Kit Hill
This country park in Cornwall covers 400 acres with miles of good footpaths to try.
The park was given to the people of Cornwall in 1985 by Prince Charles to mark the birth of his son Prince William.
You can climb to the 334 m (1,096 ft) Kit Hill summit and enjoy wonderful views over the Tamar Valley AONB, Dartmoor and Bodmin Moor. At the top of the hill you'll find an artificial fort and a folly built built in the style of a low-walled Saxon castle. There's also a number of viewing tables which highlight features of the surrounding countryside you can see from the summit.
The area is great for wildlife with buzzards, sparrowhawks, deer and various butterflies to look out for. Attractive vegetation includes heathers, gorses, grasses and bilberry. There's also an interesting mining history with the 19th century Summit Stack a well known landmark.
The park is located just to the north of Callington and has a car park on the eastern side near Monkscross.
To continue your walking in the area you could try the Tamar Valley Discovery Trail and enjoy a waterside walk along the River Tamar. If you head a couple of miles east to Chilsworthy you can pick up the trail there. Also nearby is the splendid Cotehele House. The Tudor house has nice footpaths taking you around the extensive grounds.
Postcode
PL17 8HR - Please note: Postcode may be approximate for some rural locationsKit Hill Ordnance Survey Map 
- view and print off detailed OS map
Kit Hill Open Street Map 
- view and print off detailed map
Kit Hill OS Map 
- Mobile GPS OS Map with Location tracking
Kit Hill Open Street Map 
- Mobile GPS Map with Location tracking
Pubs/Cafes
Louis Tea Rooms are in an ideal spot on the southern slopes of the hill. You can enjoy a delicious cream tea with fine views over the Tamar Valley and Dartmoor from the outdoor area. The cafe is located to the south east of the hill at postcode PL17 8AX for your sat navs.
Dog Walking
The woodland and parkland are ideal for dog walking so you'll probably see other owners on your visit. The tea rooms mentioned above are also dog friendly.
Further Information and Other Local Ideas
Head a few miles east of the park and you could visit the pretty village of Gunnislake. There's some nice river trails, a rushing weir, an interesting old bridge and a fine 17th century pub to visit here.
The Callington Walk will take you south of the town to climb to the Cadson Bury Iron Age Hill fort. From the ancient site there are fine views over the River Lynher Valley.
For more walking ideas in the area see the Cornwall Walks page.
Cycle Routes and Walking Routes Nearby
Photos
Kit Hill Quarry Face. The disused granite quarry on Kit Hill was excavated to form something of an amphitheatre with a narrow entrance. A lake has formed below the quarry face which as the sign in the foreground warns is deep in places.
Entrance to Kit Hill. Most people get onto the hill via the road on the eastern side which takes you up to the top. This is the far less used and more interesting northern entrance to the hill. Here the only way to the top is to walk or ride a horse.
This disused granite quarry near the summit of the hill was worked from the early 19th century until 1955. The structures in which Kit Hill granite was used include six bridges over the Thames in London.
South Kit Hill Mine with the stack of the mine in the background. The Chimney on the right of the image is the stack from the steam pumping engine of the former mine. The circular structure in the middle of the image behind the fence is the top of the engine shaft. Water would have been pumped up this shaft by the steam engine. It discharged into a short adit (horizontal shaft) a few metres beneath the surface. The adit opened out into the area of vegetation in the bottom left of the image in front of the fence. The adit is still open but inaccessible due to the dense mass of prickly gorse in front of the portal
Kelly Bray and Holmbush plantation from the western slopes of the hill. The houses in the top right corner are in the village of Kelly Bray. The buildings visible on the edge of Holmbush plantation are the ruined buildings of Holmbush Mine. This image was taken from SX37137154.
The Eastern Slope of the hill. Looking down along the access road to the hill. In the distance the land rises up again to Hingston Down on the horizon.
Car Park halfway the hill. You can drive to the top if you want but this car park built on an old mine spoil tip is a good place to set out to explore the site.
