High Willhays

High Willhays stands on the northern edge of Dartmoor, about two and a half kilometres south-east of Meldon Reservoir and five kilometres south of Okehampton. It is the highest point in Southern England at 621 metres above sea level, though its summit is little more than a low ridge with scattered granite outcrops. The largest rock is topped by a small cairn, and the ridge continues north to the slightly lower Yes Tor. William Crossing noted in 1912 that the name may come from *gwylfa*, a watching place, linking it to beacon fires once lit on high points. The hill’s modest height belies its significance as the roof of Devon, one of only four English summits south of Kinder Scout to exceed 610 metres. Early Ordnance Survey work suggested High Willhays was twelve feet higher than Yes Tor, though later measurements reduced the gap to eight feet. Crossing also claimed it was the highest point south of Ingleborough, but later surveys found higher peaks in the Dales and Peak District. The granite here lacks the large feldspar crystals common elsewhere on Dartmoor, showing fine lamellar bedding instead. Visitors reach the summit along the ridge from Yes Tor or via paths from Okehampton. The open moorland offers wide views across the northern plateau, where red flags warn of army exercises in the danger zone. The cairn marks the highest point, and the ridge’s gentle slopes contrast with the dramatic tors elsewhere on Dartmoor. On clear days the horizon stretches to distant hills, making the modest climb worthwhile.