This is a fun survey of Hungry Hill both at home and around the world!
I was born and raised on Hungry Hill, north of Farnham in Surrey although my address, of course, was the less evocative ‘Upper Hale’! The history of my Hungry Hill has been well documented and written up, so I don’t intend to repeat that. Suffice to say, the dwellers of Hungry Hill may have physically looked down on Farnham in the Wey valley below, but Farnham definitely never thought much of the cottagers and squatters trying to eke out a living from the thin, stony soil up on Hungry Hill!
Hungry Hill – A Tale of Hops, Poorest of the Poor Land, and Small Pox
William Cobbett paid no attention to Hungry Hill!
“When I returned to London in 1800 (from the U.S.) … I went to Farnham, the place of my birth. I had to cross, in my post chaise, the long and dreary heath of Bagshot; then, at the end of it, to mount a hill called Hungry Hill and from that hill, I look down into the beautiful, fertile vale of Farnham”.
The London Gazette – 1823
“Pursuant to a Decree of the High Court of Chancery … any persons claiming to be the child or children of … Thomas and Sarah Baker, formerly of Hungry Hill, Farnham are forthwith to come to the said court in Chancery Lane, London … or be excluded from the benefit of said Decree”.
Geological Society Magazine, 1883
“Sub-angular flint-gravel caps Hungary Hill near Farnham”. Oops!
Let’s broaden the scope of ‘Hungry Hill’ place names. The Gazeteer of British place Names lists twenty two places name with ‘Hungry’ in the name.
Index to Places within the Districts of County Courts – 1888
Variations on a theme – but all recognized as bona fide places:
| NAME | COUNTY | NEAREST TOWN |
|---|---|---|
| Hungary Hill | Worcestershire | Stourbridge |
| Hunger Hill | Lancashire | Rochdale |
| Hungry Bentley | Derbyshire | Ashbourne |
| Hungry Hall | Staffordshire | Wolverhampton |
| Hungry Hatton | Shropshire | Market Drayton |
| Hungry Hill | Surrey | Farnham |
Hungary Hill in Worcestershire (see table above)
Hungry Hill, Republic of Ireland
Hungry Hill or Knockday is the highest of the Caha Mountains on the Beara Peninsula in County Cork, Ireland. Elevation: 685 meters (2,247 feet).
Hungry Hill, Ireland, is famous for Daphne du Maurier’s novel set in the dramatic Caha Mountains of County Cork, inspired by a family’s copper mining fortunes and feuds, particularly with the Donovan clan, whose curse on the mining family leads to generations of tragedy and unhappiness, with the hill symbolizing the mines ‘swallowing’ lives. (Wikipedia)
Hungry Hill Irish Whiskey
Blurb from the company’s web site: “Hungry Hill holds a poignant tale from the Great Irish Famine. As farmers faced starvation, they sought aid and found unity in the face of silence. On Hungry Hill, they stood together, resilient and unwavering, but tragically, their struggle ended in heartbreak”. (Irishmalts.com) The image used on the whiskey’s label is actually of Knockboy, a different hill in the Caha Mountains.
Scotland has its own take on Hungry Hill
Scotland had 13 entries of hungry place-names in the Ordnance Survey Name Books of the mid-19th century; for example: “Hungry Hill, Selkirkshire is ‘a slight rise, yielding rough pasture‘”. The Dictionary of the Scots Language, however, says that hungry can also mean enchanted!
Hungry Hill, Springfield, Massachusetts U.S.A.
This is a neighbourhood in Springfield with roots to Irish immigrants escaping the potato famine: “In essence, Hungry Hill represents a successful chapter of Irish-American history, a place where immigrants found community, built lives, and preserved their heritage”. (Springfield Historical Society). And we have another novel called ‘Hungry Hill’.
“Curran’s novel is set in the neighborhood where the Irish side of her family has lived for generations. Hungry Hill blends the author’s real-life memories with a tender exploration of the themes of family, love and loss”. (Prime on the Web)
California has its own Hungry Hill
A search of ‘Hungry Hill’ and ‘United States’ reveals that numerous places across the country are so-called.
Hungry Hill ~ near Smithers, British Columbia, Canada
Hungry Hill in British Columbia refers to a prominent hill on Highway 16 famous for its steep grades, challenging driving, and legendary grizzly bear encounters, including the “Hungry Hill Phantom” a huge grizzly bear that preyed on livestock and had to be destroyed by Wildlife Rangers. Locals have many different tales of how this Hungry Hill got its name! Elevation: 820 meters (2,559 ft). The 1012 lbs Hungry Hill Phantom Grizzly Bear, can be seen at Smithers Airport.
Moses the Moose of Hungry Hill ~ Newfoundland, Canada
Hungry Hill Vineyard ~ Marlborough, South Island, New Zealand
Post Script ~ We mustn’t forget the HUNGER in Hungry Hill
‘Art, such as ceramic bowls, created by Hungry Hill artists is used to support others in need including an annual Empty Bowls event, put on by the Butte Emergency Food Bank’. (Butte, Montana, U.S.A.)
Select Sources
- gazeteer.org.uk
- mapco.net
- hungryhill.org
- Google images and books
For all things Hale, visit this link: