May Hill
Encyclopedia
May Hill is a hill
between Gloucester
and Ross-on-Wye
, whose summit
is on the western edge of Gloucestershire
, though its northern slopes are in Herefordshire
.
It forms part of a low range of hills separating the River Severn
from the River Wye
. The Hill used to be known as Yartleton Hill, but may have been renamed because of the May Day
activities there (see below). The top of the hill is a Site of Special Scientific Interest
. Much of the hill is owned by the National Trust
, though the very top is vested with the Longhope
Parish Council (though with no fences). It was recently included among 'the seven wonders of the West Country
'.
The summit is 296 metres (971 ft) above sea level
, and located there among the trees are several benches from which one may study the views, which are extensive in all directions. They include views to the Welsh borders, and the lower reaches of the River Severn
, bypassed for shipping by the Gloucester and Sharpness Canal
.
Much of the hill is forest
, both pine
and deciduous
, though the summit area is grassland
and heath
, with a little heather
and gorse
. The immediate summit is topped with mature pines which were planted to mark Queen Victoria's Golden Jubilee
. These trees make May Hill as easily identifiable landmark from many miles away. and may have been planted by drovers who used clumps of pine to identify areas where they could expect grazing and sustenance. The younger trees around were planted to mark Queen Elizabeth's Silver Jubilee. Early maps and accounts show a clump of trees on the top before these plantings. Birds to be seen on the hill include meadow pipit
, Tree Pipit
, redstart
and raven
, whilst the woods below have a good population of woodcock
.
On the summit is a plaque erected to commemorate the Silver Jubilee
of Elizabeth II in 1977. It reads:
Each May Day
(the first of May
), morris dance
rs dance in the new dawn on the top of May Hill and hundreds of observers join in the celebration. A ceremony on May Day morning has been carried out for several centuries, originally it included a mock battle between youths.
The summit is reached by three public footpaths, two of them forming the Gloucestershire Way
and Wysis Way
.
As said May Hill is an icon, and it has been a key location for many figures. Sir Edward Elgar idolised it, Gerald Finzi
's ashes were spread on top as were other local residents such as Derek Bridle, of Newent in the County of Gloucestershire. There is an unverified story that May Hill was named after a certain Captain May who used it as a landmark when navigating the Severn estuary, but documents from a couple of hundred years ago relate that the hill was known as Yartleton Hill and was renamed because of the May Day
events held there. One of the benches on the summit is dedicated to the Forest of Dean
chronicler Winifred Foley
and her husband, who moved in the 1970s to the nearby village of Cliffords Mesne
.
s and siltstones known as the May Hill Sandstone, consisting of the Huntley Hill and Yartleton Formations. These rocks date from the Early Silurian
period and are formed into a dome
, cut through by several faults. The most significant of which is the Blaisdon Fault which forms the eastern boundary of May hill and separates it from the younger rocks of the Severn Vale.
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...
between Gloucester
Gloucester
Gloucester is a city, district and county town of Gloucestershire in the South West region of England. Gloucester lies close to the Welsh border, and on the River Severn, approximately north-east of Bristol, and south-southwest of Birmingham....
and Ross-on-Wye
Ross-on-Wye
Ross-on-Wye is a small market town with a population of 10,089 in southeastern Herefordshire, England, located on the River Wye, and on the northern edge of the Forest of Dean.-History:...
, whose summit
Summit (topography)
In topography, a summit is a point on a surface that is higher in elevation than all points immediately adjacent to it. Mathematically, a summit is a local maximum in elevation...
is on the western edge of Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire is a county in South West England. The county comprises part of the Cotswold Hills, part of the flat fertile valley of the River Severn, and the entire Forest of Dean....
, though its northern slopes are in Herefordshire
Herefordshire
Herefordshire is a historic and ceremonial county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes it is a NUTS 3 region and is one of three counties that comprise the "Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Gloucestershire" NUTS 2 region. It also forms a unitary district known as the...
.
It forms part of a low range of hills separating the River Severn
River Severn
The River Severn is the longest river in Great Britain, at about , but the second longest on the British Isles, behind the River Shannon. It rises at an altitude of on Plynlimon, Ceredigion near Llanidloes, Powys, in the Cambrian Mountains of mid Wales...
from the River Wye
River Wye
The River Wye is the fifth-longest river in the UK and for parts of its length forms part of the border between England and Wales. It is important for nature conservation and recreation.-Description:...
. The Hill used to be known as Yartleton Hill, but may have been renamed because of the May Day
May Day
May Day on May 1 is an ancient northern hemisphere spring festival and usually a public holiday; it is also a traditional spring holiday in many cultures....
activities there (see below). The top of the hill is a Site of Special Scientific Interest
Site of Special Scientific Interest
A Site of Special Scientific Interest is a conservation designation denoting a protected area in the United Kingdom. SSSIs are the basic building block of site-based nature conservation legislation and most other legal nature/geological conservation designations in Great Britain are based upon...
. Much of the hill is owned by the National Trust
National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty
The National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty, usually known as the National Trust, is a conservation organisation in England, Wales and Northern Ireland...
, though the very top is vested with the Longhope
Longhope
Longhope is a village in west Gloucestershire, situated just outside the Forest of Dean, England, United Kingdom.The placename Longhope means "long, enclosed valley" which describes the aspect of the village....
Parish Council (though with no fences). It was recently included among 'the seven wonders of the West Country
West Country
The West Country is an informal term for the area of south western England roughly corresponding to the modern South West England government region. It is often defined to encompass the historic counties of Cornwall, Devon, Dorset and Somerset and the City of Bristol, while the counties of...
'.
The summit is 296 metres (971 ft) above sea level
Sea level
Mean sea level is a measure of the average height of the ocean's surface ; used as a standard in reckoning land elevation...
, and located there among the trees are several benches from which one may study the views, which are extensive in all directions. They include views to the Welsh borders, and the lower reaches of the River Severn
River Severn
The River Severn is the longest river in Great Britain, at about , but the second longest on the British Isles, behind the River Shannon. It rises at an altitude of on Plynlimon, Ceredigion near Llanidloes, Powys, in the Cambrian Mountains of mid Wales...
, bypassed for shipping by the Gloucester and Sharpness Canal
Gloucester and Sharpness Canal
The Gloucester and Sharpness Canal or Gloucester and Berkeley Canal is a canal in the west of England, between Gloucester and Sharpness; for much of its length it runs close to the tidal River Severn, but cuts off a significant loop in the river, at a once-dangerous bend near Arlingham...
.
Much of the hill is forest
Forest
A forest, also referred to as a wood or the woods, is an area with a high density of trees. As with cities, depending where you are in the world, what is considered a forest may vary significantly in size and have various classification according to how and what of the forest is composed...
, both pine
Pine
Pines are trees in the genus Pinus ,in the family Pinaceae. They make up the monotypic subfamily Pinoideae. There are about 115 species of pine, although different authorities accept between 105 and 125 species.-Etymology:...
and deciduous
Deciduous
Deciduous means "falling off at maturity" or "tending to fall off", and is typically used in reference to trees or shrubs that lose their leaves seasonally, and to the shedding of other plant structures such as petals after flowering or fruit when ripe...
, though the summit area is grassland
Grassland
Grasslands are areas where the vegetation is dominated by grasses and other herbaceous plants . However, sedge and rush families can also be found. Grasslands occur naturally on all continents except Antarctica...
and heath
Heath (habitat)
A heath or heathland is a dwarf-shrub habitat found on mainly low quality acidic soils, characterised by open, low growing woody vegetation, often dominated by plants of the Ericaceae. There are some clear differences between heath and moorland...
, with a little heather
Calluna
Calluna vulgaris is the sole species in the genus Calluna in the family Ericaceae. It is a low-growing perennial shrub growing to tall, or rarely to and taller, and is found widely in Europe and Asia Minor on acidic soils in open sunny situations and in moderate shade...
and gorse
Gorse
Gorse, furze, furse or whin is a genus of about 20 plant species of thorny evergreen shrubs in the subfamily Faboideae of the pea family Fabaceae, native to western Europe and northwest Africa, with the majority of species in Iberia.Gorse is closely related to the brooms, and like them, has green...
. The immediate summit is topped with mature pines which were planted to mark Queen Victoria's Golden Jubilee
Golden Jubilee
A Golden Jubilee is a celebration held to mark a 50th anniversary.- In Thailand :King Bhumibol Adulyadej, the world's longest-reigning monarch, celebrated his Golden Jubilee on 9 June 1996.- In the Commonwealth Realms :...
. These trees make May Hill as easily identifiable landmark from many miles away. and may have been planted by drovers who used clumps of pine to identify areas where they could expect grazing and sustenance. The younger trees around were planted to mark Queen Elizabeth's Silver Jubilee. Early maps and accounts show a clump of trees on the top before these plantings. Birds to be seen on the hill include meadow pipit
Meadow Pipit
The Meadow Pipit Anthus pratensis, is a small passerine bird which breeds in much of the northern half of Europe and also northwestern Asia, from southeastern Greenland and Iceland east to just east of the Ural Mountains in Russia, and south to central France and Romania; there is also an isolated...
, Tree Pipit
Tree Pipit
Tree Pipit, Anthus trivialis, is a small passerine bird which breeds across most of Europe and temperate western and central Asia. It is a long-distance migrant moving in winter to Africa and southern Asia....
, redstart
Redstart
Redstarts are a group of small Old World birds. They were formerly classified in the thrush family , but are now known to be part of the Old World flycatcher family Muscicapidae...
and raven
Raven
Raven is the common name given to several larger-bodied members of the genus Corvus—but in Europe and North America the Common Raven is normally implied...
, whilst the woods below have a good population of woodcock
Woodcock
The woodcocks are a group of seven or eight very similar living species of wading birds in the genus Scolopax. Only two woodcocks are widespread, the others being localized island endemics. Most are found in the Northern Hemisphere but a few range into Wallacea...
.
On the summit is a plaque erected to commemorate the Silver Jubilee
Silver Jubilee
A Silver Jubilee is a celebration held to mark a 25th anniversary. The anniversary celebrations can be of a wedding anniversary, ruling anniversary or anything that has completed a 25 year mark...
of Elizabeth II in 1977. It reads:
- This plaque was erected by the parishes of LonghopeLonghopeLonghope is a village in west Gloucestershire, situated just outside the Forest of Dean, England, United Kingdom.The placename Longhope means "long, enclosed valley" which describes the aspect of the village....
& NewentNewentNewent is a small market town about 8 miles north west of Gloucester City, on the northern edge of the Forest of Dean, and lying within the Forest of Dean Local Authority District. Its population at the 2001 census was 5,073...
as a tribute to a gracious and beloved monarch. "God Save the Queen".
Each May Day
May Day
May Day on May 1 is an ancient northern hemisphere spring festival and usually a public holiday; it is also a traditional spring holiday in many cultures....
(the first of May
May
May is the fifth month of the year in the Julian and Gregorian Calendars and one of seven months with the length of 31 days.May is a month of autumn in the Southern Hemisphere and spring in the Northern Hemisphere...
), morris dance
Morris dance
Morris dance is a form of English folk dance usually accompanied by music. It is based on rhythmic stepping and the execution of choreographed figures by a group of dancers. Implements such as sticks, swords, handkerchiefs and bells may also be wielded by the dancers...
rs dance in the new dawn on the top of May Hill and hundreds of observers join in the celebration. A ceremony on May Day morning has been carried out for several centuries, originally it included a mock battle between youths.
The summit is reached by three public footpaths, two of them forming the Gloucestershire Way
Gloucestershire Way
The Gloucestershire Way is a long-distance footpath, in the English country of Gloucestershire. It was devised by Gerry and Kate Stewart, of the Ramblers Association and Tewkesbury Walking Club...
and Wysis Way
Wysis Way
The Wysis Way is a 88km walking route which forms a link between the Offa's Dyke and Thames Path national trails in the United Kingdom. The Way runs between Monmouth and Kemble, Gloucestershire.-Route Detail:...
.
As said May Hill is an icon, and it has been a key location for many figures. Sir Edward Elgar idolised it, Gerald Finzi
Gerald Finzi
Gerald Raphael Finzi was a British composer. Finzi is best known as a song-writer, but also wrote in other genres...
's ashes were spread on top as were other local residents such as Derek Bridle, of Newent in the County of Gloucestershire. There is an unverified story that May Hill was named after a certain Captain May who used it as a landmark when navigating the Severn estuary, but documents from a couple of hundred years ago relate that the hill was known as Yartleton Hill and was renamed because of the May Day
May Day
May Day on May 1 is an ancient northern hemisphere spring festival and usually a public holiday; it is also a traditional spring holiday in many cultures....
events held there. One of the benches on the summit is dedicated to the Forest of Dean
Forest of Dean
The Forest of Dean is a geographical, historical and cultural region in the western part of the county of Gloucestershire, England. The forest is a roughly triangular plateau bounded by the River Wye to the west and north, the River Severn to the south, and the City of Gloucester to the east.The...
chronicler Winifred Foley
Winifred Foley
Winifred Mary Foley was an English writer.-Forest life:...
and her husband, who moved in the 1970s to the nearby village of Cliffords Mesne
Cliffords Mesne
Cliffords Mesne is a village in Gloucestershire, two miles south-west of the nearest town of Newent. It was the home of author Winifred Foley from the mid-1970s, after the success of her first book of reminiscences, A Child in the Forest.-Facilities:...
.
Geology
May Hill is formed of sandstoneSandstone
Sandstone is a sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized minerals or rock grains.Most sandstone is composed of quartz and/or feldspar because these are the most common minerals in the Earth's crust. Like sand, sandstone may be any colour, but the most common colours are tan, brown, yellow,...
s and siltstones known as the May Hill Sandstone, consisting of the Huntley Hill and Yartleton Formations. These rocks date from the Early Silurian
Silurian
The Silurian is a geologic period and system that extends from the end of the Ordovician Period, about 443.7 ± 1.5 Mya , to the beginning of the Devonian Period, about 416.0 ± 2.8 Mya . As with other geologic periods, the rock beds that define the period's start and end are well identified, but the...
period and are formed into a dome
Dome (geology)
In structural geology, a dome is a deformational feature consisting of symmetrically-dipping anticlines; their general outline on a geologic map is circular or oval...
, cut through by several faults. The most significant of which is the Blaisdon Fault which forms the eastern boundary of May hill and separates it from the younger rocks of the Severn Vale.