326:
beacons(s) although the exact location of this beacon(s) is not known. There have been several archeological excavations in this area but none of these have specifically investigated the earthworks at Beacon Hill. There are reports of a watch being kept at this site in 1324, so it's very probable that some kind of Beacon existed around this time. Historians believe there would have been a Beacon here around the time of the
Spanish Armada in 1588 and certainly one in 1608 when there are records of repairs. There are records from the Norfolk Quarter Sessions of money being raised in the 1650s and 1660s to maintain a Beacon here and to ensure a watch was still being kept. This would have been during the time of the Dutch invasions. According to Faden's 1797 map of Norfolk this hill is described as
38:
143:
136:
297:. The Cromer Ridge seems to have been the front line of the ice sheet for some time at the last glaciations, which is shown by the large size of the feature. All the material that was dredged up from the North Sea was deposited by the glaciers to form Beacon Hill and the rest of the ridge. The Ridge is the highest land of
325:
drivers as a means to make this place more appealing for tourists using the already existing earthworks to justify this 'assertion'. Despite its name there is no evidence of any Roman occupation on this site. The earthworks, or enclosure, was once a coastal signal station and probably of earlier
330:
which suggests it was no longer in use at this time. Although the exact location of these
Beacons on the ridge are not known, this site would appear to be the most likely place for such outposts. Maps from the 18th century have the site marked as a rounded enclosure ‘termed’ as the old
280:
made to the
National Trust collection box provide on the edge of the car park. Litter bins and benches make Beacon Hill an ideal location for picnics. There are several footpaths to follow across the area.
273:
305:
coast. It is characterized by its irregular, undulating, intimate and well-wooded topography and by substantial areas of heather in the west. Small, enclosed arable fields, hedge banks,
343:
of 1838 calls the site a Signal
Station and calls it Black Beacon Hill. It is understood the banks located here today are the remains of a signal station built during the time of the
196:
531:
78:
376:
92:
526:
434:
412:
135:
497:
477:
401:
268:
on the North
Norfolk coast. At its summit the hill is 105 metres (344 ft) above sea level. The hill is also known as
190:
20:
449:
85:
37:
521:
276:. A track, named Calves Well Lane, running west from Sandy Lane leads to a car park which is maintained by
225:
63:
309:
such as Sandy Lane which leads up Beacon Hill are common characteristic features all along the ridge.
516:
73:
493:
473:
430:
397:
344:
340:
321:
camp, a name which it is believed was coined around the turn of the 19th century by local
209:
204:
176:
510:
385:
371:
302:
317:
On the summit of Beacon Hill there is an earthwork enclosure. This area is known as
318:
240:
183:
381:
306:
265:
19:
This article is about the hill near West Runton. For the hill near
Colkirk, see
336:
322:
355:. The signal sites from Norfolk downwards were abandoned from November 1841.
107:
94:
352:
289:
Beacon Hill is a part of the Cromer Ridge which is a ridge of old glacial
277:
298:
290:
264:. The hill is located 0.75 miles (1.2 km) south of the village of
261:
257:
168:
332:
294:
53:
348:
272:. The summit and surrounding woodlands are now in the care of the
293:(terminal moraine) that stands next to the coast above
347:and was part of a chain of signals stretching from
239:
234:
224:
219:
203:
189:
175:
164:
123:
84:
72:
62:
52:
47:
30:
301:and stretches for 9 miles (14 km) along the
374:of 26 metres above sea level at grid reference
490:East and West Runton: Two Villages, One Parish
470:East and West Runton: Two Villages, One Parish
16:Highest point in the English county of Norfolk
8:
492:by G.F. Leake, Poppyland Publishing, p. 27
472:by G.F. Leake, Poppyland Publishing, p. 26
429:. Chichester: Summersdale. pp. 17–20.
396:”OS Explorer Map” 25, Norfolk Coast East,
27:
427:Walking the county high points of England
364:
7:
142:
532:Highest points of English counties
380:, at the confluence of the Rivers
14:
141:
134:
36:
1:
527:Napoleonic beacons in England
328:The Old Beacon or Watch Tower
21:Beacon Hill, Colkirk, Norfolk
256:is the highest point in the
548:
413:Circular Walk – Roman Camp
18:
128:
42:The summit of Beacon Hill
35:
425:Bathurst, David (2012).
58:105 m (344 ft)
68:79 m (259 ft)
155:Beacon Hill in Norfolk
351:and as far north as
460:Bryants Map of 1826
341:Ordnance Survey map
104: /
48:Highest point
436:978-1-84-953239-6
251:
250:
108:52.925°N 1.2514°E
539:
522:Hills of Norfolk
501:
487:
481:
467:
461:
458:
452:
447:
441:
440:
422:
416:
410:
404:
394:
388:
379:
369:
243:
199:
179:
145:
144:
138:
119:
118:
116:
115:
114:
109:
105:
102:
101:
100:
97:
40:
28:
547:
546:
542:
541:
540:
538:
537:
536:
507:
506:
505:
504:
488:
484:
468:
464:
459:
455:
448:
444:
437:
424:
423:
419:
411:
407:
395:
391:
375:
370:
366:
361:
345:Napoleonic Wars
323:horse drawn cab
315:
287:
241:
195:
177:
160:
159:
158:
157:
156:
153:
152:
151:
150:
146:
112:
110:
106:
103:
98:
95:
93:
91:
90:
43:
24:
17:
12:
11:
5:
545:
543:
535:
534:
529:
524:
519:
509:
508:
503:
502:
482:
462:
453:
442:
435:
417:
415:norfolk.gov.tr
405:
389:
363:
362:
360:
357:
314:
311:
286:
283:
274:National Trust
249:
248:
245:
237:
236:
232:
231:
230:Prominent hill
228:
222:
221:
217:
216:
207:
201:
200:
193:
187:
186:
181:
173:
172:
166:
162:
161:
154:
148:
147:
140:
139:
133:
132:
131:
130:
129:
126:
125:
121:
120:
113:52.925; 1.2514
88:
82:
81:
76:
70:
69:
66:
60:
59:
56:
50:
49:
45:
44:
41:
33:
32:
15:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
544:
533:
530:
528:
525:
523:
520:
518:
515:
514:
512:
499:
498:0-946148-75-9
495:
491:
486:
483:
479:
478:0-946148-75-9
475:
471:
466:
463:
457:
454:
451:
446:
443:
438:
432:
428:
421:
418:
414:
409:
406:
403:
402:0-319-21727-2
399:
393:
390:
387:
383:
378:
373:
368:
365:
358:
356:
354:
350:
346:
342:
338:
334:
329:
324:
320:
312:
310:
308:
304:
303:North Norfolk
300:
296:
292:
284:
282:
279:
275:
271:
267:
263:
259:
255:
246:
244:
242:Easiest route
238:
233:
229:
227:
226:Mountain type
223:
218:
214:
211:
208:
206:
202:
198:
194:
192:
188:
185:
182:
180:
174:
170:
167:
163:
137:
127:
122:
117:
89:
87:
83:
80:
77:
75:
71:
67:
65:
61:
57:
55:
51:
46:
39:
34:
29:
26:
22:
489:
485:
469:
465:
456:
445:
426:
420:
408:
392:
367:
327:
316:
307:sunken lanes
288:
269:
253:
252:
212:
184:Cromer Ridge
178:Parent range
25:
517:West Runton
382:Little Ouse
337:watch tower
266:West Runton
254:Beacon Hill
149:Beacon Hill
111: /
86:Coordinates
31:Beacon Hill
511:Categories
359:References
270:Roman Camp
260:county of
247:Sandy Lane
96:52°55′30″N
79:County top
64:Prominence
450:BBC Coast
353:Edinburgh
285:Formation
278:donations
171:, England
124:Geography
99:1°15′05″E
54:Elevation
377:TM038790
313:Features
291:moraines
235:Climbing
213:Explorer
205:Topo map
197:TG186413
165:Location
386:Waveney
299:Norfolk
262:Norfolk
258:English
220:Geology
191:OS grid
169:Norfolk
74:Listing
496:
476:
433:
400:
339:. The
333:Beacon
295:Cromer
349:Devon
319:Roman
494:ISBN
474:ISBN
431:ISBN
398:ISBN
384:and
335:and
372:Col
513::
215:25
210:OS
500:.
480:.
439:.
23:.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
