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Name:Hensbarrow Beacon
Hill number:2884
Height:313m / 1027ft
Parent (Ma):19290  Hensbarrow Downs
RHB Section:40: Cornwall & Devon
County/UA:Cornwall
Catchment:Minor Rivers only (South)
Class:Clem, Other lists
(Cm,O)
Grid ref:SW 99682 57557
Summit feature:ground at boundary stone 8m north of trig point
Drop:6m
Col:307m  SW 9968 5750  
OS map sheet(s):(1:50k) 200
(1:25k) 106
Observations:all visible china clay tips are higher (Abney level)
Survey:obvious summit
Comments:on Clems list, Marilyn moved to hill 19290 Hensbarrow Downs in Feb 2017
Change log:show changes for this hill entry
GPS data:show GPS entries for this hill

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N.B. Some hill summits are on private property or on land where there is no public right of way.  Permission should be sought from the landowner where access to a hill summit is through private land.
Please report via the contact page any logs you see below which describe or encourage acts of trespass.  Please quote the hill number and hill name.

Logged Descriptions  (logged by 228 users)ByDate of Ascent
Should have done some more research on this beforehand. British Lithium have a pilot processing plant just to the NE of Hensbarrow Beacon where they have developed a patented process to produce EV battery grade lithium carbonate this year. On 29June they announced a partnership with local French miner Imerys to develop and expand production in the area. As a result the fp to the west has been closed and security in the viscinity tightened up with van patrols on the tracks. We managed to get to the trig point but no further. As a working day there was a lot of truck traffic on the roads/tracks, so next time we might try on a weekend.richard6930/08/2023
On a walk from Higher Trezaise, taking in Hensbarrow Downs, Hensbarrow Beacon and then on to Roche Rock. A magnificent Bronze Age round barrow on what would have been the highest point for miles around, it's sad that it's now dwarfed by the spoil heap.thesweetcheat20/06/2022
An unusual place for a Trig. I can only assume that at the time of its erection the higher Hensbarrow Downs either did not exist, or was being worked for china clay.summitter13/04/2022
On the way to Hensbarrow Downspaulhilder21/02/2022
Walked in from Roche then circumnavigated the quarryPhilipChaston04/02/2022
From muddy, potholed parking area to the west. Very busy industrial area. Awful, wet, overgrown, neglected footpath to trig. Solo.Dangerous Dave10/01/2022
From small parking area to W with J. Followed the somewhat overgrown & wet path to the trig point. Then aimed at the obvious notch in the bank on the spoil heap behind. Took 3 goes & a bit of a battle through the growing scrub & small trees to reach it. Then followed the quarry track round one bend & cut up straight to the top. However the actual top could be almost anywhere up there. The quarrying activity seems to be on the W of the minor road now & the landscaping of the spoil heap has been done quite sympathetically. Very little suggestion of GOML here now with a lot of Open Access land defined. Panoramic view but it's difficult to look past the quarrying unfortunately.NotReallyABagger28/09/2020
Two things about hills with 'Beacon' in the name... Easy access (someone has to get the firewood up there) and Good Views. (Almost) two ticks for this one as the natural summit is very much overshadowed by spoil heaps.M3WDD25/09/2020
Walked up footpath, gorse was very painful in shorts. While a summit the views are better on top of the hensbarrow downs spoil heap which has been nicely regenerated.FelixClayhill18/08/2020
Met a non-SOTA radio ham broadcasting for charity on a revisit (for me) who couldn't stop thanking me for taking a portrait of him at the trig!Eddie10/07/2019
Came down here to visit the trig point after visiting the new Mayilyn top nearby. Afterwards I took the footpath north back to the main road.Father Ted05/05/2019
My 2000th log on hill baggingAlan Caine31/03/2019
After visiting the Marilyn's new location.NormanW30/03/2019
Easy but waterlogged walk from small car park at SW991575.Isbjorn04/11/2018
Directed here by security men. An oddest of topstumpawumpa05/10/2018
on return from new summit with elizyanneGmacT04/07/2018
trig point on way to marilyncjo21/06/2018
If only ascending this hill it is an easy walk from the car park to the west with the trig visible most of the way. If you are also climbing Hensbarrow Downs read on. After the trig the next 250m is through deep vegetation including brambles, gorse and bracken and includes a short, but steepish, cliff face. This is all best done in descent. The advice is to to look up the logs for the other hill and then ascend this one on the way down.moorsman17/06/2018
From car park to west en-route to Hensbarrow DownsKate_and_Euan19/07/2017
En route to re-located summit.richtea504021/04/2017
A revisit because I feel sorry for it. Poor thing has lost its status and it must be bad enough to have to put up with slags as neighbours.Martin R17/03/2017
Second visit, in the mist, with Chris Peart. The spoil heap is now transformedColin Crawford16/01/2017
Revisit en route to newly designated higher summitRHW27/11/2016
Parked in layby 992 575. Walked straight up / down path. Easy walk but boggy / wet underfoot. Great sunset views over StAustell.Hippy7705/11/2016
TD, C & H.This Dog22/10/2016
Parked in layby on B3274 to the north. Followed PF around landscaped spoil heaps to much lower trig and high point.mart079722/09/2016
Missed carpark to west and parked into the side of the road slightly to the north as was early morning. Walk to the trig was straightforward from west but some water on the path so wished I had wellies not approach shoes. Also made ascent up to plaque on actual summit to ESE on rewilded workings.Danmawr30/07/2016
A walk up with my 2 daughters to the summit trig and boundary stone. We went up on to the slag heap and we were surprised by how pleasant it was with short cropped grass and great views. We saw Golden Plover, Snipe, Skylarks, Meadow Pipits as well as a Kestrel hunting. This tip should be the recognised summit. There was a plaque close to the summit in memory of Roger Woodland who helped with the rewilding.isabelle04/04/2016
From the west in rain and low cloud. No views. Solo. Stopped off on the way to Penzance for a few days break.mike.hoult03/04/2016
Expect to be back when higher surrounding land is given top statusBramley13/10/2015
KeithByTheC06/05/2015
A Truly Mindless Experence! Found the trig point and looked up at the St Austell Alps. I suppose we will have to come back one day when its decided that the summit is the top of one of the slag heaps. The path from the north was a prickly little number not appreciated by Mrs M.mindlessflogger09/04/2015
From N. V brambly start. Would have been better off driving up to china clay workings to W.squeegs01/04/2015
Parked in the small car park to the west (SW99230 57536) - Made way along overgrown path to the boundary stone and trig point on the natural summit, a distance of less than ½km. (S)gerrybowes13/03/2015
4/7 Parked to west and went to top of landscapped slag heap may be higher yet !Fergalh12/12/2014
A short solo walk from the west in very wet onditions. Parked at 992575.bolton17/11/2014
Second visit to boundary stone top, but this time visited new top on landscaped old china clay workings.PeteF01/11/2014
From rough car park across heath land to trig point where I operated for SOTA. Thunderstorm on summit with flying sparks around our radio equipment so we packed up earlier than expected on safety grounds, it was also inclement needless to say...G4OBK (Phil)07/10/2014
Not the best of summits! Crappy weather, and lots of earth movers nearby. Got soaked. Still, picked up a couple of nearby geocaches.Munroist393525/05/2014
From the CP, soggy field, overlooked by slag heap. Bagged that just in case. W Jenxnordicstar17/04/2014
A simple walk to the trig from the free car park at the top of the road to the west.Sprog15/04/2014
Bagged whilst in the area geocaching. Nabbed trig point too. Odd being on a peak that is lower than ground (man made) around it!CornishGazza30/11/2013
From the West.tim74713/05/2013
. CreakingHiker13/05/2013
left the littered car park, walked past the summit and climbed the large tip beyond, in the poring rain - it's nearer than you think.jimbloomer28/01/2013
Trig and spoil heap from B3274 lay by near footpath. Spoil heap worth it for view if it's a clear day!Matt Hicks11/09/2012
Quick walk with Mum, up to the trig point from the north. It was misty and drizzly so we weren't tempted to explore the artificial summits - in fact you could only just see that the trig point wasn't the highest ground!davidpettit8409/10/2011
Trig set amongst stunning colours of gorse & heather. Industrial activity on the slag heaps both sides of the road, so couldn't explore either of them. However, they've clearly not reached their full height yet, so no point bagging them - stick to the twheresthepath16/09/2011
quick out and back from small parking area, weather thundery showers.stig_nest16/09/2011
Sorry to its lovers but I disliked this hill - easily amongst top three worst of 250 marilyns so far - it is just depressing and who knows which topt it the highestgigglejon04/08/2011
Snowy slopes led up to the top of the much higher man-made hill. The summit of this seemed well established and there was a small cairn. Then descended to the trig, on a small hillock.Aye Jimmy22/12/2010
Light drizzle, gale, low mist, mediocre views to sea.iangalbraith12/11/2010
Visited the trig area (Hensbarrow Beacon) and new top (Hensbarrow Down)RobertP16/02/2010
Parked in quarry entrance off road to the east and dashed up the spoil heap, descending via the official top.Herbert Anchovy22/01/2010
Continued up the now grassy spoil heap behind the 312m trig point to reach a height of 366m on my altimeter. Other nearby tips may be higher though!AndyS31/10/2009
With Kate. From car (17:20) at nearest point on road to E followed track and sometimes overgrown path to huge regrassed china clay spoil heap. Quarrying seemed active on top; couldn't find trig point. Highest pt was at edge of a crater. dbb19/09/2009
Upright stone near the trig pillar. Spoil heap to East is about 50m higher (c. 360m) - "current" top is at SX 00031 57397 on crater rim.webmaster14/08/2009
Sad little top dwarfed by the spoil heaps.Overthehilljill09/05/2009
Parked in small car park to west at SX 99230 57536. Upright stone a couple of yards from trig is obviously higher. A veil of thick mist blotted out the true ghastliness of this 'hill'. (And any possible higher point for that matter!)David Gradwell06/04/2009
original Marilyn but many tops visited during extended visit.lordtonult14/01/2009
Difficult to count the trig point as the high point. I clambered all over the much higher spoil heaps. All rather surreal and feel that tomorrow there will be a higher point when another lorry load arrives.clivevilla28/10/2008
First time the summit is smaller than everything else around....very strange but it is a quick tick...and its still dry and clear.Dugswell201/06/2008
What can you say- Mobile Marilyn. Bagged trig then current top which some comedian had marked with a cross.Eddie19/04/2008
Easy trig 'summit', followed by a wander over the much higher neighbouring spoil heap.mae15/03/2008
Horrible hill with virtually no ascent and overshadowed on 3 sides by clay spoilheapsM0ZZO07/03/2008
For many people hillbagging is a pointless activity. We disagree!! But hill bagging when the 'top' isn't the highest point? For me this is the worst Marilyn. Perhaps when work finishes and it's possible to go up the highest spoil heap it may be worthwhile. Diversion on way to Eden project with Mom.pwheeler27/09/2007
petey17/09/2007
Nice views of grassy spoil heaps. top over shadowed by taller heap to the eastRhayader_wander31/05/2007
Trig pillar dominated by a 'mountain of rubble' behind. Carry on from the west past the trig point for 55m then join a 'road' very wide and easy walking. Ascend to the 'top' (SX 00044 57391 - which is possibly the top but who cares - another 50 metres indestaylor13/03/2007
Completed revised summit on consolidated and replanted tip, substantially higher than previous strange hp. This involved leaving Leicestershire at 03.00 and arriving at Hensbarrow at 07;.30. New hp was shrouded in thick mist. Date 08/12/2016.Campbell Singer28/05/2006
http://tomread.co.ukm1eyp27/07/2005
Parked near Roche Rock and walked up to the trig. No doubt I will come back once the spoil heaps are stable.garyhoney17/10/2003
Parked at the entrance to the quarry and made my way initially to the OS triangulation column then to the top of the slag heap beyond which over-tops it. yorkie28/09/2003
With: hb sb ab; Parked at quarry entrance to W by radio masts then walked to Trig Point. From here we scrambled up the waste E of trig to locate the summit somewhere about SX000573.Ian Baines03/08/2003
With: ib sb ab; Helen Baines03/08/2003
Fun scrambling up the quarry waste which towers over the trig. Highest point could have been several places on the volcano-like rim (or even on the tip on the other side of the road!) Trig pillar (S1736) DOES NOT COUNT on this one!!signyred02/08/2003
Man made mounds looked higher, not the most pleasant of hills.PeterD25/07/2002
Climbed to the natural high point and ignored the shifting mounds of china clay leavings on either side.Man of Kernow125/03/2002
Trig point is the natural top, over topped by China Clay spoilChinnockC16/02/2002
Annual bagging/climbing week with Darren. 5 Cornish marilyns in low cloud and drizzle- heading to Bosigran for climbing (in the sun next day)Chris Pearson13/08/2001
Galltywenallt30/07/2001
Jamie's first marilyn, three weeks after his 2nd birthday, on his own little legs a trifling walk with the curiosity of much higher new ground on the slag heaps that must surely in future be considered to be the new summit.vegibagger22/07/2001
Date is first visit. Notes from later...spoil heap overtops trig pt, cairn @ 000575, track goes most of way. track from road summit @ 992575 RHW28/08/1999
A short walk off a by road in middle of clay spoil heaps.arranc31/10/1998
The real summit, and I will continue to count it in my marilyn total whatever the relative bing soc chunter on about. The bings were unstable and being actively worked at this time. Did consider a scrabble up, but it would have been futile - the rbsoc summit did not exist then.fasgadh01/10/1997
Solo tripInvicta1417/10/1996
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