Kit Hill
Encyclopedia
Kit Hill dominates the area between Callington and the River Tamar
in southeast Cornwall
, UK
. The word 'Kit' comes from Old English for Kite, a reference to birds of prey
(and not specifically the Red Kite
). Buzzards and Sparrowhawks can still be seen on the hill. It is one of four Marilyn hills in Cornwall, the three others are Brown Willy
, Carnmenellis
and Hensbarrow Beacon
.
(Prince Charles). It is managed by Cornwall Council and consists of some 400 acres (152 hectares), making it the most dominant landscape feature in East Cornwall.
The hill was formed in the same way as nearby Bodmin Moor
by the intrusion of magma
into overlying sedimentary rock
s. This caused the formation of many mineral deposits that were mined extensively in the 18th and early 19th centuries.
As the highest point of Hingston Down
, Kit Hill is probably the best viewpoint in the southeast of Cornwall, with fantastic views of the Tamar valley, Dartmoor and Bodmin Moor. Kit Hill Country Park has a high wildlife population including deer
and badger
s, rabbits, rare moths
and butterflies.
The summit of Kit Hill is the location of an artificial fort (a Civil War
redoubt) built by Sir John Call
of Whiteford, Stoke Climsland
. The artificial fort is built in the style of a low-walled Saxon
castle.
which says that in 835 (corrected by scholars to 838) Egbert
king of the West Saxons defeated an army of Viking
s and Cornish
at Hengestdun = "Stallion
Hill
". Some historians now believe that the correct location for this battle is at Hingston Down, Devon
, (near Moretonhampstead
) as it took until 927 for Athelstan to finally force the Celt
s to withdraw from Exeter
, and until 936 for Athelstan's settlement to fix the east bank of the River Tamar
as the boundary between Anglo-Saxon Wessex
and Celt
ic Cornwall
.
The Danish fleet is thought to have arrived at Plymouth Sound
in 838 and this is still commemorated in the annual Viking
parade in Calstock
, where locals dressed as Vikings row up the river to Danescombe, thought to be one of the sites of the landing of the Danish boats.
Other notable artifacts on Kit Hill include Neolithic
and Bronze Age
barrows. The area around these is maintained by a ranger and volunteers, who also generally keep the vegetation on the hill under control.
, silver
, copper
and wolfram
.
The main mines were:
However, in 1959 the Atomic Energy Authority took over operations, and used the tunnel for underground explosions. The activities were part of Operation Orpheus, and the Kit Hill events were the first part:
, and the line opened in 1872. Seven and a half miles long, it ran from Calstock
's river frontage, past Kelly Quay & Drakewalls
and the Gunnislake
quarries, along the northern flank of Hingston Down
to below Kit Hill at Kelly Bray
, where an inclined tramway
connected with it. It amalgamated with the Plymouth, Devonport and South Western Junction Railway
crossing the Tamar
above Calstock
and onto the junction at Bere Alston
.
The Gunnislake
to Bere Alston
section still survives as part of the Tamar Valley Line
.
Some remnants, mainly the granite blocks, of the line can be found on the northern slopes of the Country Park site.
River Tamar
The Tamar is a river in South West England, that forms most of the border between Devon and Cornwall . It is one of several British rivers whose ancient name is assumed to be derived from a prehistoric river word apparently meaning "dark flowing" and which it shares with the River Thames.The...
in southeast Cornwall
Cornwall
Cornwall is a unitary authority and ceremonial county of England, within the United Kingdom. It is bordered to the north and west by the Celtic Sea, to the south by the English Channel, and to the east by the county of Devon, over the River Tamar. Cornwall has a population of , and covers an area of...
, UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. The word 'Kit' comes from Old English for Kite, a reference to birds of prey
Bird of prey
Birds of prey are birds that hunt for food primarily on the wing, using their keen senses, especially vision. They are defined as birds that primarily hunt vertebrates, including other birds. Their talons and beaks tend to be relatively large, powerful and adapted for tearing and/or piercing flesh....
(and not specifically the Red Kite
Red Kite
The Red Kite is a medium-large bird of prey in the family Accipitridae, which also includes many other diurnal raptors such as eagles, buzzards, and harriers. The species is currently endemic to the Western Palearctic region in Europe and northwest Africa, though formerly also occurred just...
). Buzzards and Sparrowhawks can still be seen on the hill. It is one of four Marilyn hills in Cornwall, the three others are Brown Willy
Brown Willy
Brown Willy is a hill in Cornwall, United Kingdom. The summit is the highest point of Bodmin Moor and of Cornwall as a whole....
, Carnmenellis
Carnmenellis
Carnmenellis Hill gives its name to the area of west Cornwall between Redruth, Helston and Penryn. The hill itself is situated approximately three miles south of Redruth....
and Hensbarrow Beacon
Hensbarrow Beacon
Hensbarrow Beacon is a hill in Cornwall, United Kingdom. It is situated a mile north-west of Stenalees village at .The natural summit of Hensbarrow Beacon is 312m high and is marked by a trig point. It can be reached by a short walk from the road to the west...
.
Geography
Kit Hill Country Park (which includes the hill and surrounding areas), was given to the people of Cornwall in 1985 to mark the birth of Prince William, by his father, the Duke of CornwallDuke of Cornwall
The Duchy of Cornwall was the first duchy created in the peerage of England.The present Duke of Cornwall is The Prince of Wales, the eldest son of Queen Elizabeth II, the reigning British monarch .-History:...
(Prince Charles). It is managed by Cornwall Council and consists of some 400 acres (152 hectares), making it the most dominant landscape feature in East Cornwall.
The hill was formed in the same way as nearby Bodmin Moor
Bodmin Moor
Bodmin Moor is a granite moorland in northeastern Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. It is in size, and originally dates from the Carboniferous period of geological history....
by the intrusion of magma
Magma
Magma is a mixture of molten rock, volatiles and solids that is found beneath the surface of the Earth, and is expected to exist on other terrestrial planets. Besides molten rock, magma may also contain suspended crystals and dissolved gas and sometimes also gas bubbles. Magma often collects in...
into overlying sedimentary rock
Sedimentary rock
Sedimentary rock are types of rock that are formed by the deposition of material at the Earth's surface and within bodies of water. Sedimentation is the collective name for processes that cause mineral and/or organic particles to settle and accumulate or minerals to precipitate from a solution....
s. This caused the formation of many mineral deposits that were mined extensively in the 18th and early 19th centuries.
As the highest point of Hingston Down
Hingston Down
Hingston Down is a hill not far from Gunnislake in Cornwall in the United Kingdom.-History:This is possibly the Hingston Down mentioned in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle which says that in 835 Egbert king of the West Saxons defeated an army of Vikings and Cornish at Hengestdun = "Stallion Hill"...
, Kit Hill is probably the best viewpoint in the southeast of Cornwall, with fantastic views of the Tamar valley, Dartmoor and Bodmin Moor. Kit Hill Country Park has a high wildlife population including deer
Deer
Deer are the ruminant mammals forming the family Cervidae. Species in the Cervidae family include white-tailed deer, elk, moose, red deer, reindeer, fallow deer, roe deer and chital. Male deer of all species and female reindeer grow and shed new antlers each year...
and badger
Badger
Badgers are short-legged omnivores in the weasel family, Mustelidae. There are nine species of badger, in three subfamilies : Melinae , Mellivorinae , and Taxideinae...
s, rabbits, rare moths
Moths
Moths may refer to:* Gustav Moths , German rower* The Moths!, an English indie rock band* MOTHS, members of the Memorable Order of Tin Hats...
and butterflies.
The summit of Kit Hill is the location of an artificial fort (a Civil War
English Civil War
The English Civil War was a series of armed conflicts and political machinations between Parliamentarians and Royalists...
redoubt) built by Sir John Call
Sir John Call, 1st Baronet
Sir John Call, 1st Baronet was an English engineer and baronet.He was born at Fenny Park, Tiverton, Devon, educated at Blundell's School and went to India at the age of 17 with Benjamin Robins, the chief engineer and captain-general of artillery in the East India Company's settlements...
of Whiteford, Stoke Climsland
Stoke Climsland
Stoke Climsland is a village in the River Tamar Valley, Cornwall, United Kingdom within the civil parish of Stokeclimsland.The manor of Climsland was one of the 17 Antiqua maneria of the Duchy of Cornwall.-Notable buildings:...
. The artificial fort is built in the style of a low-walled Saxon
Anglo-Saxons
Anglo-Saxon is a term used by historians to designate the Germanic tribes who invaded and settled the south and east of Great Britain beginning in the early 5th century AD, and the period from their creation of the English nation to the Norman conquest. The Anglo-Saxon Era denotes the period of...
castle.
History
Hingston Down is mentioned in the Anglo-Saxon ChronicleAnglo-Saxon Chronicle
The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle is a collection of annals in Old English chronicling the history of the Anglo-Saxons. The original manuscript of the Chronicle was created late in the 9th century, probably in Wessex, during the reign of Alfred the Great...
which says that in 835 (corrected by scholars to 838) Egbert
Egbert of Wessex
Egbert was King of Wessex from 802 until his death in 839. His father was Ealhmund of Kent...
king of the West Saxons defeated an army of Viking
Viking
The term Viking is customarily used to refer to the Norse explorers, warriors, merchants, and pirates who raided, traded, explored and settled in wide areas of Europe, Asia and the North Atlantic islands from the late 8th to the mid-11th century.These Norsemen used their famed longships to...
s and Cornish
Cornish people
The Cornish are a people associated with Cornwall, a county and Duchy in the south-west of the United Kingdom that is seen in some respects as distinct from England, having more in common with the other Celtic parts of the United Kingdom such as Wales, as well as with other Celtic nations in Europe...
at Hengestdun = "Stallion
Stallion (horse)
A stallion is a male horse that has not been gelded .Stallions will follow the conformation and phenotype of their breed, but within that standard, the presence of hormones such as testosterone may give stallions a thicker, "cresty" neck, as well as a somewhat more muscular physique as compared to...
Hill
Hill
A hill is a landform that extends above the surrounding terrain. Hills often have a distinct summit, although in areas with scarp/dip topography a hill may refer to a particular section of flat terrain without a massive summit A hill is a landform that extends above the surrounding terrain. Hills...
". Some historians now believe that the correct location for this battle is at Hingston Down, Devon
Hingston Down, Devon
Hingston Down is a hill spur approximately one mile east of Moretonhampstead and 10 miles west of Exeter in Devon. Some historians now claim that this was the site of the 838 battle between a Cornish/Danish alliance against the West Saxons rather than at the site at Hingston Down near Callington,...
, (near Moretonhampstead
Moretonhampstead
Moretonhampstead lies on the edge of Dartmoor and is notable for having the longest one-word name of any place in England. The parish church is dedicated to St. Andrew. George Oliver and John Pike Jones , 1828, Exeter: E. Woolmer. Moretonhampstead is twinned with Betton in France.-History:The...
) as it took until 927 for Athelstan to finally force the Celt
Celt
The Celts were a diverse group of tribal societies in Iron Age and Roman-era Europe who spoke Celtic languages.The earliest archaeological culture commonly accepted as Celtic, or rather Proto-Celtic, was the central European Hallstatt culture , named for the rich grave finds in Hallstatt, Austria....
s to withdraw from Exeter
Exeter
Exeter is a historic city in Devon, England. It lies within the ceremonial county of Devon, of which it is the county town as well as the home of Devon County Council. Currently the administrative area has the status of a non-metropolitan district, and is therefore under the administration of the...
, and until 936 for Athelstan's settlement to fix the east bank of the River Tamar
River Tamar
The Tamar is a river in South West England, that forms most of the border between Devon and Cornwall . It is one of several British rivers whose ancient name is assumed to be derived from a prehistoric river word apparently meaning "dark flowing" and which it shares with the River Thames.The...
as the boundary between Anglo-Saxon Wessex
Wessex
The Kingdom of Wessex or Kingdom of the West Saxons was an Anglo-Saxon kingdom of the West Saxons, in South West England, from the 6th century, until the emergence of a united English state in the 10th century, under the Wessex dynasty. It was to be an earldom after Canute the Great's conquest...
and Celt
Celt
The Celts were a diverse group of tribal societies in Iron Age and Roman-era Europe who spoke Celtic languages.The earliest archaeological culture commonly accepted as Celtic, or rather Proto-Celtic, was the central European Hallstatt culture , named for the rich grave finds in Hallstatt, Austria....
ic Cornwall
Cornwall
Cornwall is a unitary authority and ceremonial county of England, within the United Kingdom. It is bordered to the north and west by the Celtic Sea, to the south by the English Channel, and to the east by the county of Devon, over the River Tamar. Cornwall has a population of , and covers an area of...
.
The Danish fleet is thought to have arrived at Plymouth Sound
Plymouth Sound
Plymouth Sound, or locally just The Sound, is a bay at Plymouth in England.Its southwest and southeast corners are Penlee Point in Cornwall and Wembury Point on Devon, a distance of about 3 nautical miles . Its northern limit is Plymouth Hoe giving a north-south distance of nearly 3 nautical miles...
in 838 and this is still commemorated in the annual Viking
Viking
The term Viking is customarily used to refer to the Norse explorers, warriors, merchants, and pirates who raided, traded, explored and settled in wide areas of Europe, Asia and the North Atlantic islands from the late 8th to the mid-11th century.These Norsemen used their famed longships to...
parade in Calstock
Calstock
Calstock is civil parish and a large village in south east Cornwall, England, United Kingdom, on the border with Devon. The village is situated on the River Tamar south west of Tavistock and north of Plymouth....
, where locals dressed as Vikings row up the river to Danescombe, thought to be one of the sites of the landing of the Danish boats.
Other notable artifacts on Kit Hill include Neolithic
Neolithic
The Neolithic Age, Era, or Period, or New Stone Age, was a period in the development of human technology, beginning about 9500 BC in some parts of the Middle East, and later in other parts of the world. It is traditionally considered as the last part of the Stone Age...
and Bronze Age
Bronze Age
The Bronze Age is a period characterized by the use of copper and its alloy bronze as the chief hard materials in the manufacture of some implements and weapons. Chronologically, it stands between the Stone Age and Iron Age...
barrows. The area around these is maintained by a ranger and volunteers, who also generally keep the vegetation on the hill under control.
Mining
The Country Park is steeped in mining history. Metals extracted included, tinTin
Tin is a chemical element with the symbol Sn and atomic number 50. It is a main group metal in group 14 of the periodic table. Tin shows chemical similarity to both neighboring group 14 elements, germanium and lead and has two possible oxidation states, +2 and the slightly more stable +4...
, silver
Silver
Silver is a metallic chemical element with the chemical symbol Ag and atomic number 47. A soft, white, lustrous transition metal, it has the highest electrical conductivity of any element and the highest thermal conductivity of any metal...
, copper
Copper
Copper is a chemical element with the symbol Cu and atomic number 29. It is a ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity. Pure copper is soft and malleable; an exposed surface has a reddish-orange tarnish...
and wolfram
Tungsten
Tungsten , also known as wolfram , is a chemical element with the chemical symbol W and atomic number 74.A hard, rare metal under standard conditions when uncombined, tungsten is found naturally on Earth only in chemical compounds. It was identified as a new element in 1781, and first isolated as...
.
The main mines were:
- Kit Hill Summit Mines (which included a windmill near the present stack). These mines and shafts started about 1826: Kit Hill United closed in 1864.
- East Kit Hill Mine was worked from 1855 to 1909.
- Hingston DownHingston DownHingston Down is a hill not far from Gunnislake in Cornwall in the United Kingdom.-History:This is possibly the Hingston Down mentioned in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle which says that in 835 Egbert king of the West Saxons defeated an army of Vikings and Cornish at Hengestdun = "Stallion Hill"...
mine (which worked westwards towards Kit Hill). This was a very early mine, and evidence shows it may have started in the 17th century: it closed in 1885. - South Kit Hill Mine was worked from 1856 to 1884.
Atomic Energy Authority
In 1877 a company called Kit Hill Tunnel Ltd began work on both the south and north sides of the hill to create a tunnel which would be 2 miles (3.2 km) long. The southern portal was at Silver Hill, and that at the north was near a small mine called Excelsior. However, due to the toughness of the underlying bedrock, progress was costly and slow, and ceased about a year later. In 1881 a new company named Kit Hill Great Consols took over the setts of Kit Hill United and Excelsior mine. They deepened the North Engine Shaft to 112 fathoms and lengthened the tunnel running south to meet it. However, this too was proving too costly, and wound up in 1885, before it was half-way complete. Several later attempts were made to extend the Excelsior Tunnel, but by 1938, it was still only 2400 feet (731.5 m) long.However, in 1959 the Atomic Energy Authority took over operations, and used the tunnel for underground explosions. The activities were part of Operation Orpheus, and the Kit Hill events were the first part:
- Phase A: Small charges fired in a 6 ft (1.8 m) diameter cavity in granite and shale at depths of 100 to 300 feet (91.4 m) in the Excelsior Tunnel at Kit Hill.
- Phase B: Participation in the Operation Cowboy tests, where charges of 3000 lb (1,360.8 kg) would be detonated in 30 ft (9.1 m) diameter cavities at depths of 800 ft (243.8 m) in a salt mine in LouisianaLouisianaLouisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
, USA. - Phase C: The Greenside Mine in CumbriaCumbriaCumbria , is a non-metropolitan county in North West England. The county and Cumbria County Council, its local authority, came into existence in 1974 after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972. Cumbria's largest settlement and county town is Carlisle. It consists of six districts, and in...
tests, where a 3000 lb (1,360.8 kg) decoupled test and a 1100 lb (499 kg) coupled test would be carried out in andesite rock at a depth below surface of 1700 ft (518.2 m) and the results compared. The charge sizes were chosen so that if the decoupling worked as predicted, the seismic signals would be similar in intensity.
Railways
Construction of The Tamar, Kit Hill & Callington Railway started in 1864. The name was later changed to the East Cornwall Mineral RailwayEast Cornwall Mineral Railway
The East Cornwall Mineral Railway was a narrow gauge industrial railway opened in 1872 to serve the iron ore and stone quarries around Callington in Cornwall....
, and the line opened in 1872. Seven and a half miles long, it ran from Calstock
Calstock
Calstock is civil parish and a large village in south east Cornwall, England, United Kingdom, on the border with Devon. The village is situated on the River Tamar south west of Tavistock and north of Plymouth....
's river frontage, past Kelly Quay & Drakewalls
Drakewalls
Drakewalls is a small village in southeast Cornwall, UK. It is in Calstock parish, adjacent to Gunnislake between Callington and Tavistock.Primary education is provided by Delaware C.P. School....
and the Gunnislake
Gunnislake
Gunnislake is a large village in east Cornwall, United Kingdom. It is situated in the Tamar Valley approximately ten miles north of Plymouth...
quarries, along the northern flank of Hingston Down
Hingston Down
Hingston Down is a hill not far from Gunnislake in Cornwall in the United Kingdom.-History:This is possibly the Hingston Down mentioned in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle which says that in 835 Egbert king of the West Saxons defeated an army of Vikings and Cornish at Hengestdun = "Stallion Hill"...
to below Kit Hill at Kelly Bray
Kelly Bray
Kelly Bray is a village in east Cornwall, United Kingdom. It is situated one mile north of Callington immediately east of Kit Hill in a former mining area. Kelly Bray is first recorded ca...
, where an inclined tramway
Cable railway
A cable railway is a steeply graded railway that uses a cable or rope to haul trains.-Introduction:...
connected with it. It amalgamated with the Plymouth, Devonport and South Western Junction Railway
Plymouth, Devonport and South Western Junction Railway
The Plymouth, Devonport and South Western Junction Railway in England was built by an independent company but operated by the London and South Western Railway as part of its main line to give it independent access to Plymouth. It ran from to Devonport Junction, just west of Plymouth North Road...
crossing the Tamar
River Tamar
The Tamar is a river in South West England, that forms most of the border between Devon and Cornwall . It is one of several British rivers whose ancient name is assumed to be derived from a prehistoric river word apparently meaning "dark flowing" and which it shares with the River Thames.The...
above Calstock
Calstock
Calstock is civil parish and a large village in south east Cornwall, England, United Kingdom, on the border with Devon. The village is situated on the River Tamar south west of Tavistock and north of Plymouth....
and onto the junction at Bere Alston
Bere Alston
Bere Alston is a small village in West Devon in the county of Devon in England. It forms part of the civil parish of Bere Ferrers.-History and geography:...
.
The Gunnislake
Gunnislake
Gunnislake is a large village in east Cornwall, United Kingdom. It is situated in the Tamar Valley approximately ten miles north of Plymouth...
to Bere Alston
Bere Alston
Bere Alston is a small village in West Devon in the county of Devon in England. It forms part of the civil parish of Bere Ferrers.-History and geography:...
section still survives as part of the Tamar Valley Line
Tamar Valley Line
The Tamar Valley Line is a railway line from Devonport in Plymouth Devon, to Gunnislake in Cornwall, United Kingdom. The line follows the River Tamar for much of its route.-History:...
.
Some remnants, mainly the granite blocks, of the line can be found on the northern slopes of the Country Park site.