Kit Hill | |
---|---|
The ornate mine chimney, now clad in a range of transmitters and aerials, on top of Kit Hill.
|
|
Highest point | |
Elevation | 334 m (1,096 ft) |
Prominence | 171 m (561 ft) |
Parent peak | None |
Listing | Marilyn |
Geography | |
Location | Cornwall, United Kingdom |
OS grid | SX375713 |
Topo map | OS Landranger 201 |
Kit Hill (Cornish: Bre Skowl), at 334 metres high, dominates the area between Callington and the River Tamar in southeast Cornwall, England, UK. The word 'Kit' comes from Old English for kite, a reference to birds of prey (and not specifically the red kite). Buzzards and sparrowhawks can still be seen on the hill. It is one of five Marilyn hills in Cornwall, the four others are Watch Croft, Brown Willy, Carnmenellis and Hensbarrow Beacon.
Kit Hill Country Park (which includes the hill and surrounding areas), was given to the people of Cornwall in 1985 to mark the birth of Prince William, by his father, the Duke of Cornwall (Prince Charles). It is managed by Cornwall Council, and consists of some 400 acres (152 hectares), making it the most dominant landscape feature in East Cornwall. Kit Hill is the highest point in the Tamar Valley Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
The hill was formed in the same way as nearby Bodmin Moor by the intrusion of magma into overlying sedimentary rocks. This caused the formation of many mineral deposits that were mined extensively in the 18th and early 19th centuries.