What exactly is a mountain?

Q. Is there an official criteria for what is classed as a mountain in the United Kingdom?

I saw a film on TV the other day ("The Englishman Who Went Up A Hill But Came Down A Mountain", set during the 1st World War) and it claimed a hill had to be 1000ft or over to qualify as a mountain. I'm sure this can't be right. Thanks in advance for any help, maybe I'll sleep easier once I know if this was right or not.

Mark Hammonds

A. See Mountain Classifcations for more information

Hope this helps.

Mike (Editor)

A. The generally accepted line, and the simple answer is that a mountain in the UK is a hill which is at least 2000 feet or 610 metres high.

This raises problems in defining a mountain where the "tops" are linked by a ridge. The question is - how much extra climbing is required for two tops on a ridge to be classified as separate mountains?

Different lists use different "reascents". eg Corbetts have to have 500 feet of reascent whereas other lists quote 30 metres, 15 metres - or something else...

Its not all that satisfactory a definition since it means that prominent, craggy hills such as Illgill Head are excluded because its only 1998 feet high, but boggy, sloppy round lumps like Bink Moss in the Pennines are included.

Subjectively, Illgill Head is much more of a mountain that Bink Moss.

And so on......

Mike Knipe, Crook

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