This cache has been placed with the kind permission of the National Trust. They have improved access to the summit in recent years, and my recommended route would be from their free car park at Carn Galver Mine, up the valley path and then right at the path crossroads (see additional waypoints below). This route covers ¾ mile and a total ascent of just 383ft, so it is a relatively easy climb.
Standing at 252m (827ft) above sea level, Watch Croft is the biggest hill in Penwith... but is it a mountain?
The definition of a mountain isn't particularly clear; according to the Oxford English Dictionary, a mountain is "a large natural elevation of the earth's surface rising abruptly from the surrounding level; a large steep hill".
With gradients of 25% in places, Watch Croft is certainly steep, but is it large? That depends on what you compare it to - it is nowhere near as high as the highest mountain in the world (Mount Everest at 8848m), or even the highest mountain in Great Britain (Ben Nevis at 1344m).
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| Trig point |
As the biggest hill in Penwith, it is certainly large compared to its surroundings though. In fact you would have to travel all the way to Carnmenellis, near Redruth, before you find a peak as high as Watch Croft, and all the way to Hensbarrow Beacon, near St. Austell, before you found any higher.
In 1891 Sir Hugh Munro developed a list of mountains, defining them as any peak over 3000ft in height, however his list only covers Scottish mountains, and there aren't many hills of that size in England anyway.
One definition that is widely accepted for UK mountains outside of Scotland is the "Hewitt". To qualify, a hill must be over 2000ft, with a relative height of at least 30 metres. Again, Watch Croft would fail on this definition as it is nowhere near high enough.
One criteria that it does pass is the "Marilyn". Marilyns were named as a humorous take on the Scottish Munros. To qualify, a hill must have a relative height of at least 150 metres, regardless of its height above sea level. The relative height (or prominence) of a peak is the height of the peak's summit above the lowest contour line encircling it and no higher summit.
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| Standing stone |
The relative height of Watch Croft is 225m. (The lowest circling contour line is 27m above sea level at Trevessa Farm near St Erth.)
As the you would expect from the highest mountain in Penwith, the views from the summit are stunning. A panoramic view starts to the East, across White Downs, out to the Lizard peninsula, round to Mounts Bay and the whole of West Penwith.
Watch Croft was apparently important in megalithic times, as there are two cairns on the summit as well as a standing stone (or menhir). You can read more about the site here.
So, is Watch Croft a mountain?
My view is that it probably isn't, but I would love to know your opinion. Please let me know what you think in your log!
| Yes, it's a mountain! |
No, it's just a hill! |
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