UKC

As mentioned in a previous post I am compiling a list of the finest hills in Britain and Ireland, which I have chosen to call the ‘Worthies’. There is the odd list floating around (the most comprehensive being the Trail 100 found on this site), although of course there are many more than one hundred hills that deserve special recognition for their compelling qualities. My initial research has identified around 250 contenders so far, although I am sometimes grouping a number of summits under a parent mountain, so there are far more tops included than will be directly listed. In addition to listing the hills, I am writing a blog about each one, focusing more on its distinctive character than step by step routes of ascent. It’s early days but you can find my initial posts at www.merchantofadventures.com

I would like your help in identifying candidates and am asking  - not what is your favourite hill, but your favourite lesser-known hill? The ones that might be overlooked. Obviously, the likes of An Teallach, Blencathra and the Glyders will make the list, but perhaps you would champion hills such as Tinto or Rannerdale Knotts or Yr Eifl?

I would be really grateful to hear your thoughts.

I was already thinking of Rannerdale Knotts before I got to the end of your post.  Pretty to look at from further up Crummock Water, an interesting summit, a pleasant ridge walk as one walks from the summit, going away from Crummock Water.  A nice alternative to Cat Bells with little kids.

Creag Mhor Thollaidh, a bit over 3km south of Poolewe.

It is on the north end of the roughly 30 sq. km of cnoc and lochan between the Lochs of Gairloch and Maree.

It gives great views southeast along the length of Loch Maree and northwest over Loch Ewe.

Dave

Nephin, Co Mayo

Do we (and the hills) need anymore promotion and honey potting; environmentally is continually advertising and treating the hills as a commodity sustainable?

Well now, there's a question.  I doubt that you'll want for the sort of hills you'll need boots and a well-packed rucksack for, so I'll give you three where you probably won't.

Bratton camp and Edington Hill, just east of Westbury, Wiltshire.  Walking between the two may involve a certain amount of objective danger if you veer to the south as they're on the northern edge of Salisbury plain.  Bratton camp, which you can drive to the top of if you want to, has splendid views, a white horse and magnificent examples of solifluction.  Edington Hill looks down on the probable site of the battle that Alfred won to stop the Vikings over-running Wessex.

Further east, Liddington hill, just south east of junction 15 of the M4, if thought to be the site of the battle that gave rise to the legend of King Arthur's last stand.

And further east again, just south of Uffington, you have Dragon hill, the one with *that* white horse on it.

They're all very worthy little hills with stories behind them.  That is what you wanted, isn't it?

T.

Teensy bit of an overreaction there possibly.  Maybe have a read of the 'previous post' that the OP mentions:  https://www.ukclimbing.com/forums/hill_talk/walking_in_antrim-766598

No worries on that score with my suggestion!

My point exactly; another blog.

If you truly value our hills for what they are you wouldn’t blog, book, or instagram about them.

Written by a recent retiree for his own satisfaction whilst compiling a personal pipe-dream tick list of very much not 'honeypot' places to visit.  It's hardly the "Ten Most Instagrammable Secret Spots You Must Visit!" click-baity shenanigans in the Sunday supplements is it? 

I mean I get where you're coming from sure, but it's hardly worth pissing on the OP's chips over unless you're absolutely determined to come across as a complete misery guts is it?  Bit of a sense of perspective maybe?  Jeez.

If it’s for his own satisfaction why publish the blog?

Why share your opinion on anything, anywhere, ever?

Whilst I'm all in favour of reducing the number of bees round the honeypots, I can't see this blog, no matter how popular, doing much to increase footfall.

T.

It's those folk that post photos of every last quiet corner on Geograph that get my goat.

If you want to go out and enjoy the place, just do so and keep shtum about it!

I wanted to find out more about Stannington Ruffs, and Geograph let me down.  Not there,  simply not up to the job.

Nearly every place I enjoyed I have found out about from somebody else. Around a bothy fire, Hamish's Mountain Walk, an article in a paper, an atlas, the Ordnance Survey, IGN or Statens Kartverk.   Maps get my goat!  Geograph is a bit crap if you don't have a map.  Finding the next 'grammer hell hole amongst 8 million mainly car windscreens, squirrels and suburban streets may take a bit of doing. Having said that, I have worked for 18 years keeping quite a few sensitive sites off the thing.

Just for fun, pulled a number off a random generator and fed it into Geograph

https://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/4988489  

Very much tongue in cheek, one of the great research resources for the curious wanderer.

https://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/1376436

I did climb the kaimes.

A valid point though - I am somewhat torn about my involvement on those grounds.  As an aside, I just tried to look up Stannington Ruffs and nothing, not one picture anywhere near the place. There are still discoveries to be made.

For singletrackworld denizens, I also looked behind the Nationwide in Swindon and that too was wanting.

In Scottish terms "lesser known" depends on what company you keep. The Munros are generally well kent in the hillwalking community, the Corbetts less so, the Grahams even less and the remaining Marilyns and less prominent hills even less than that (mainly).

So, having spent a lot of time in the Scottish hillwalking echo chamber, there are hills I would consider very well known that pass under the radar of people with broader horizons. 

Anyway, risking the wrath of our local social media contributor who rails at social media contributions I'll suggest a few by the medium of blog. 

https://kinleyhazel.wordpress.com/category/great-viewpoints/ 

Dunkery Beacon, Exmoor

Carnedd  Llidi, Pembroke

Cefn Bryn, Gower

Herefordshire Beacon, Malvern

Moel Ysgyfarnogod, Rhinogs 

Bosely Cloud, Staffs

Hen Cloud

Helsby Hill

Black Combe, S Cumbria

Lords Seat, Barden,

Culter Fell, Biggar

Blackhope Scar, Moorfoots

Off topic, but what _is_ their significance?

That's a really interesting suggestion, thank you. I can imagine the views from the top are sublime.

Nephin is one on my list of potentials. I have not yet been up there but now I have a recommendation I'll make sure it rises up the priority list. Thank you!

Thank you Tony, places with historical interest add extra value to scenic attributes and I do intend to include not solely mountainous regions. 

Many thanks. I hadn't expected to be trolled on a hill walking forum, although I suppose Hugh Munro, John Corbett, Percy Donald and Paddy Dillon et al were similarly accused of encouraging the wrong sort into the hills.

Sadly, even though I may become head hunted by gear manufacturers worldwide to become an aged ambassador, I tend to agree with you.

Splendid, thank you. I will enjoy reading your blog. It looks far more accomplished than mine, although give me a few years to grasp Wordpress and I'll be chasing your heels.

In Sir Hugh's day anyone who was not a paying guest with a rifle was pretty much the wrong sort in many places.  Even he, one of the landed gentry himself had to sneak about sometimes especially on the damnable Winnat's patch in Glen Affric.

In reply to kinley2:

Wow - some crackers there.

Thank you Alan for your suggestions! Interestingly Black Combe is definitely included and was the subject of my first blog post.

Not trolling, guide book writers, bloggers, and guides all seam to lack any ability for introspective thought as to the possible outcomes of their activities.

I hope you throughly enjoy your days on the hill.

there used to be a mantra leave only foot prints and take only photos, but we should by now be more enlightened; Try not to leave foot prints and should you take photos, do so for yourself and not for others,

This is a great hill. We did an A-B walk from slatterdale via its summit and returned via a cafe in gairloch on bike. If memory serves correctly there is also an absolutely sublime VD on its crags. Worth a visit. 

I'll have a bit more of a think then. On a parallel track, the Stiperstones have inspired music from the jazz drummer Clark Tracey and Half Man, Half Biscuit.  I haven't listened to either, so perhaps someone who has can tell you whether that's an endorsement.  Nice hill though.

T.

My take? Almost nothing, but they are there, visible post-glacial remnants on satellite. Worth climbing to see what you can see. The green knoll a few km east that we visited was far more relevant to the locals as a focal point.

 

I know of the Stiperstones & the Devil's Chair solely from the novels of Malcolm Saville, read when I was 7 or 8. They planted a seed of interest in the hills that took 30 years or so to grow into action, and then passion.

St Agnes Beacon. Tiny, but the biggest hill around. Great views.

A few miles away, Carn Brae. If you do the west-east traverse, the Strava elevation profile makes it look like you've done the Matterhorn.

One more.  Well, two really: Winter Hill and Rivington Pike.

It would be stretching a point to say these were lesser-known hills.  Winter Hill has a large TV mast on top and gets looked at by pretty much everyone going up and down the M6.  The slopes of Rivington Pike have some splendid and much-visited terraced gardens too.  But there are a few stories worth telling about them, of mass trespass, plane crashes, revolution, royal celebration and occupation back to prehistory.  Some of the water that flows from them would have driven the industrial revolution too, if I remember the geography correctly.

Worth thinking about.  Some surprising places hide in plain sight.

T.

I enjoyed those books too. I am likely to include the Long Mynd as there you can move a little further from the hilltop roads. Maybe even the Caer Caradoc ridge on the other side.

Ooooo, good thinking ...... and the mighty Shutlingsloe.

Took a friend climbing there once - their first time.  The moor was used for orienteering just the once and was brutal, heather on quartzite boulders. Arghhhh.

One from the South Downs that might interest you.

Truleigh Hill, 216m, nice place to see corn buntings, skylarks in the summer, ring ouzels in the autumn…and of course has that must have feature of any discerning hill, a nuclear bunker 😀

https://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/6212295

https://worthinghistory.com/?page_id=836

An interesting question. It is quite hard to think of hills that have seemed memorable but aren't well known and weren't memorable for purely personal reasons.

I'll put a couple of candidates up though:

Carnedd y Filast - a great viewpoint at the N end of the Glydders. Steeple in the Lakes - again an isolated summit and great viewpoint, slightly off the beaten track.

I'm not sure how much you're after geographical spread versus actual quality - "surprisingly good for Hertfordshire" still wouldn't count for much in Cumbria, let alone Wester Ross., for instance. But if you are interested in some high points of the lowlands, the Pegsdon Hills in Hertfordshire and Gog Magog Down in Cambridgeshire are both nice little bimbles.

Arant Haw in the Howgills, (a great little horseshoe,) and the Sugarloaf above Abergavenny, Black Mountains, spring to mind. 

I am looking to represent many different areas, where worthwhile hills exist. The South Downs has great character and I am hoping to see it featured. Truleigh Hill and the ridge to Devil's Dyke is a good contender, thank you.

Those are very welcome suggestions, thank you. The quiet end of the Glyders is certainly worth my deeper consideration. Steeple will be included, in fact I climbed it again last week, and it will feature under a parent heading to encompass all the fells on the Mosedale Horsehoe as it's impossible to choose which is best.

Arant Haw is a favourite of mine too. Over the past couple of years reclimbed all the Howgill Fells and it certainly stands out. I will certainly include it, although probably under a parent heading of the Calf, although I particularly favour the lovely ascents from the west. I am considering a category of 'Honourable Mentions' in which smaller hills can feature such as the Sugar Loaf, which is an absolute peach! Many thanks for the suggestions.

Thinking about it some more, maybe being on the Mosedale Horseshoe disqualifies Steeple from being off the beaten track. A great day out though and quiet compared to the numbers heading for the Scafells and Great Gable.

I agree entirely. I could easily include every single summit in Torridon as each is worthy and the gross aggregation of every high point in Hertfordshire would not come close to one of them. But it's not about comparisons. The Highlands will account for the lion's share, however, I do want geographical spread because each area has individual charm, although a single hill to represent the character would generally be sufficient. Quite a lot of counties won't make the grade and to be honest even in places like the Cotswolds which has immense charm I am struggling to choose a really worthy hill.

honest even in places like the Cotswolds which has immense charm I am struggling to choose a really worthy hill.

Leave the Cotswolds alone and hop over the river to May Hill.  A very pleasant place famous for being somewhere you cannot see May Hill from.

I would put in a bid for the Knock, in Crieff. As Scottish hills go, it's fairly unremarkable (only 279m in height), but on a clear day, the views are marvellous - the Lomonds in Fife to the east, Ben Vorlich, Stuc a' Chroin and Ben More to the west, Ben Chonzie to the north and the Ochils to the south. It's just about on the Highland Fault Line, and it collects a nice diversity of wildlife - red squirrels are quite common, as are buzzards, along with the occasional Red Kite from further up Glen Artney. 

I'll see that, but raise you an An Groban

Cheers, actually it's primarily the trip reports salvaged from the much missed ScottishHills forum. Was a rather vibrant little group of hillwalkers swapping hillwalking experiences - the forum IT infrastructure did not survive unfortunately. It's mostly a diary site.

In reply to ScraggyGoat:

While it's lovely that you've shared your strong ethical and moral interpretation of the rights and wrongs of how individuals interact with each other I might venture the advice that you not branch out into professional preaching or missionary work....you seem to lack a talent for it.

ScraggyGoat's strong moral and ethical stance against guidebook writers would be somewhat undermined by the hypocrisy of owning a few guidebooks himself however, so I trust his bookshelf is bare.

Edit to add:
Just to show my own deplorable lack of introspection, I'll completely trash a bit of the Peak District by recommending a minor hill to the OP, thereby using my considerable personal influence to turn it into an unbearably busy honeypot for ever more:

Lantern Pike.  It offers a view across the valley and over the top of the Kinder reservoir to the Plateau and the Downfall like a (very!) poor man's equivalent of looking across Loch Coruisk to the Cuillin from Sgurr na Stri.

Most often approached from Little Hayfield, I would suggest starting in Rowarth and devising a 12km ish circular route to also take in Combes Edge and the rather different (but also very impressive) view over the great metropolis of Manchester.

Incidentally there is now a 'tick list' of Peak District hills, the 'Ethels': https://ethels.uk/

(Published by those utterly reprehensible wreckers of the countryside, no better than guidebook writers or bloggers, the South Yorkshire and Peak District branch of the CPRE in memory of their founder Ethel Haythornthwaite.)

A suggestion for the English Midlands entries: High Sharpley, in Leicestershire between Whitwick and Shepshed. A modest 201m, so overshadowed by the nearby County Top of Bardon Hill at 278m but with some bouldering/short climbs and an attractively rocky summit ridge and wooded surroundings. Access is a bit problematic since the landowner managed to get the footpath closed - the rumour was that they had plans to quarry this local beauty spot - but that seems to have eased off a bit now, from what I've heard. 

Thank you to everyone who has so far offered valuable suggestions. I will look at each and every one of them. Just to be clear, as well as minor hills that those who should know better entirely dismiss as insignificant, I am also keen to receive commendations from the bigger stuff too that tends to get overshadowed by the the popularity of the few 'celebrity' peaks. For example, look at the list published on this site of the Trail 100 list and tell me what you think is missing. I really appreciate your input, thank you!

https://www.ukhillwalking.com/logbook/ticklists/trail_100-462

Tried to estimate the number of times I’ve been up Winter Hill. Somewhere between 500 and 700 as a conservative guess. Great views in all directions, so different through the seasons, hidden mines, carvings in rocks, great training ground on the MTB, an oasis from the surrounding conurbation.

look for iron age hill forts eg maiden castle and hambleton hill in dorset..

I'm going to try and fly the flag for Devon, which is tricky as we're pretty short on good quality individual hills, despite lots of excellent generally stunning scenery. I'm going to argue the case for hameldown though. Stunning views of all parts of dartmoor (the vast north Moor, the bleak south Moor, and the picturesque haytor area), views down to the sea and into mid Devon, a great route along it for walking, running, or mtb... I think it's the pick of the dartmoor bunch 

An Teallach and the Glyders are way too well known to be included in my opinion.

I'll add Quinaig that not only has good walking with stunning views but also scrambling, climbing and winter climbing.

another solid choice would be the grey mares tail waterfall round, the waterfall ofc is well known and stunning but the 800 metre high round of hills surrounding loch skeen is very worthwhile and much quieter.

I sort of agree with you but for slightly different reasons. I don't think obscure hills will become overrun because of a blog.  But, documenting every last peak and route detracts from the sense of adventure and finding things for yourself.  I actively don't use the various website in the Alps, for example, which contain photographs of practically every step and move because I want to work it out myself.

you could find endless options of not only lesser well known but mostly deserted hills of a good height in the southern uplands, another one is the broughton heights area.

The answer of course is the Marylins, which are almost all worth climbing.

I'm surprised noby I've seen has mentioned the North Pennines, which are often hard going but well worth visiting. Grey Nag, near Alston, is a personal favourite.

In Worcestershire, Bredon Hill and Dumbledon hill. 

not sure Bredon counts as lesser known?..https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bredon_Hill

Round Uffington is one of my favourite places. Agreed.

My actually favourite hill is too small, though it is a prehistoric burial mound (and I'm not going to tell you all about it!) but I'd add Wittenham Clumps or Ivinghoe Beacon in this ilk (though perhaps too well known). Another iron age hill fort - with an excellent name, I think! - and who doesn't love a beacon that's the end of an ancient way? 

On a similar vein I would like to recommend Creag-An-Fhudair or Kenmore Hill unsurprisingly near Kenmore on Loch Tay.  Only 225m but amazing views over to Ben Lawyers, Schiehallion, the Cairn Mairg hills as well as of course Loch Tay.

Beinn a’ Chearcaill features has a very otherworldly summit plateau with great views of the mountains around it.  The walk to the summit is going to interest fans of lichen and I suppose it’s good for the soul…

I can think of dozens and dozens of candidates for your list. As I'm a fully paid up misanthrope, cheerfully happy with my own company, I'm only going to suggest one to be thrown to the wolves. It requires a journey across the sea and has to be climbed from sea level (all 38m of it). There's a picnic table on top IIRC so that you can rest your weary legs and eat your hard boiled egg sandwich whilst admiring the stunning views. Down below you might test your mettle as a world champion stone skimmer before having a beer. Go easy though as you've still got the voyage back across the sea. This hill doesn't have a name but you might be able to work out where it is.

The slightly higher one just across the water is even better🙂

At low tide you can even get an exciting scramble out of it

Cotswolds? How about Smallpox Hill? Great history and a fine spot. 

I know the one you mean. Last year I could see all the way from the Glencoe hills to Colonsay from it.

I think Talkin fell for me in the N Pennine? It's only 381m but it's right on the NW edge and you get vast views in many directions N, and Geltsdale S. Rather better than from up on Cold fell proper.

I suppose Mt Ida just above Brough too, but that might well not count as a hill, ditto the much better known Cronkley fell on the other side of Mickle fell.

Good views from Great Knipe I guess, and crossing Stainmore to get there is a fascinating experience. 

Great and Little Hangman in N Devon are good, more shapely and better coastal views than the higher Dunkery Beacon further east.

I like Old Winchester Hill in Hampshire (not actually in Winchester, unlike St Catherine's Hill, which was once lovely and peaceful but then got emasculated by the M3 extension at Twyford Down).

Many thanks. I am certainly aiming a couple of tops in Dartmoor and agree that Hameldown is a worthy candidate.

Many thanks. I am on the fence with Bredon Hill. In summer it's a beauty with great views, although I was up there a few weeks ago and the paths were exceptionally muddy due to their popularity, which took the shine off.

I am looking to include several hills in the Southern Uplands. Broughton Heights is an excellent suggestion, thank you.

Great suggestion, thank you.

Thank you for your suggestions. I certainly want to include the North Pennines but finding sufficient excitement amidst the miles of moorland is tricky. Some of the lower tops as you suggest may provide the answer.

I am with you on the Hangmans, although Dunkery will probably get a mention too.

One I keep going back to.  Beacon Hill, Radnorshire

https://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/6112

Many thanks, Cam Long Down was already in consideration and linking the two is on the cards, although it's strange how most established routes don't include Smallpox Hill.

Thank you for the recommendation, I am certainly looking for something worthy in that area.

Thank you both Quinaig and the White Coombe round are already pencilled in. It's good to know we are of the same mind.

Mount Ida is especially unexpected in a wayll. Some nice little limestone features and pavement.

There's 5-10 miles of limestone scars but Warcop means that a lot of it is sadly out of bounds, a rather worse loss than the summit of mickle fell frankly.

Musgrave scar you can probably reach objectively safely (iirc they browse sheep on it), Middle fell and long fell not.

A few more come to mind, if they haven't been mentioned already:

Dumyat, Stirling

Ben A'an, Trossachs

The Racks, Hutton Roof is a beautiful spot and viewpoint

Conway Mountain also has a little bit of everything.

Low Fell. (Thackerthwaite) one of the lesser, outlying Wainwrights. But a stunning view up the Buttermere Valley.

Moel Elio (Llanberis) again, an outlier but great views down to Newborough and Llanddwyn and inland to the slate levels, Snowdon and the Nantlle Ridge

Well that looks much nicer than Great Rhos, the highest in Radnor - a nondescript plateau, a bitey three legged farmyard collie, blocked paths and motorbikes. One for a list of some sort…

Low Fell/ Fellbarrow is one my favourite short walks in that area and will certainly receive an honourable mention. Moel Eilio is likewise an excellent suggestion.

Dont knock it, I got lost on there once.  Took a bearing from mature trees on the latest OS map and missed.  The 30 year old conifers were mapped as moorland and the mapped forest corner was a long way from the real thing.   Took a while to sort myself out.

This was in the 1980s and it was motorbike hell then, then for years afterwards quite peaceful. Sorry to hear that they are back.

Beacon Hill, and the southern Radnor Forest too,  are definitely much nicer.

Mount Snowdon - used to be well known but not now!

For bigger hills - how about Fuar Tholl?

For anyone who wants to discover the lesser known hills, hill-bagging.co.uk is a fantastic resource. I'm one for not wanting to cover the same tracks twice and by using this tool, I have found some amazing places which rarely get walked across but for various reasons, appear in a list.

Ive also found myself bagging hills by driving to them, getting out of the car, looking around and then driving off again, such was my obsession with 'bagging' at one point. Some in city centres.

I am too tight to visit a summit in the city just down the road. 

Great Rhos - Radnor Forest. And the chance of being blown up or shot from the range in the valley.

Donkey's years ago a bunch of us compiled a list of the "best 284 hills in Scotland" by giving points out of 5 for wildness, shape, rockiness, separateness and complexity (obviously there's no such thing as an objective list but doing that does at least get rid of biases such as picking a hill that means something to you historically). The usual suspects topped the list but Baosbheinn was joint 3rd and Bidean a' Chabhair in the top 20. Dan's suggestion of An Groban was well up, as were Griomaval in Lewis and Sgurr na Stri. Happy to send you the list if you're interested.

I would be very interested to see the list, thank you. Baosbheinn being so high on the list comes as no surprise as is Sgurr na Stri, which is now very much a darling of Instagram. I haven't climbed the other two but will look into all suggestions.

I had the most wonderful ascent of Fuar Tholl one October day in thick mist but with no wind. I didn't see a thing but was surrounded by the call of stags just out of sight and all around me. It was a thrilling and chilling experience!

Agreed! I started working my through reports of all twenty thousand or so hills on the site but then decided it was easier to seek opinions here!

I'm also a wee bit wary of "honey-potting" these relatively unknown hills but I can't resist contributing a favourite: Eabhal on North Uist. I imagine that it'll be a long time before its standing room only at the summit of Eabhal.