Leith Hill

Leith Hill stands in the Surrey Hills, reaching 294 metres above sea level. It is the highest point on the Greensand Ridge and the second highest in south-east England. The hill rises above surrounding countryside for nearly 80 kilometres in every direction. Four woodlands around the summit form a Site of Special Scientific Interest covering 338 hectares. The nearest station is Holmwood, three and a half kilometres to the east. Richard Hull built the Gothic tower on the summit in the 1760s. He intended the 19.5-metre structure to lift the hill above 300 metres. Visitors once used telescopes to see London and the English Channel, 40 kilometres away. After Hull’s death the tower fell into ruin and was filled with rubble. In the 19th century William John Evelyn reopened it, adding a turreted side-tower for access. Today the National Trust has restored the tower, revealing fine views across thirteen counties. Leith Hill Place, a 17th-century house on the southern slope, was rebuilt in the 18th century. It contains an Elizabethan fireplace and early Georgian staircase. Josiah Wedgwood III owned the house in the 19th century and his wife planted Rhododendron Wood. The composer Ralph Vaughan Williams grew up here and later gave the house to the National Trust. Visitors can see the piano on which he composed The Lark Ascending. Nearby cottages, a 17th-century barn and a Gothic lodge add to the hill’s historic setting.