Ridgeway Hill, also referred to as Grange Hill[3][4] or Steeple Hill,[5] is the third highest point of the Purbeck Hills[2] in the county of Dorset standing at 199 metres (653 ft),[1] is one of the only hills with a prominence of over a hundred metres, HuMPs, in the county.[2] Near the top of the hill is an 18th-century folly known as Grange Arch, built by the former owner of Creech Grange, Denis Bond.[6][7] On the eastern spur of the hill is Stonehill Down which is now a nature reserve.[1] There are also good views of Swyre Head on the Jurassic Coast.
| Ridgeway Hill | |
|---|---|
 Ridgeway Hill (right) on the Purbeck Ridge, Dorset, seen from Povington Hill to the west | |
| Highest point | |
| Elevation | 199 m (653 ft)[1] |
| Prominence | 107 m (351 ft)[2] |
| Parent peak | Swyre Head[2] |
| Listing | HuMP |
| Coordinates | 50°38′09″N 2°07′20″W / 50.6358°N 2.1221°W |
| Geography | |
 | |
| Location | Dorset, England |
| Parent range | Purbeck Hills |
| OS grid | SY914817 |
| Topo map(s) | OS Landranger 195 Explorer 15E |
Location
editThe hill lies about 1¾ miles (2.8 km) from Kimmeridge Bay on Dorset's Jurassic Coast and 2.8 miles (4.5 km) west of Corfe Castle. The hamlet of Steeple lies at its southern foot. To the west is the better-known, but slightly lower, Povington Hill above the abandoned village of Tyneham. The Lulworth Ranges lies between Ridgeway Hill and the coast.[1]
There is a free car park on the ridgeline west of the summit just off the Grange Hill road known as Steeple Hill Car Park,[1] from where there are panoramic views of the area.
Gallery
edit-
The long wooded back of Ridgeway Hill seen from Creech Barrow Hill to the North East -
The footpath up the western slope of Ridgeway Hill from the car park
References
edit- ^ a b c d e Ordnance Survey 1:50,000 Landranger map series, No. 195.
- ^ a b c d Jackson, Mark (2009). More Relative Hills of Britain, Marilyn News Centre, UK, p. 168. E-book Archived October 12, 2013, at the Wayback Machine.
- ^ Burke, Sir Bernard (1852). A Visitation of the Seats and Arms of the Noblemen and Gentlemen of Great Britain, Volume 1, Colburn, London, p. 65.
- ^ Creech Grange listing at English Heritage website. Accessed on 9 Jun 2013
- ^ Steeple Pit - Steeple Hill, Isle of Purbeck, Dorset, UK - Places of Geologic Significance on Waymarking.com. Accessed on 8 Jun 2013
- ^ Grange Arch on the Purbeck ridgeway at www.geograph.org.uk. Accessed on 26 May 2013.
- ^ Grange Arch, Steeple at www.britishlistedbuildings.co.uk. Accessed on 26 May 2013.