Fifty-Two & Fifty-Three - Greater London - Westerham Heights (245m) & Kent - Betsom’s Hill (251m)

From looking at the map we knew these two County Tops were only of interest to “completists” such as the “PeakyFinders” and not for the quality of the walk or the views afforded. There's only 5 minutes walk between the two of them but it involves a walk along the dirty, busy A233 which has no parking and no footpath. Luckily for us, Westerham Heights Nurseries were kind enough to let us park in their carpark for half an hour (we did ask permission).

Highest point in Greater London next to 
Westerham Heights Farm on the A233

Highest point in Kent - very
unassuming, on a little lane off the A233

So after dodging cars, lorries and buses, we unsurprisingly agreed that these were the worst two peaks we've done, but at least they are both crossed of the list - so “mission accomplished”. Definitely better places for a stroll in Kent and Greater London!

Fifty-One - Surrey - Leith Hill (294m)

Pleasant walk from the National Trust carpark up through the woods to Leith Tower and then back through the fields past Leith Place, home to the Wedgewood family, although both buildings are closed at this time of year. 

Leith Hill Tower, with trig point to the right

Leith Tower was built with the express intention of increasing the height of Leith Hill to become the highest point in South East England and to allow the public a grand view of the surrounding counties. Apparently on a clear day you can see both the London Eye to the north-east and the sea near Shoreham to the south. Needless to say, it wasn't a clear day!

Tree sculpture

Wood carving on the path back down

Forty-Nine & Fifty - Berkshire - Walbury Hill (297m) & Hampshire - Pilot Hill (286m)

Two county tops for the price of one today, both located a few miles apart on the same ridge, together with an excursion to see some gruesome history.

Coombe Gibbet where in the 17th Century
the bodies of executed miscreants were hung
 as an example to others. 

Walbury Hill is the summit of the North Wessex Downs as well as the highest point in Berkshire, and the highest point in South East England.  At the summit is an iron age hill fort, Walbury camp, but the true summit is marked by a triangulation pillar which isn't actually on the main path, the Wayfarers Walk, and therefore involved a cheeky sprint south in order to bag it.

Summit of Walbury Hill (Berkshire)

It was a glorious sunny day, but bitterly cold, and carrying on eastwards along the ridge brought us just into Hampshire, and to  Pilot Hill, it's highest point. The spot marked by another trig point in the middle of a bolted cabbage field. 

Trig point at Pilot Hill (Hampshire) .......

...... surrounded by hundreds of bolted brassicas

From up here you can see Stargroves, which was the country house and recording studio of Mick Jagger back in the 70s. Looking further north, Newbury could just be seen in the distance. The various byeways, bridleways and footpaths were all really muddy and the best way back today seemed to be to simply retrace our steps back to where we had parked, though we did also walk up to Combe Gibbet to see the notorious double gibbet. This gave probably the best view of the whole seven mile walk!

View to the north from Pilot Hill

Forty Eight - Wiltshire - Milk Hill (295m)

Due to W busting his Achilles tendon in October 2019 while hiking in Madeira, followed by various surgical boots, an operation to insert artificial tendon, and lots of physio, this is the first county top for nearly two and a half years. It's good to be back - but shame about the weather!

Lonely, windswept tree. Awful visibility

We drive through misty rain to get to Pewsey Downs carpark, and although the drizzle peters out, the mist persists, making this walk quite disappointing due to a distinct lack of views.

Part of the White Horse Trail in the
Vale of Pewsey

It's interesting to walk along part of the 35 mile Wansdyke, ancient battle  defences and the onwards towards the hill. Presumably it was named Milk Hill due to the colour of its chalk rock, but it can't be seen particularly well today and we embark on a foggy and slightly muddy yomp to the highest point, which, as we suspected, is about 50 metres within a barb-wire fenced off field and has to be " bagged" from a distance. 

Somewhere in this misty, relatively
flat field is the "summit".

A little further on we walk along the backbone of the Alton Barnes white horse. It's one of eight in Wiltshire, and although it looks primitive and ancient, it was actually carved in 1812 for the farmer who owned the land. The only view of it today through the gloom is of two ears and a tail!

Pointy ears of a rather sad looking white horse

Back down to the carpark and a pot of hot coffee and a picnic lunch in "Barti Ddu" (Black Bart), our new campervan.

Picnic scotch egg and chilli-jam sausage roll.
Probably the highlight of the day!

Forty Seven - West Midlands - Turner's Hill (271m)

We have driven up the hill to Dudley Golf Club. Non members are welcome but we don't park in the carpark which would be cheeky. We walk up a scruffy bit of tarmac lane, past a police sign telling us that we're in an "antisocial behaviour hotspot", and up to a metal gate which is as close as we can get.

Friendly horse "guarding" the transmission tower.

Gate open - however operatives are just 

inside - and "no we can't have a quick peek"

 due to "sensitive equipment"!

As close as we can get. 

Brutalist Brummie architecture!

Turner's Hill

On the way back down there's another footpath into a field where we do get a slightly better view of the transmitter and say hello to a gently friendly horse. Unfortunately, even though it is clearly an elevated spot above the city of Birmingham (where our namesakes "The Peaky Blinders" originate), there is no view of the city skyline to be had due to the scrub and bushes.

Forty Six - Gwynedd - Snowdon (1085m)

Our second-to-last Welsh peak, and only one day available to climb it and company, our eldest daughter, (Welsh born and bred), who was desperate to reach the top. And the forecast was for fog and cloud until lunchtime. Classic bad news, and we did consider waiting til midday to go up but we do like an early start and we wanted a spot in the carpark. Fingers crossed that the mist would lift as we climbed, we set off up the Pyg track in heavy cloud cover and a smattering of drizzle. At least the weather put paid to any ambitions to climb Crib Goch as not everyone was keen on that idea, even on a clear dry day. We made good progress, prepared to turn back if things took a turn for the worse, but as the path levelled out we began to see Llyn Llydaw glinting below us to our left.

Low cloud starting to clear with views opening up

Carrying on up we made a note of the tall stone post marking the beginning of the Miners Track and our route down past Glaslyn later, and then continued to climb, using hands on occasion to help us. We could hear the train whistle going up the Llanberis pass before we reached it, and eventually we joined the path running parallel with the track to the top. and with it a lot more people.

Snowdon Mountain Railway

The easy way up!

First glimpse of the summit through 

more drifting fog and cloud

But there was plenty of room at the summit to have a look around and take pictures. Not the very best views from the top, but still great to be up there, and of course you have to visit the cafe for a cuppa- because it's there.... They also sell beer and pasties as big as your head, which we didn't need as we had brought a picnic to eat overlooking the lakes below.

View from the top

Brass plaque and trig point at the summit

Brunch bars all round!

"Here you are nearer to heaven", reads 

the inscription on the side of the café

Jess - highest person in the whole

 of England & Wales

Jess, the previous day - Graduation from 

Manchester Uni - a bit of a difference!

Lunch spot on the way back down

Back at Pen y Pass, we were thirsty, so we called in at the legendary Pen-y-Gwryd Hotel for three well deserved pints of beer and a gawp at the climbing memorabilia.

Three pints of "Purple Moose" ale

Excellent walk, and only one more Welsh "County Top" now to go, Carnedd Llewelyn, which despite a summit 21 metres lower than Snowdon, is regarded as a harder climb.

Forty Five - Anglesey - Holyhead Mountain (220m)

South Stack lighthouse - start and 

finish of the walk

It's very busy up here on a Sunday afternoon.  The RSPB have a carpark but it's full, as is the overflow carpark, but we manage to find a space a bit further up the road and admire the lighthouse at South Stack before setting off.

Multiple paths across the mountain,

 but well signposted

There seem to be a lot of options, pathwise, but it's pretty obvious where we're going and as we get closer the way  to the rocky quartzite top is well signposted. There are plenty of climbers as well as walkers making their way up too.

Quite an impressive sheer-sided hill, 

for such a relatively low altitude summit

We reach the summit quickly and admire views of the ferry coming in to Holyhead below us, though it's not clear enough to see the Wicklow mountains this afternoon. The town's harbour wall is impressive from here ; it's 1.7 miles long and was built using rock from the mountain.

Trig point at top, with harbour breakwater

and Irish ferry in background

The route down again is quick and easy, leaving us plenty of time to get to our holiday cottage in Menai Bridge.