Corndon Hill

About Corndon Hill

Rising as a prominent, steep-sided dome on the Welsh border, this Marilyn offers an impressive sense of isolation. Its volcanic slopes lead to a summit marked by significant Bronze Age cairns, providing a grandstand view of the Stiperstones’ quartzite ridges to the east and the Cambrian Mountains to the west.

Key Statistics

Find It

Did You Know?

• •The name is a linguistic hybrid, likely combining the Welsh 'carn' (cairn) and the Old English 'dun' (hill), reflecting its position right on the national border.
• •During the Neolithic period, the hill functioned as an 'axe factory'; its specific volcanic dolerite, known as picrite, was fashioned into stone implements that have been unearthed by archaeologists as far away as southern England.
• •The summit is crowned by three substantial Bronze Age burial cairns; the highest point actually sits atop one of these ancient mounds, making it a rare example of a peak where the 'natural' summit is augmented by human hands.
• •The ascent is often paired with a visit to Mitchell’s Fold, a Bronze Age stone circle located on the hill's lower western slopes, which is steeped in local folklore about a magical, bottomless milk pail.
• •The hill sits so precisely on the national border that it serves as a useful topographical referee for walkers unsure whether they are currently in Powys or Shropshire.