Wheatham Hill
| Wheatham Hill | |||
| Hampshire | |||
|---|---|---|---|
 Across farmland to Wheatham Hill | |||
| Range: | Hampshire Downs | ||
| Summit: | 817 feet SU731277 51°2’38"N, -0°57’36"W | ||
Wheatham Hill stands amongst the Hampshire Downs in the north-east of Hampshire, rising to 817 feet above sea level, making it one of the highest of the county's hills.
Much of the hill is covered in mixed forest and there is a trig point at 801 feet, which is also the site of Cobbett's View. According to a nearby information panel:
The excellent views from this hilltop were first noted in 1822 when William Cobbett rode through here, and subsequently published his "Rural Rides".
- '...out we came, all in a moment, at the very edge of the hanger! And never, in all my life, was I so surprised and so delighted! I pulled up my horse, and sat and looked; and it was like looking from the top of a castle down into the sea; except that the valley was land not water' [1]
Until 2010 this viewpoint had been lost for many years under recent tree growth. Yet an old trig point remained to indicate that the view had once been open enough for Ordance Survey surveyors carry out surveys. Accordingly, Countryside Rangers felled these trees to reveal the spectacular views that Cobbett so much admired.
There is a minor track over the summit.
The hill is within an area designated a 'Special Area of Conservation' known as the East Hampshire Hangers.[2]
On the south-eastern spur of the hill in the woods is a tumulus, evidence of prehistoric settlement in the area.
Stoner Hill
Stoner Hill, rising to 764 feet, is a subsidiary summit of Wheatham Hill[3]
References
- ↑ Cobbett, William. Rural Rides. London: Cobbett, 1830. p. 87.
- ↑ East Hampshire Hangers at jncc.defra.gov.uk. Accessed on 2 Apr 2013.
- ↑ Varley, Telford (1922). Hampshire, Cambridge County Geographies, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 2013