Tumps

Tumps (Thirty and Upward Metre Prominence) are the ultimate "inclusive" hill list. To qualify, a summit can be any height at all, provided it has a drop of at least 30 metres (98ft) on all sides. This creates a massive collection of over 17,000 summits across the UK and its islands, ranging from the mighty peaks of the North to modest bumps in a farmer’s field. It’s a list that proves size isn’t everything—while some Tumps require a full day’s hike, others might be conquered in the time it takes to hop out of the car and back. It is the perfect excuse to find a "mountain" in even the flattest parts of the countryside.

A Note on the Data

With a list this vast, the "official" count is a moving target. If you see different totals in different places, it is usually down to three things:

• LIDAR Precision: Modern laser-mapping (LIDAR) is incredibly accurate. A hill previously recorded as having a 29.5m drop might "grow" to 30.1m upon a new survey, suddenly adding a new Tump to the database.
• Geographic Scope: Some lists include the Republic of Ireland, while others (like ours) focus strictly on the UK and its immediate islands.
• Human Impact: Because Tumps have no minimum height, large man-made features like old spoil heaps or massive embankments can occasionally join or leave the list based on new surveys.

We do our best to keep these figures aligned with the latest Database of British and Irish Hills, but treat the total as a living record rather than a final, absolute number.