Update to The Relative Hills of Britain

April 1996

Alan Dawson

This book was published in April 1992. Stocks at Cicerone Press are still plentiful, so a printed second edition seems a long way off. But past and future purchasers are entitled to have up-to-date information, so the most important changes since publication are summarised here. These updates will not make much sense to anyone without a copy of the book.

Acknowledgments

Most of the updates are the result of new 1:25000 or 1:10000 maps being published by the Ordnance Survey. This makes it easy to spot changes to heights of known hills, but not so easy to find new ones. However, I've had a fair bit of help in tracking down the new entries. I should like to thank E.D.Clements (Clem) for numerous suggestions leading to the discovery of several new Marilyns, Dave Hewitt for discovering East Cairn Hill, and David Smith for suggesting a second Kentish Marilyn. Thanks also to Ann Bowker, Charles Everett, Tony Payne, Fiona Torbet and everyone else who has written to me with comments and suggestions.

Additions

These hills have managed to convince me that they are entitled to be counted as Marilyns. The drop shown refers to the height difference (in metres) between the summit and the col connecting the hill to the next Marilyn. If there is more than one col, the highest col is used. If there is no spot height at the col, the drop is estimated from the position of contour lines - this is indicated by a c in the drop column.

Deletions

These hills are now known to have less than 150 metres drop all round. Originally I intended that there should be no deletions, but when I discovered Cunnigill Hill had a drop of only 127 metres, I realised that it would have to go. It's very sad to see Sgorr Tuath, Scafell and others disappear with it, but there are so many hills queuing up for promotion that I had to be ruthless with anything that did not meet the 150-metre mark.

The 15 additions and 8 deletions bring the current total of Marilyns to 1549 - 1213 in Scotland, 155 in Wales, 176 in England and 5 in the Isle of Man. It is unlikely that any completely new Marilyns will be discovered, though it is possible that one or two SubMarilyns will be promoted in areas where metric 1:10000 or 1:25000 maps have not yet been published.

Replacements

Moving Targets

The summits of these hills have also moved to a new home but have kept their old name.

Nominal Changes

Wuthering Heights

The Ordnance Survey have now admitted that heights on metric 1:10000 and 1:25000 maps (where available) are more accurate than on 1:50000 maps, and they have started to update some of the heights on a few of the 1:50000 maps. Therefore heights are now taken from 1:10000 or 1:25000 maps where possible, even where these are lower than those shown on Landranger maps. Some of the more significant new heights are shown below (with the change shown in metres).

SubMarilyns

The following 20 hills miss out on Marilyn status by just one metre, as they each have a drop all round of 149 metres.

According to the most recently available maps there are a total of 207 SubMarilyns, i.e. hills with a drop all round of 140-149 metres. The full list is available on request to anyone who sends me an SAE. It includes 10 Murdos, 19 SubCorbetts, 23 SubGrahams, 5 new islands (Soay, Tiree, Seil, Colonsay, Lundy) and 12 hills in the south of England, which badly needs them.

These hills are of equal height to a nearby Marilyn but the drop between them is less than 150 metres. It is a somewhat arbitrary decision to include one rather than the other.

Corbetts and Grahams

The Lesser Corbetts (Elsies) have been renamed Grahams in memory of the late Fiona Torbet (nee Graham) who compiled her own list of Scottish hills between 2000 and 2500 feet before agreeing to merge it with the relevant Scottish Marilyns. There are 224 of them, as Ladylea Hill has been promoted and Beinn Talaidh demoted. Beinn Talaidh is still shown as 763 metres on the 1:25000 and 1:10000 maps, but this point is clearly outside the 760-metre contour ring and does not exist. A booklet including the official list of Grahams has been published by TACit Press, House 48, 170 Sandiefield Road, Glasgow G5 0DL (1.95 inc p&p).

The number of Corbetts is down to 219, as Beinn Talaidh is now a Graham. Corrieyairack Hill, which was never a Marilyn but still regarded as a Corbett by the Scottish Mountaineering Club, is down to 892 metres, leaving Gairbeinn at 896 metres currently undisputed as a Corbett.

Marilyn Bagging

The world's leading Marilyn bagger is still Rowland Bowker, but he has got a bit of competition. Lots of people seem interested in this, so here is the league table as known at the end of 1995:

There are others who should really appear in this list; some wish to remain anonymous, some I just don't know about. As I seem to have started keeping these details, I would be pleased to hear from anyone else who has climbed over 600 Marilyns, ideally with this sort of information.

Hewitts

The Sweats (Summits of Wales and England Above Two thousand feet) have been renamed Hewitts (Hills of England, Wales and Ireland over Two Thousand feet) to allow for expansion to cover Ireland. The number of Hewitts in England and Wales has fallen from 319 to 314, with seven deletions and two additions. Birks Fell has dropped below 2000 feet, and been replaced as a Marilyn by Horse Head Moor. The other changes are the result of the 30-metre drop requirement.

Additions: These hills are now known to have 30 metres drop all round.

Deletions: These hills are now known to have less than 30 metres drop all round.

County Tops

Further research has uncovered new highpoints for three English counties:

Avon, Cleveland and Humberside ceased to exist from 1st April 1996. The Scottish and Welsh county tops ceased to be meaningful from the same date. Instead there are now 32 Council Tops in Scotland and 22 in Wales. A list of the new Scottish Council Tops is available on request.

Further Information

If you have any comments or wish to receive a printed copy of this update sheet let me know by sending electronic mail to alan@staclee.freeserve.co.uk