High Willhays
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| High Willhays | |
|---|---|
 High Willhays with Yes Tor beyond | |
| Highest point | |
| Elevation | 621 m (2,039 ft)[1][2] |
| Prominence | c. 537 m (1,762 ft) |
| Parent peak | Cross Fell |
| Listing | Marilyn, Hewitt, County Top, Nuttall |
| Coordinates | 50°41′06″N 4°00′36″W / 50.685°N 4.01°W |
| Geography | |
  High Willhays Location of High Willhays in Dartmoor | |
| Location | Dartmoor, England |
| OS grid | SX580892 |
| Topo map | OS Landranger 191 |
| Climbing | |
| Easiest route | From Meldon Reservoir, SX 562918 |
High Willhays (/ˈwɪliːz, ˈwɪlheɪz/ WIL-eez, WIL-hayz), or according to some authorities High Willes,[3] is the highest point on Dartmoor, Devon, at 621 metres (2,039 feet) above sea level,[1][2] and the highest point in Southern England.
In 1912, William Crossing, writer and documenter, said that the name High Willes had been thought to have derived from the word huel or wheal meaning mine, but he did not think that very likely as old mine workings were invariably located near to streams. He suggested instead that the name derived from gwylfa, a watching place, noting its similarity with Brown Willy, the name of the highest hill on nearby Bodmin Moor, and suggested that a watch for beacon fires used to be kept here. He also posited a possible link to the word gwili meaning winding or tortuous, but said it was unlikely this was where it originated from.[4]
The Place-Names of Devon (1931) notes that the peak was named Hight Wyll in a document of 1532, and was known in 1827 as High Willows. The authors state that the name may simply be a compound of high and well (meaning spring), though they admit that the additional syllable at the end is hard to explain.[5]
