Kit Hill (Cornish: Bre Skowl), at 334 metres high, dominates the area between Callington and the River Tamar in southeast Cornwall. The word 'Kit' comes from Old English for kite, a reference to birds of prey (and not specifically the red kite).
Kit Hill Country Park (which includes the hill and surrounding areas), was given to the people of Cornwall in 1985 to mark the birth of Prince William, by his father, the Duke of Cornwall. It is managed by Cornwall Council, and consists of some 152 hectares, making it the most dominant landscape feature in East Cornwall. Kit Hill is the highest point in the Tamar Valley Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
The hill was formed in the same way as nearby Bodmin Moor by the intrusion of magma into overlying sedimentary rocks. This caused the formation of many mineral deposits that were mined extensively in the 18th and early 19th centuries.
The Country Park is steeped in mining history. Metals extracted included tin, silver, copper and tungsten.
The main mines were:
Kit Hill Summit Mines. These mines and shafts started about 1826: Kit Hill United closed in 1864.
East Kit Hill Mine was worked from 1855 to 1909.
Hingston Down mine. This was a very early mine, and evidence shows it may have started in the 17th century: it closed in 1885.
South Kit Hill Mine was worked from 1856 to 1884.
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