Walbury Hill

Walbury Hill rises in the North Wessex Downs of Berkshire as the highest natural point in South East England. Its summit sits at 297 metres and holds the Iron Age hill fort called Walbury Camp. The slopes belong to the Inkpen and Walbury Hills Site of Special Scientific Interest, one of three nationally important chalk wild grasslands here. A triangulation pillar marks the top, yet the land is private and closed to the public. Walkers can still reach the northern slopes by a byway that keeps the summit untouched. The hill stands on a north-facing ridge between Inkpen Hill to the west and Combe Hill and Pilot Hill to the east. Combe Gibbet overlooks Gallows Down between Walbury and Inkpen Hills. Hungerford lies about seven kilometres northwest, reached by minor roads on both sides of the hill. Car parks sit at each approach, and a byway open to all traffic links them roughly 200 metres north of the summit. The western car park starts both the Test Way and the Wayfarer’s Walk long-distance footpaths. The Wayfarer’s Walk follows the byway before turning south and east to Emsworth in Hampshire. The Test Way heads the other way, passing Combe Gibbet and Inkpen Hill before heading south to Eling. A small circular brick building on the south side appears to be a disused reservoir. From the summit, Walbury Hill is the furthest point visible from The Shard in London.