Penhill

Penhill (546m) is a prominent hill in the Pennines in North Yorkshire, England. It forms a ridge that commands the southern side of Wensleydale and the northern side of Coverdale. Its concave shape was formed during the last ice age, when glaciers carved Wensleydale into a U-shape. The summit plateau has a trig point, small tarns on the peat moor, and, visible from the valley floor, a beacon at its eastern end, part of the large network built to warn of a Spanish invasion.

Map of Penhill, Leyburn, UK

Penhill is accessed by public footpaths from the village of West Witton, by a bridleway from a minor road between West Witton and Melmerby, or over open access land from the south.

Although Penhill is not a very high hill, its position near the mouth of Wensleydale makes it visible from a considerable distance - from the North York Moors across the Vale of York, as well as from many points in the dale.

Like Pendle Hill, Penhill is a pleonastic name consisting of Brittonic (penn) and Old English (hyll) words for "hill".