List of hills of Wiltshire facts for kids
Wiltshire is a beautiful county in southern England, known for its rolling hills and ancient landscapes. This article is a list of some of these hills. Many of them are important places with a lot of history, amazing nature, and are popular spots for hiking and exploring.
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What Makes a Hill Special?
When we talk about hills, we often use special terms to describe how important or tall they are, not just by their height above sea level, but by something called "prominence." Think of prominence as how much a hill stands out from the land around it. If you imagine water rising, a hill's prominence is how much of it would still be above the water before it connects to a higher piece of land.
Hills with high prominence usually offer amazing views because they really stick out! In Wiltshire, hills are often grouped into different types based on their prominence:
- Marilyns: These are hills that stand out a lot! They have a prominence of at least 150 metres (about 500 feet).
- HuMPs: This stands for "Hundred Metre Prominence." These hills have a prominence of at least 100 metres but less than 150 metres.
- TuMPs: These hills have a prominence of at least 30 metres but less than 100 metres. The word "TuMP" comes from "Thirty Metre Prominence."
These classifications help people understand how significant a hill is, not just how high it is.
Famous Hills in Wiltshire
Wiltshire is home to many interesting hills, each with its own story or special features. Here are a few of the most well-known:
Milk Hill
Milk Hill is the highest point in Wiltshire, standing at about 294 metres (965 feet) tall. It's also the highest point in the North Wessex Downs, a beautiful area of chalk hills. Even though it's the highest, its very top is just a tiny pile of stones in a field. From here, you can see amazing views across the countryside.
Tan Hill
Very close to Milk Hill is Tan Hill, which is the second highest point in Wiltshire. It's almost as tall as Milk Hill, at 294 metres. Like Milk Hill, it's part of the North Wessex Downs.
Martinsell Hill
Martinsell Hill is another tall hill in Wiltshire, reaching 289 metres (948 feet). It's famous for having an ancient fort at its top, built long, long ago. You can also find a "trig point" here, which is a special marker used by mapmakers.
Long Knoll
Located in the Cranborne Chase and West Wiltshire Downs area, Long Knoll is a Marilyn, meaning it really stands out from the surrounding land. It's 288 metres (945 feet) high and offers wide-open views.
Win Green
Win Green is a beautiful hill that's also a Marilyn, standing at 277 metres (909 feet). It's known for the group of trees at its summit, which makes it easy to spot. It's part of both the Cranborne Chase and North Wessex Downs.
White Horse Hill, Westbury
This hill is famous for the large Westbury White Horse carved into its chalky side. The hill itself is 230 metres (755 feet) high and offers great views of the white horse and the surrounding area. It's a popular spot for visitors.
Silbury Hill
Silbury Hill is very unique because it's a huge, man-made chalk mound, not a natural hill! It's about 187 metres (614 feet) tall and was built thousands of years ago in prehistoric times. It's a mystery why it was built, but it's an incredible ancient monument.
Old Sarum
Old Sarum is a historic hill that was once the site of the earliest settlement of Salisbury. It's 122 metres (400 feet) high and holds the remains of an Iron Age hillfort, a Norman castle, and an old cathedral. It's a fascinating place to explore centuries of history.
Images for kids
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The beautiful downland west of Milk Hill, Wiltshire's highest point.
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The open landscape of Tan Hill, the second highest summit in Wiltshire.
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A view of Martinsell Hill, known for its ancient fort.
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A long view of Long Knoll, a prominent hill in Wiltshire.
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Brimsdown Hill, with a copse of trees at its summit.
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The distinctive copse of trees at the summit of Win Green.
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The eastern arm of Hackpen Hill, with a trig point at its top.
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Farmland near Golden Ball Hill, a flat-topped summit.
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Downland near Wexcombe Down, where a long barrow and water tower can be found.
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A view towards Cherhill Down, a hill with no distinct summit feature.
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Morgan's Hill, where a toppled trig point marks the summit.
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Haydown Hill with its trig point at the summit.
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Little Knoll as seen from the nearby Long Knoll.
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The downs near Coombe Down.
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A tumulus (ancient burial mound) on White Sheet Hill, Mere.
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Cley Hill, known for its tumuli and fort.
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Farmland surrounding Easton Hill, which has a summit knoll.
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Roundway Hill, famous as the site of a battle in 1643.
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Trees at the top of White Sheet Hill, Swallowcliffe.
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Peaks Downs, a flat summit area close to the M4 motorway.
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A view towards Milton Hill.
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A triangulation pillar on Summerslade Down.
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Farmland above Stockley, near King's Play Hill.
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The iconic Westbury White Horse carved into the side of White Horse Hill.
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A field of barley growing on Tinhead Hill.
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Farmland near Haddon Hill.
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A trig point on Sidbury Hill, which also has a fort and earthworks.
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A concrete track near Clyffe Pypard Hill, which has a mast near its summit.
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A track leading to Urchfont Hill, known for its flagpole on a mound.
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A road winding down from Barkers Hill.
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The Iron Age hillfort at Battlesbury Hill.
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The River Avon near Bathford Hill, which has Brown's Folly tower.
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A view towards Woodborough Hill.
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Beacon Hill on Salisbury Plain, with a mast near its summit.
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Old Wardour Castle, near High Wood.
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A view towards Scratchbury Hill, which has a hillfort.
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Castle Ditches, a hillfort summit with a trig point.
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The ancient, man-made chalk mound of Silbury Hill.
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The historic site of Old Sarum, showing the cathedral remains and motte.
See also
- List of mountains and hills of the United Kingdom
- List of Marilyns in England
