List of hills of the Isle of Wight

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This is a list of hills on the Isle of Wight. Many of these hills are important historical, archaeological and nature conservation sites, as well as popular hiking and tourist destinations on the Isle of Wight in southern England.

Contents

Colour key

ClassProminence
Marilyns 150 – 599 m
HuMPs 100 – 149 m
TuMPs 30 – 99 m
Unclassified0 – 29 m

The table is colour-coded based on the classification or "listing" of the hill. The types that occur on the Isle of Wight 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. A "TuMP" as defined here is a hill with a prominence of at least 30 but less than 100 metres. 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 100 metres or higher with a prominence of at least 30 metres, below 100 metres they must be in some way notable. For further information see the Lists of mountains and hills in the British Isles and the individual articles on Marilyns, HuMPs, and TuMPs. In this context, "TuMP" is used to connote 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

HillHeight (m)Prom. (m)Grid ref.ClassParentRange/RegionRemarksImage
St Boniface Down [3] 241241 SZ568785 Marilyn, HuMP, TuMP, Isle of Wight county top (historical and current)Southwest of the island.Isle of Wight county top.

Above steep cliffs dropping down to coastal village of Bonchurch

St. Boniface Down, trig point and military remnants - geograph.org.uk - 679265.jpg
St Catherine's Hill [3] 239127 SZ493772 HuMP, TuMP St Boniface Down Southern tip of the island.Isle of Wight's second highest hill.

Tumulus 35 metres south of trig point.

Trig Point on St Catherine's Hill - geograph.org.uk - 75851.jpg
Appuldurcombe Down [3] 22691 SZ536796 TuMP, sub-HuMP St Boniface Down Southwest of the island.Very flat summit area. Froghill Farm - geograph.org.uk - 508680.jpg
Brighstone Down [3] 214150 SZ432847 Marilyn, HuMP, TuMP St Boniface Down West of the island.Trig point at summit. Barn near Mottistone - geograph.org.uk - 1412924.jpg
Harboro [3] 20378 SZ406847 TuMP Brighstone Down West of the island.Tumulus at summit. Mottistone Down - geograph.org.uk - 72216.jpg
Chillerton Down [3] 16761 SZ475834 TuMP Brighstone Down West of the island.Summit 2m from trig point which is in a depression. On Chillerton Down - geograph.org.uk - 499953.jpg
Brook Down [3] 16469 SZ390852 TuMP Brighstone Down West of the island.Barrows and tumulus near summit. On Brook Down - geograph.org.uk - 606428.jpg
Whitwell Hill [3] 15845 SZ520766 (est.) TuMP St Boniface Down South of the island.Open downland above the coast.
Chillerton Down South Top [3] 14835 SZ475826 HuMP, TuMP, sub-Marilyn Brighstone Down West of the island.No summit feature; 20 metres ENE of Tennyson's Monument.
Tennyson Down [3] 147145 SZ475826 HuMP, TuMP, sub-Marilyn Brighstone Down Southwest of the island.No summit feature; ground on fenceline. Tennyson Down 3.jpg
West High Down [3] 14130 SZ306849 TuMP Brighstone Down Western tip of the island.Summit 1 metre E of marker stone. West High Down.JPG
Grammar's Common [3] 13735 SZ415837 (est.) TuMP Brighstone Down Southwest of the island.Wooded summit.
Arreton Down [3] 135108 SZ526840 HuMP, TuMP Brighstone Down East of centre of the island.Trig point at summit. View towards Arreton Down - geograph.org.uk - 1453935.jpg
Berry Hill [3] 13435 SZ484827 TuMP Brighstone Down Southwest centre of the island.No summit feature; ground on fenceline.
Brading Down [3] 13158 SZ585869 TuMP St Boniface Down East of the island.Obvious grassy summit. In the vicinity are the site of a Roman villa, field systems, a vineyard, the Devil's Punch Bowl and Nunwell House Brading Down viewpoint car park 2.JPG
Ashey Down [3] 13032 SZ574875 TuMP St Boniface Down East of the island.Open summit on south side of obelisk (sea mark. Nearby tumuli. The Sea Mark on Ashey Down - geograph.org.uk - 1054147.jpg
Headon Hill [3] 12034 SZ312858 TuMP Brighstone Down Western tip of the island.Open summit above steep hillside overlooking Totland Bay. Totland Bay - geograph.org.uk - 146436.jpg
Bembridge Down [3] 104101 SZ625860 HuMP, TuMP St Boniface Down Eastern coast of the island. Bembridge Fort at summit. Nearby road and car park. Overlooking Sandown Bay. Bembridge Down - geograph.org.uk - 1047521.jpg
Golden Hill [3] 5234 SZ339878 TuMP Brighstone Down Western end of the island. Golden Hill Fort at the summit, which is on circular bank around former fortress. Golden Hill Fort.jpg

See also

References and footnotes

  1. Dawson, Alan (1992). The Relative Hills of Britain. Milnthorpe: Cicerone Press. ISBN   1-85284-068-4. Archived from the original on 2010-09-21.
  2. Jackson, Mark (2009). More Relative Hills of Britain, Marilyn News Centre, UK.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 Name, height, prominence, grid and class data from Database of British and Irish Hills at www.hill-bagging.co.uk, retrieved 27 Dec 2016. Also parent data unless otherwise stated.

Related Research Articles

Lists of mountains and hills in the British Isles Highest mountains in the British Isles

The mountains and hills of the British Isles are categorised into various lists based on different combinations of elevation, prominence, and other criteria such as isolation. These lists are used for peak bagging, whereby hillwalkers attempt to reach all the summits on a given list, the oldest being the 282 Munros in Scotland, created in 1891.