![Monkham Hill [Withycombe Common]](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9e/Trig_point_on_Withycombe_Common_-_geograph.org.uk_-_2784842.jpg)
UK Mountains
Monkham Hill [Withycombe Common]
382M
1252FT
About Monkham Hill [Withycombe Common]
Perched above the Washford Valley, Monkham Hill is a modest Exmoor lump that swaps rugged drama for quiet, wooded dignity. It's essentially a prehistoric cemetery with a view, perfect for those who enjoy dodging conifers and wondering if they’ve actually reached the highest point.
Key Statistics
Rank
16th Highest in Region
Parent Range
Exmoor
Prominence
?
123.2m
Nearest Town
Somerset
Geology
The ground beneath your boots belongs to the Hangman Sandstone Formation. This hill is built upon solid layers of durable sandstone.
Find It
OS Grid Reference
SS987393
Latitude
51.1435°N
Longitude
3.4483°W
Did You Know?
- •The summit area is a protected time capsule, home to several Bronze Age round barrows that suggest the locals have been enjoying the views here for at least 4,000 years.
- •The hill is a neighbor to the historic West Somerset Mineral Railway, which once hauled iron ore down to Watchet harbor, though the hill itself has successfully retired from such manual labor.
- •From the top, you can see across the Bristol Channel to the Welsh coast, provided the notorious Exmoor mist isn't currently pretending the rest of the world has been deleted.
- •The name 'Withycombe' refers to a valley of willows, which sounds far more poetic than the reality of the occasionally damp and prickly undergrowth you'll encounter.
- •Navigation here is an exercise in faith; the network of logging tracks is seemingly designed to lure hikers into a recursive loop that only ends when you apologize to a larch tree.