exmoor | Trig point on summit. | ![]() |
Withypool Common[3] | 428 | 34 | SS818350 | TuMP | Dunkery Beacon | Exmoor | Summit features: trig point; Brightworthy barrows. Ground 70m SW of trig point is as high as base of tumulus. | ![]() |
Lype Hill[3] | 423 | 139 | SS950371 | HuMP, TuMP | Dunkery Beacon | Brendon Hills | Highest point of the Brendon Hills. No summit feature. 2m E of trig point on mound in fenced-off compound. | ![]() |
Thornemead Hill[3] | 412 | 35 | SS809375 | TuMP | Dunkery Beacon | Exmoor | No summit feature. | ![]() |
Treborough Common[3] | 412 | 64 | ST004351 | TuMP | Dunkery Beacon | Brendon Hills | Trig point at summit. Wiveliscombe Barrow on southern hillside. | ![]() |
Withypool Hill[3] | 398 | 35 | SS840344 | TuMP | Dunkery Beacon | Exmoor | Smsll cairn on rim of tumulus. Stone circle nearby. | ![]() |
Elworthy Barrows[3] | 394 | 45 | ST069338 | TuMP | Dunkery Beacon | Brendon Hills | Pasture. No summit feature. Hillfort and mast on southern hillside. | ![]() |
Road Hill[3] | 391 | 39 | SS852370 | TuMP | Dunkery Beacon | Brendon Hills | Trig point on pedestal in fence line is the summit. WW2 gun emplacement and Herne's Barrow nearby. | |
Staddon Hill[3] | 386 | 65 | SS875371 | TuMP | Dunkery Beacon | Exmoor | No summit feature | ![]() |
Wills Neck[3] | 386 | 269 | ST165351 | Marilyn, HuMP, TuMP | Dunkery Beacon[4] | Quantock Hills | Highest point of the Quantocks. No summit feature; summit 2m S of trig point. | ![]() |
Monkham Hill[3] | 382 | 125 | SS987393 | HuMP, TuMP | Lype Hill[4] | Brendon Hills | No summit feature; summit 100m SE of trig point. | |
Lydeard Hill[3] | 364 | 31 | ST179341 | TuMP | Wills Neck | Quantock Hills | No summit feature; path. | ![]() |
Blagdon Hill[3] | 361 | 45 | SS971337 | TuMP | Wills Neck | Brendon Hills | No summit feature; ground in field 40m S of trig point. | |
Black Hill[3] | 358 | 40 | ST148381 | TuMP | Wills Neck | Quantock Hills | No summit feature; ground 4m ESE of trig point. | ![]() |
Hadborough[3] | 355 | 78 | ST148381 | TuMP | Dunkery Beacon | Haddon Hill | Trig point at summit; pile of stones/geocache 15m N may be as high. | ![]() |
Oldrey Hill[3] | 355 | 66 | SS904369 | TuMP | Dunkery Beacon | Exmoor | No summit feature, but bridleway runs past summit about 100m to the E. | |
Couple Cross Hill[3] | 344 | 37 | SS955387 | TuMP | Dunkery Beacon | Brendon Hills | No summit feature; ground near small quarry. | |
Heydon Hill[3] | 342 | 66 | ST036281 | TuMP | Dunkery Beacon | Vale of Taunton | No summit feature; tumuli to S not on natural summit. | |
Dowsborough[3] | 339 | 57 | ST161391 | TuMP | Wills Neck | Quantock Hills | Hillfort on summit; in forest. | ![]() |
Cothelstone Hill[3] | 332 | 80 | ST189326 | TuMP | Wills Neck | Quantock Hills | Ancient cairn of large stones at summit. Tracks cross by summit. Tumuli nearby. | ![]() |
Cow Castle[3] | 332 | 34 | SS793373 | TuMP | Dunkery Beacon | Exmoor | Iron Age hilltop. Prominent grassy top. | ![]() |
Storridge Hill[3] | 327 | 39 | SS947302 | TuMP | Dunkery Beacon | Haddon Hill | ||
Beacon Batch[3] | 325 | 237 | ST484572 | Marilyn, HuMP, TuMP | The Wrekin[4] | Mendip Hills | Highest point in the Mendip Hills; trig point on summit mound. | ![]() |
Ley Hill[3] | 318 | 33 | SS886446 | TuMP | Dunkery Beacon | Exmoor | Heather and gorse-covered summit. | ![]() |
Upton Hill[3] | 317 | 33 | SS979299 | TuMP | Dunkery Beacon | Haddon Hill | Upton Farm on southern hillside. | |
Staple Hill[3] | 315 | 212 | ST240166 | Marilyn, Hardy, HuMP, TuMP | Dunkery Beacon | Blackdown Hills | Highest point in the Blackdown Hills. Trig point at summit. | ![]() |
Whitefield Hill[3] | 311 | 47 | ST064303 | TuMP | Dunkery Beacon | Brendon Hills | Pasture at summit. | ![]() |
Selworthy Beacon[3] | 308 | 193 | SS918479 | Marilyn, HuMP, TuMP | Dunkery Beacon[4] | Exmoor | Ground 2m NNE of trig point is the summit. | ![]() |
Maundown Hill[3] | 307 | 94 | ST061283 | sub-HuMP, TuMP | Dunkery Beacon[4] | Exmoor | No summit feature. | ![]() |
North Hill[3] | 307 | 49 | ST539514 | TuMP | Beacon Batch | Mendip Hills | Several tumuli around summit (Priddy Nine Barrows). | |
Pen Hill[3] | 305 | 47 | ST564487 | TuMP | Beacon Batch | Mendip Hills | Trig point at summit. Mendip TV transmitter mast nearby. | ![]() |
Niver Hill[3] | 301 | 33 | ST554534 | TuMP | Beacon Batch | Mendip Hills | Open summit. | ![]() |
Niver Hill (county top)[3] | 264 | 0 | ST565538 | Current county/UA top, administrative county top | Beacon Batch | Mendip Hills | Highest point in the current county of Somerset and the unitary authority of Bath and NE Somerset. Corner of field on side of Niver Hill on the county boundary. | |
Wavering Down | 210 | ST406559 | Beacon Batch | Mendip Hills | Open summit with trig point. | |||
Crook Peak | 191 | ST387558 | Beacon Batch | Mendip Hills | Prominent hill at the western end of the Mendip ridge. | |||
Glastonbury Tor[3] | 158 | 145 | ST512386 | HuMP, TuMP, sub-Marilyn | Beacon Batch | Somerset Levels | Prominent hill on Somerset Levels managed by the National Trust and topped by St Michael's Tower, a Grade I listed building. No summit feature: ground 8m E of N corner of tower | ![]() |
Brent Knoll[3] | 139 | 133 | ST340509 | HuMP, TuMP | Beacon Batch | Somerset Levels | Dominating hill and landmark on the Somerset Levels Jubilee Memorial Stone in depression at summit. Site of hillfort. | ![]() |
Brean Down[3] | 97 | 91 | ST296585 | TuMP, sub-HuMP | Beacon Batch | Promontory extending into the Bristol Channel and SSSI near Weston-super-Mare. Trig point at summit. | ![]() | |
Burrow Mump[3] | 33 | 29 | ST359305 | Unclassified | Long Knoll | Historic site and scheduled monument. No summit feature; ground in remains of a church. | ![]() |
See also
References and footnotes
- ^ Dawson, Alan (1992). The Relative Hills of Britain. Milnthorpe: Cicerone Press. ISBN 1-85284-068-4. Archived from the original on 21 September 2010.
- ^ 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.
- ^ 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 ab ac ad ae af ag ah ai aj ak al am an ao ap aq Name, height, prominence, grid and class data from: Database of British and Irish Hills, retrieved 5 Jul 2016. Also parent data unless otherwise stated.
- ^ a b c d e f 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.