Crog Hill

Hill, Mountain in Berkshire Vale of White Horse

England

Crog Hill

Gallop, Lambourn, Berkshire Credit: Oswald Bertram

Crog Hill is a prominent hill located in Berkshire, England. Rising to an elevation of 261 meters (856 feet), it is considered one of the highest points in the county. Situated within the Berkshire Downs, Crog Hill offers breathtaking panoramic views of the surrounding landscape.

This hill is primarily composed of chalk and forms part of the North Wessex Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Its distinct rounded shape is a result of centuries of erosion by wind and rain, giving it a unique and picturesque appearance. The summit of Crog Hill is adorned with a trig point, which serves as a marker for surveying and mapping purposes.

The area surrounding Crog Hill is rich in history and archaeology. Traces of ancient settlements, including Iron Age hillforts, have been discovered on its slopes. These remnants provide insight into the hill's significance as a defensive site during ancient times.

Today, Crog Hill is a popular destination for outdoor enthusiasts and nature lovers. The hill offers various walking trails and footpaths, allowing visitors to explore the beautiful countryside and enjoy the breathtaking views. Wildlife, including birds of prey and rare flora, can often be spotted in the area.

Access to Crog Hill is relatively easy, with nearby parking facilities and public transportation options available. Local authorities have taken measures to preserve the natural beauty of the area and maintain the trails for visitors to enjoy.

In summary, Crog Hill in Berkshire is a stunning natural landmark, offering panoramic views, a rich historical background, and opportunities for outdoor recreation.

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Crog Hill Images

Images are sourced within 2km of 51.552323/-1.5402567 or Grid Reference SU3183. Thanks to Geograph Open Source API. All images are credited.

Gallop, Lambourn, Berkshire

Oswald Bertram

Downland, near Lambourn, Berkshire

Oswald Bertram

Downland arable north of Seven Barrows

Taken on a showery evening, in rapidly changing light. The line of trees on the left marks the route of the road to Kingston Lisle; higher, on the right, is Hill Barn Clump. The stormy clouds hang over the crest of the downs and the Vale of the White Horse.

Stefan Czapski

A field of beans on the flank of Sparsholt Down

The crop here - vast acres of it - is broad beans. The narrow strip of woodland runs along the crest of Sparsholt Down.

Stefan Czapski

Byway on Pit Down

Here running north-east and uphill, shaded by a plantation of beeches. Behind the camera the track leads downhill to Seven Barrows and the road to Lambourn.

Stefan Czapski

Seven Barrows: cattle sheltering from rain

One of the most prominent barrows has a beech tree growing on top of it, and these bullocks were huddling beneath it during a drizzly spell. They soon emerged when the sun came out. Walking round the enclosed area of Seven Barrows nature reserve, I soon realised that there were more than seven mounds. I've seen estimates of two dozen and more - though they may refer to an area larger than the enclosed reserve.

Stefan Czapski

The Seven Barrows nature reserve

This is the site of a Bronze Age barrow cemetery, lying in a hollow on the Lambourn Downs. Walking round the site you soon realise that there are more barrows than the name suggests. My guess would be that the name dates from the centuries when mystical significance was assigned to the number seven (hence Seven Stars, Seven Seas, Seven Deadly Sins, Seven Ages of Man). The enclosed nature reserve is managed by the Berks., Bucks. & Oxon. Wildlife Trust, chiefly to conserve a small population of the Marsh Fritillary butterfly - a scarce species whose distribution has retreated westwards in the last half-century.

Stefan Czapski

Seven Barrows

This hollow in the Lambourn Downs is the site of a Bronze Age round-barrow cemetery. There are a good many mounds (certainly more than seven) but they are crowded together, and many sit in shallow depressions. An individual barrow may appear out of the long grass only as you approach it. The mound with the beech tree is perhaps the most isolated, and certainly the easiest to pick out at a distance. The picture was taken in rapidly changing light (after rain), and the light and shade helps emphasise the uneven relief.

Stefan Czapski

View from the Lambourn-Kingston Lisle road, north of Seven Barrows

The tree marks the remains of a barrow, but the evenness of the ground suggests that the area was formerly ploughed. These days much of the area is race-horse gallops - pretty much permanent grass.

Stefan Czapski

Byway heading uphill from Seven Barrows

The byway heads NE from Seven Barrows to reach the B4001 Faringdon road. Shaun Ferguson's contribution SU3382 : Byway heading up Pit Down shows the same byway - but the photo was taken a little further up the slope. The four (puzzling) ruts were still there when I visited in June 2017, though somewhat hidden by the long grass of early summer. My own contribution SU3383 : Byway on Pit Down shows the byway a little further ahead, as it passes a beech clump. The main land-use here is as race-horse gallops.

Stefan Czapski

Stormy sky over the downs

Photo taken about an hour before sunset on a showery day in early June. The lie-of-the-land may be undramatic and prairie-like, but you are quite high up here - the 190m contour runs right across the picture. The trees mark the alignment of the Lambourn-Kingston Lisle road.

Stefan Czapski

Farmland east of Scary Hill

Stefan Czapski

Beech tree on a barrow, Seven Barrows

However many barrows there may be at this site - and there are certainly more than seven - this seems to be the highest and the most prominent. Many of the others sit in their own shallow circular depressions- saucer-barrows and bowl-barrows, as they are known.

Stefan Czapski

Coprinus fungus at Seven Barrows

The name of this genus of fungus reflects the fact that it thrives on dung. Compare, for instance: SU1950 : Inkcap fungus growing from a cow-pat, Haxton Down

Stefan Czapski

Farmland, Lambourn

A public bridleway follows what is now the boundary between West Berkshire and Oxfordshire.

Andrew Smith

Downland, Uffington

A restricted byway to the south of Idlebush Barrow makes its way through an area of horse gallops.

Andrew Smith

Idlebush Barrow

Probable Bronze Age burial tumulus, much reduced, and situated alongside the Lambourn Valley Way long distance path and between racehorse gallops. The mound is mentioned by Thomas Hughes and Edward Thomas. There is much speculation as to how the name came about, but no-one seems to know.

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