OpenFell
Hill list · United Kingdom

The Historic county tops

All 88 of them, tallest first. The highest point of each pre-1974 county — a round that spans the whole country.

Data compiled by Ryan — sources and method

On the list
88
Highest
Ben Nevis 1,345 m
Lowest
Boring Field 81 m
Mean height
602 m
Total re-ascent
31,469 m
Hill regions
46
In a national park
21

Total re-ascent adds up the drop to each hill's key col — the climbing you cannot avoid if you visit every summit on the list. It is a floor, not a round total: it counts nothing for walking in, and nothing for the ground between one hill and the next.

What counts as a county top

The highest point of each historic county of the United Kingdom, using the pre-1974 boundaries rather than modern administrative areas.

Historic counties are used because they are stable: modern council areas have been redrawn repeatedly, and each redrawing invents and abolishes summits. The historic list runs from Ben Nevis down to hills of a few hundred metres, and unlike every other list here it is deliberately spread across the entire country rather than concentrated in the uplands — which makes it the one round that takes you almost everywhere.

OpenFell holds every GB member of this list. Heights, drops and grid references are the surveyed figures from the Database of British & Irish Hills, not the round numbers printed in older guidebooks — so a hill occasionally sits a metre either side of where you expect it.

What else the historic county tops count for

Most British hills appear on more than one list, so a single walk often ticks several boxes at once. Of the 88 Historic county tops:

Counted against the other lists OpenFell holds in full. Lists the site carries only part of — Marilyns, HuMPs, Simms and the rest — are left out rather than reported as a fraction of themselves.

Where they are

They span England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, with one sitting astride the England–Scotland border itself. The list spreads across 46 hill-survey regions, concentrated in Central and Eastern England.

Historic county tops by hill-survey region
RegionHistoric county topsShare
Central and Eastern England 16 18.2%
The River Tweed to the English Border 5 5.7%
South East England 5 5.7%
Llandovery to Monmouth 4 4.5%
Firth of Forth to the River Tweed 4 4.5%
Bala to Welshpool 3 3.4%
Carrick and Galloway 3 3.4%
Central Scotland from Dumbarton to Montrose 3 3.4%
Lancashire, Cheshire and S Pennines 3 3.4%
Braemar to Montrose 2 2.3%
North Pennines 2 2.3%
South West England 2 2.3%

Twelve busiest regions shown, of 46 — browse them all.

21 sit inside a national park: Lake District (3), Bannau Brycheiniog (Brecon Beacons) (3), Peak District (3), Cairngorms (2), Eryri (Snowdonia) (2), Loch Lomond & The Trossachs (2), Northumberland (2), Dartmoor (1), Pembrokeshire Coast (1), Exmoor (1), South Downs (1). Park byelaws can restrict camping and access beyond the general position for the nation.

How the heights fall

Historic county tops grouped into 200 m height bands
Height bandHillsShare of the list
1,200–1,400 m 3 3%
1,000–1,200 m 5 6%
800–1,000 m 16 18%
600–800 m 21 24%
400–600 m 16 18%
200–400 m 19 22%
0–200 m 8 9%

All 88 Historic county tops, tallest first

Every county top, sorted by height descending
# Hill Height Drop Region Also Grid ref
1 Ben Nevis · Beinn Nibheis 1,345 m 1,345 m Fort William to Loch Treig & Loch Leven MunroTrail 100 +3 NN166712
2 Ben Macdui · Beinn Macduibh 1,309 m 950 m Cairngorms MunroTrail 100 +3 NN988989
3 Ben Lawers 1,214 m 914 m Glen Lyon to Glen Dochart & Loch Tay MunroTrail 100 +3 NN635414
4 Carn Eighe 1,183 m 1,147 m Loch Duich to Cannich MunroMarilyn +2 NH123261
5 Bidean nam Bian 1,149 m 844 m Loch Linnhe to Loch Etive MunroTrail 100 +3 NN143542
6 Sgurr Mor 1,109 m 914 m The Fannaichs MunroMarilyn +2 NH203718
7 Snowdon - Yr Wyddfa 1,085 m 1,039 m Snowdonia HewittNuttall +5 SH609543
8 Glas Maol 1,068 m 195 m Braemar to Montrose MunroMarilyn +2 NO166765
9 Ben More Assynt 999 m 836 m Scourie to Lairg MunroMarilyn +2 NC318201
10 Scafell Pike 978 m 912 m Lake District C&W WainwrightHewitt +6 NY215072
11 Ben Lomond 974 m 820 m Loch Lomond to Strathyre MunroTrail 100 +3 NN367028
12 Helvellyn 950 m 713 m Lake District E WainwrightHewitt +6 NY342151
13 Ben Vorlich 943 m 632 m Inveraray to Crianlarich MunroMarilyn +2 NN295124
14 Aran Fawddwy 906 m 673 m Bala to Welshpool HewittNuttall +4 SH862223
15 Pen y Fan 886 m 672 m Llandovery to Monmouth HewittNuttall +4 SO012215
16 Goatfell · Goat Fell 875 m 875 m Arran and Holy Island CorbettTrail 100 +3 NR991415
17 Slieve Donard 850 m 825 m Mourne Mountains HewittTrail 100 +3 J358276
18 Merrick 843 m 705 m Carrick and Galloway CorbettDonald +4 NX427855
19 Broad Law 840 m 654 m The River Tweed to the English Border CorbettDonald +3 NT146235
20 Cadair Berwyn 832 m 347 m Bala to Welshpool HewittNuttall +3 SJ071323
21 Moel Sych 827 m 34 m Bala to Welshpool HewittNuttall +1 SJ066318
22 White Coomb 822 m 375 m The River Tweed to the English Border CorbettDonald +3 NT163150
23 The Cheviot 816 m 558 m Northumberland HewittNuttall +4 NT907205
24 The Old Man of Coniston · Coniston Old Man 802 m 417 m Lake District S WainwrightHewitt +5 SD272978
25 Mickle Fell 790 m 212 m North Pennines HewittNuttall +3 NY806245
26 Kirriereoch Hill (boundary) 782 m 2 m Carrick and Galloway NX419871
27 Fan Foel 781 m 4 m Llandovery to Monmouth SN821223
28 Mount Battock 778 m 286 m Braemar to Montrose CorbettMarilyn +2 NO549844
29 Pumlumon Fawr · Plynlimon 752 m 526 m Aberystwyth to Welshpool HewittNuttall +4 SN789869
30 Culter Fell 748 m 350 m The River Tweed to the English Border GrahamDonald +3 NT052290
31 Burnhope Seat - Trig Point 747 m 0 m North Pennines NY787375
32 Dun Rig 744 m 243 m The River Tweed to the English Border GrahamDonald +3 NT253315
33 Cairn Hill West Top · Hangingstone Hill 743 m 5 m The River Tweed to the English Border NT895193
34 Ben Cleuch 721 m 595 m Central Scotland from Dumbarton to Montrose GrahamDonald +3 NN902006
35 Carn a' Ghille Chearr 710 m 179 m Tomintoul to Banff GrahamMarilyn +2 NJ139298
36 Morven 706 m 576 m Tongue to Wick and Helmsdale GrahamMarilyn +2 ND004285
37 Black Mountain 704 m 155 m Llandovery to Monmouth HewittNuttall +3 SO255353
38 Chwarel y Fan 679 m 72 m Llandovery to Monmouth HewittNuttall +1 SO258294
39 Cuilcagh · Binn Chuilceach 666 m 605 m Leitrim and W Cavan HewittMarilyn +2 H123280
40 Great Rhos 660 m 379 m Welshpool to Hay-on-Wye HewittNuttall +3 SO182638
41 Carn Glas-choire 659 m 251 m Inverness to Strathspey GrahamMarilyn +2 NH891291
42 Blackhope Scar 652 m 283 m Firth of Forth to the River Tweed GrahamDonald +3 NT315483
43 Kinder Scout 636 m 497 m Lancashire, Cheshire and S Pennines HewittNuttall +4 SK084875
44 High Willhays 622 m 537 m South West England HewittNuttall +3 SX580892
45 Craig y Llyn 600 m 393 m Neath to Chepstow MarilynHuMP +1 SN906031
46 Black Hill 581 m 165 m Lancashire, Cheshire and S Pennines MarilynHuMP SE078047
47 Slieve Gullion 576 m 454 m County Armagh MarilynHuMP J024203
48 Moel Famau 555 m 282 m Llandudno to Wrexham MarilynHuMP SJ161626
49 Brown Clee Hill 541 m 375 m Shropshire MarilynHuMP SO593867
50 Foel Cwmcerwyn 537 m 346 m South-West Wales MarilynHuMP SN094311
51 Meikle Says Law 535 m 267 m Firth of Forth to the River Tweed MarilynHuMP NT581617
52 Meikle Says Law (boundary) 532 m — Firth of Forth to the River Tweed NT581616
53 West Lomond 522 m 405 m Central Scotland from Dumbarton to Montrose MarilynHuMP NO197066
54 Hill of Stake 522 m 486 m Ayr to the River Clyde MarilynHuMP NS273630
55 Dunkery Beacon 520 m 414 m South Central England MarilynHuMP SS891415
56 Cheeks Hill (boundary) 519 m — Lancashire, Cheshire and S Pennines SK026699
57 Innerdouny Hill 497 m 228 m Central Scotland from Dumbarton to Montrose MarilynHuMP NO032073
58 Ward Hill 481 m 481 m Orkney Islands MarilynHuMP HY228022
59 Ronas Hill 450 m 450 m Shetland Islands MarilynHuMP HU305834
60 Worcestershire Beacon 425 m 336 m Welsh Borders S MarilynHuMP SO768452
61 Brown Willy 420 m 322 m South West England MarilynHuMP SX158799
62 Cleeve Hill 330 m 237 m Central and Eastern England MarilynHuMP SO996245
63 Craigairie Fell · Craig Airie Fell 321 m 109 m Carrick and Galloway HuMP NX236736
64 Ballencrieff Hill · Cairnpapple Hill 312 m 168 m Firth of Forth to the River Tweed MarilynHuMP NS987711
65 Walbury Hill 297 m 189 m South East England MarilynHuMP SU373616
66 Milk Hill 294 m 147 m Central and Eastern England HuMP SU104643
67 Leith Hill 294 m 247 m South East England MarilynHuMP TQ139431
68 Walbury Hill (boundary) 293 m — South East England SU374618
69 Black Down 281 m 192 m South East England MarilynHuMP SU919296
70 Bardon Hill 280 m 172 m Central and Eastern England MarilynHuMP SK460131
71 Lewesdon Hill 279 m 187 m South Central England MarilynHuMP ST437011
72 Wendover Woods · Haddington Hill 268 m 180 m Central and Eastern England MarilynHuMP SP890089
73 Ebrington Hill 261 m 112 m Central and Eastern England HuMP SP187426
74 Bald Hill 257 m 125 m Central and Eastern England HuMP SU728957
75 Betsom's Hill 251 m 15 m South East England TQ435563
76 Pavis Wood 244 m — Central and Eastern England SP914091
77 Dunstable Downs 243 m 105 m Central and Eastern England HuMP TL008194
78 Arbury Hill 224 m 103 m Central and Eastern England HuMP SP540587
79 Holyhead Mountain · Mynydd Twr 220 m 220 m Anglesey and the Lleyn Peninsula MarilynHuMP SH218829
80 Newtonwood Lane (boundary) 205 m — The River Tees to The Wash SK456606
81 Cold Overton Park 197 m 11 m Central and Eastern England SK827085
82 Normanby Top · The Wolds 168 m 162 m The River Tees to The Wash MarilynHuMP TF121964
83 Bushey Heath 153 m 80 m Central and Eastern England TQ151939
84 Chrishall Common 147 m 15 m Central and Eastern England TL443361
85 Great Wood 129 m 38 m Central and Eastern England TL788558
86 Castle Camps airfield 128 m 21 m Central and Eastern England TL632418
87 Beacon Hill 105 m 79 m Central and Eastern England TG183414
88 Boring Field 81 m — Central and Eastern England TL047711

Hill data from the Database of British & Irish Hills v18.3 (CC BY 4.0). Drop is the descent to the hill's key col; a dash means it is not recorded in our dataset. Follow any name for grid references to ten figures, access rights, live summit weather and today's daylight.

Before you go

Plan

Walking-time calculator

Naismith with Langmuir corrections for terrain, pack weight and fitness — a realistic day, not a formula's guess.

 Plan

Daylight safety planner

The latest start that still gets you off the hill in daylight, for any date.

 Access

Can I walk or camp here?

Roaming and wild-camping rights at an exact grid reference, with the seasonal restrictions that apply.

 Browse

The other hill lists

How the historic county tops sit alongside the other rounds — what each one counts, and how much they overlap.