Calls made to rename Brown Willy, Cornwall’s highest point
Mountaineers may proudly boast of scaling Ben Nevis, Snowdon or Scaffel Pike but few would proudly share their conquest of Brown Willy, Cornwall’s highest point, down the local boozer.
A group of Cornish residents, tired of innuendo laced smirks and grimaces, are seeking to rectify this however by mounting a campaign to have Cornwall’s hill renamed with its less embarrassing Cornish moniker.
The campaigners believe that the English name creates entirely the wrong visual impression for visitors and are keen to substitute it for ‘Bronn Wennili’, meaning ‘hill of swallows’ in the native Cornish.
Chris Hines, one of the founders of Surfers against Sewage, believes that the historic Cornish name was corrupted over the years and is keen to right this historic wrong.
Pointing out that the term Brown Willy ‘doesn’t mean anything’ Hines said: “It is that kind of giggle factor. At some point or another, I can’t ascertain when, it became Brown Willy. I am hoping the council will turn the name back to Bronn Wennili."
Not everyone is in favour of the rebrand however with one commentator posting on the BBC radio Cornwall Facebook page: “It’s been Brown Willy for as far back as living memory goes and I suspect that it will always be called that, whatever name we may formally give it," said Michael Rabbitte. “We also have Flushing and Looe – are they next?"