Brendon Hills

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The Brendon Hills are comprised of a lofty ridge of hills in the west of Somerset, England.

The hills are quite heavily cultivated unlike their neighbouring upland areas of Exmoor and the Quantock Hills. Over the centuries they have been mined for minerals, notably ironstone from which iron is extracted for making steel. During the nineteenth century this activity reached a peak with a railway, including an 800 foot incline, being built to take the ore to Watchet from where it was sent to Ebbw Vale for smelting. The main mining operations ended when the mines were worked out towards the end of the 1800s.

The hills merge level into the eastern side of Exmoor, and they are included within the Exmoor National Park. The highest point on the hills is Lype Hill at 422 metres (1388 feet) above sea level the range meets Exmoor. The highest point on the ridge itself is 412 metres (1350 feet). Both points are marked by Ordnance Survey trig points and are located within enclosed farmland.