Walbury Hill

Walbury Hill
Walbury Hill
	The view from Walbury Hill, looking towards Combe Gibbet
Highest point
Elevation	297 m (974 ft)
Prominence	c. 188 metres (617 ft)
Parent peak	Beacon Batch
Listing	Marilyn, County Top, Hardy
Coordinates	51°21′08″N 1°27′57″W / 51.35226°N 1.46577°WCoordinates: 51°21′08″N 1°27′57″W / 51.35226°N 1.46577°W
Geography
	Walbury Hill Walbury Hill in Berkshire
Location	North Wessex Downs AONB, Berkshire, England
OS grid	SU373616
Topo map	OS Landranger 174

Walbury Hill is a summit of the North Wessex Downs in the ceremonial county of Berkshire, England. At 297 metres (974 ft) above sea level, it is the highest natural point in South East England.^{[note 1]}^[1]

Walbury Hill is the starting point for both the Test Way and the Wayfarer's Walk footpaths. The hill is a part of a ridge which forms the border between the southwest of Berkshire and the northwest of Hampshire, and also extends into Wiltshire.^{[note 2]} It is around 7 kilometres (4.3 mi) southeast of the town of Hungerford. It is part of the Kirby House estate, owned by the Astor family.^[2]

On the hill's summit is the Iron Age hill fort of Walbury Camp. Combe Gibbet stands on the adjoining . There is also a small low-level circular brick building, approximately 6 feet (1.8 metres) high, on the south side of the hill. This appears to be a disused reservoir.

The true summit is marked by a triangulation pillar approximately 100 metres (330 ft) from the main Test Way. Before the use of satellites was commonplace, Walbury Hill was occasionally used by the BBC as a temporary relay station during the Newbury Races. There is no metalled road across the hill, but the byway is open to all traffic and maintained with a hard gravel surface, because of its previous use by outside broadcast vehicles.^{[citation needed]} The ridged summit is also popular with paragliding enthusiasts.

It is one of three nationally important chalk wild grasslands in the North Wessex Downs, the others being Rushmore and Conholt Downs (SSSI) and part of Hog's Hole (SSSI).^[3]

Notes[]

^ Walbury Hill is 3 metres (10 ft) higher than Leith Hill in Surrey.
^ Walbury Hill became part of Berkshire when the civil parish of Combe was transferred from Hampshire in 1895. The historic border between the two counties ran along the Wayfarer's Walk, a long-distance footpath which lies about 200 metres (660 ft) north of the triangulation pillar at the summit. Pilot Hill, 2 miles (3.2 km) to the south east, is now the highest point in Hampshire.

References[]

^ "Facts about South East England".
^ "The thirty landowners who own half a county". Who owns England?.
^ "LUC Standard Report Template-London" (PDF). Retrieved 5 February 2017.

External links[]

Media related to Walbury Hill at Wikimedia Commons

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[1] Walbury Hill is 3 metres (10 ft) higher than Leith Hill in Surrey.

[3] Walbury Hill became part of Berkshire when the civil parish of Combe was transferred from Hampshire in 1895. The historic border between the two counties ran along the Wayfarer's Walk, a long-distance footpath which lies about 200 metres (660 ft) north of the triangulation pillar at the summit. Pilot Hill, 2 miles (3.2 km) to the south east, is now the highest point in Hampshire.

[2] "Facts about South East England".

[4] "The thirty landowners who own half a county". Who owns England?.

[nwdleaflet-5] "LUC Standard Report Template-London" (PDF). Retrieved 5 February 2017.

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show v t Iron Age hillforts in England
Bedfordshire	Mowsbury Hill Maiden Bower
Berkshire	Bussock Camp Caesar's Camp Grimsbury Castle Membury Camp Perborough Castle Walbury Camp
Bristol	Clifton Camp Kings Weston Hill
Buckinghamshire	Cholesbury Camp Desborough Castle
Cambridgeshire	Stonea Camp Wandlebury Ring
Cheshire	Bradley Eddisbury Helsby Hill Kelsborrow Castle Maiden Castle Oakmere Woodhouse Hill
Cornwall	Black Head Cadson Bury Caer Bran Castle an Dinas Castle Dore Castle Goff Chûn Castle Dodman Point Kelly Rounds Kelsey Head Lescudjack Lesingey Round Maen Castle Padderbury Top Prideaux Castle Rame Head The Rumps Trencrom Hill Trereen Dinas Treryn Dinas Trevelgue Head Warbstow Bury
Cumbria	Carrock Fell Castle Crag
Derbyshire	Fin Cop Mam Tor
Dorset	Abbotsbury Castle Badbury Rings Banbury Hill Buzbury Rings Chalbury Hillfort Coney's Castle Dudsbury Camp Dungeon Hill Eggardon Hill Flower's Barrow Hambledon Hill Hod Hill Lambert's Castle Lewesdon Hill Maiden Castle Pilsdon Pen Poundbury Hill Woodbury Hill Woolsbarrow
East Sussex	Hollingbury Castle Mount Caburn
Essex	Ambresbury Banks Danish Camp Loughton Camp
Gloucestershire	Cleeve Hill Kimsbury Camp Uley Bury
Greater Manchester	Mellor hill fort
Hampshire	Ashleys Copse Buckland Rings Bury Hill Caesar's Camp Castle Hill Chilworth Ring Danebury Dunwood Camp Frankenbury Camp The Frith Gorley Hill Hamble Common Camp King John's Hill Knoll Camp Ladle Hill Lockerley Camp Norsebury Ring Old Winchester Hill Oram's Arbour Quarley Hill St. Catherine's Hill Tidbury Ring Toothill Fort Whitsbury Castle Woolbury
Herefordshire	Aconbury Camp British Camp Capler Camp Croft Ambrey Dinedor Camp Garmsley Camp Ivington Camp Poston Camp Sutton Walls Wapley Hill
Hertfordshire	Arbury Banks Wilbury Hill Camp
Kent	Bigbury Camp Oldbury Camp
Lancashire	Castercliff Portfield Warton Crag
Leicestershire	Burrough Hill
Norfolk	Bloodgate Hill Holkham Camp Warham Camp
North Yorkshire	Eston Nab Maiden Castle Stanwick Camp
Northamptonshire	Borough Hill Hunsbury Hill Rainsborough Camp
Northumberland	Yeavering Bell
Oxfordshire	Blewburton Hill Cherbury Camp Hardwell Castle Uffington Castle
Shropshire	Bayston Hill Bury Ditches Bury Walls Caer Caradoc, Church Stretton Caer Caradog, Chapel Lawn Caus Castle Coxall Knoll Nordy Bank Old Oswestry The Wrekin
South Yorkshire	Carl Wark Wincobank
Staffordshire	Berry Ring Berth Hill Bury Bank Castle Ring Kinver Edge Hillfort
Surrey	Caesar's Camp Hascombe Hill Holmbury Hill
West Sussex	Chanctonbury Ring Cissbury Ring Goosehill Camp Harting Beacon Highdown Hill Thundersbarrow Hill The Trundle Torberry Hill
West Yorkshire	Castle Hill
Wiltshire	Ashleys Copse Barbury Castle Battlesbury Camp Bratton Castle Bury Camp Castle Ditches Casterley Camp Castle Rings Chisbury Chiselbury Chisenbury Camp Clearbury Ring Cley Hill Fosbury Camp Grovely Castle Knook Castle Liddington Castle Membury Camp Old Sarum Ringsbury Camp Scratchbury Camp Sidbury Hill Vespasian's Camp Yarnbury Castle
Worcestershire	Berrow Hill Camp Berry Mound Bredon Hill British Camp Conderton Camp Drakelow Gadbury Bank Hanbury Hill Headless Cross Midsummer Hill Woodbury Hill Wychbury Ring