Lewesdon Hill
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Lewesdon Hill | |
|---|---|
 Lewesdon Hill from the west | |
| Highest point | |
| Elevation | 279 m (915 ft)[1] |
| Prominence | 185 m (607 ft) |
| Parent peak | Staple Hill |
| Listing | Marilyn, Hardy, County Top |
| Coordinates | 50°48′28″N 2°47′59″W / 50.8077°N 2.7996°W |
| Geography | |
  Lewesdon Hill Lewesdon Hill in Dorset | |
| Location | Dorset, England |
| OS grid | ST437011 |
| Topo map(s) | OS Landranger 193 Explorer 116 |
| Climbing | |
| Easiest route | From Beaminster on the Wessex Ridgeway |
Lewesdon Hill is a hill near Broadwindsor in west Dorset, England. With a maximum elevation of 279 m (915 ft), it is the highest point in Dorset. The hill is owned and managed by the National Trust and is part of the Dorset National Landscape.
Lewesdon Hill stands about 2.5 miles (4.0 km) west of Beaminster, 1 mile (1.6 km) south of Broadwindsor, and 2 miles (3.2 km) east of another hillfort-topped eminence, Pilsdon Pen. To the south of the hill is the Marshwood Vale and to the north is the valley of the River Axe.
Lewesdon is the county top of Dorset.[1][2] Its summit is an elongated ridge surrounded by beech woods. The actual summit is a low grassy mound at the east end of the ridge.[3] For many years, nearby Pilsdon Pen (277 metres or 909 feet) was thought to be Dorset's highest hill, until modern survey revealed that Lewesdon Hill was 2 metres (6.6 ft) higher.[2] Dorset's third highest point is Bulbarrow Hill (274 metres or 899 feet). Lewesdon's topographic prominence of 185 metres (607 ft) qualifies it as a Marilyn.[3]
The hill is formed from Upper Greensand overlaying Gault Clay, the former being comparatively more resistant to erosion and therefore acting as a protective cap.[4] Like its neighbouring hills, it is a surviving remnant of the greensand and gault layers which once would have overlaid the Lower Lias geology of the surrounding valleys. In this respect, it is an outlier of Devon's Blackdown Hills.[4]
Access
It is a National Trust property.[5] There are two main footpaths leading up to the summit, one from the village of Broadwindsor, and one from Coombe Lane (off the B3162 between Broadwindsor and Bridport, just before the Four Ash crossroads). The Coombe Lane footpath leads to the hill via another, smaller hill, Crabb's Hill, which is privately owned. The east–west footpath is part of the Wessex Ridgeway.[6]
