Great Hangman

About Great Hangman

Rising abruptly from the Bristol Channel near Combe Martin, this is the highest sea cliff in England and Wales. The climb from the village follows the South West Coast Path, offering a dramatic transition from sheltered valley to a breezy, heather-clad summit marked by an ancient, weather-beaten Bronze Age cairn.

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Did You Know?

• •The name is likely a corruption of the Old English 'heah' (high) and the Celtic 'maen' (stone), rather than any grim history involving gallows. It essentially translates to 'High Stone,' referring to the prominent summit or the prehistoric burial mound located there.
• •At 318 metres, the hill is the highest point on the entire South West Coast Path. The northern face features a 250-metre (820ft) drop to the sea, making it the most significant maritime cliff in the country.
• •From the summit cairn, views extend across the Bristol Channel to the Welsh coast, where the Gower Peninsula and the silhouette of the Brecon Beacons are visible on clear days. To the east, the rugged coastline stretches past Little Hangman toward the distant heights of Dunkery Beacon.
• •The summit cairn is known locally as the 'Great Discovery.' This Bronze Age barrow was once much larger, but like many high points on Exmoor, it has been weathered by centuries of Atlantic gales and the boots of passing walkers.
• •Despite the morbid name and the sheer drop, the most common hazard encountered on the summit isn't a slip or a noose, but the unrelenting wind, which has a particular talent for relocating unsecured hats to the Bristol Channel.