Everything about Leith Hill totally explained
Leith Hill to the south west of
Dorking,
Surrey,
England, reaches 294
metres (965
feet)
above sea level, the highest point on the
Greensand Ridge, and is either the highest or second highest point in
south-east England, depending on whether one counts
Walbury Hill near
Hungerford,
West Berkshire which is 297 metres (974 feet) high, as being in southeast England. One can see woods,
rhododendrons,
bluebells and magnificent views from the many walks.
It was possibly on the summit of Leith Hill in 851, that
Ethelwulf, father of
Alfred the Great, defeated the Danes who were heading for
Winchester, having sacked
Canterbury and
London.
Leith Hill Tower
On the summit of Leith Hill is an 18th century Gothic tower, with panoramic views northwards to London and the English Channel to the south. Richard Hull of nearby
Leith Hill Place (once home to the composer
Ralph Vaughan Williams) built "Prospect House" in the years 1765 to 1766, later to become known as Leith Hill Tower, with the intention of raising the hill above 1,000 ft above sea level. The tower is 19.5m (64 ft) high and consisted of two rooms "neatly furnished", with a
Latin inscription above the door announcing that it had been built for not only his own pleasure, but also for the enjoyment of others. Hull provided visitors with prospect glasses, similar to a small
telescope, through which to survey the extensive views towards
London and the
English Channel, each some 40
kilometres (25 miles) away, and thirteen
counties on a very clear day.
When he died in 1772, at his request he was buried under the tower, upside-down as he believed that at
Judgement Day the world would be turned on its head. Following his death, the building was stripped of its contents, doors and windows, and fell into ruin. As a result the tower was filled with rubble and concrete, and the entrance bricked up.
In 1864, Mr Evelyn of nearby Wotton House decided to reopen it, but the concrete made this difficult, and so the additional turreted side-tower was added to allow access to the top of the tower.
The nearest railway station is
Holmwood Station, two miles to the east. This station is served by
Southern trains on the
Sutton & Mole Valley Line route.
The National Trust's Involvement
The tower was fully restored by the
National Trust in 1984. This restoration included the removal of rubble and concrete, fitting safety features such as a handrail along the narrow staircase and converting the lower portion of the tower into a national trust shop. Leith Hill Tower is open to the public (weekends throughout the year, and Wednesdays and Fridays in summer), with a comprehensive display explaining the history of the tower and giving opinions and memories of local people.
Further Information
Get more info on 'Leith Hill'.
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