"Oh, The grand old Duke of York,
He had ten thousand men;
He marched them up to the top of the hill,
And he marched them down again."
I think this is why a participant on an English TV series such as Time Commanders would perceive a Hill as valuable.
This Nursery rhyme is so ingrained in our culture that children will hear it in our school system, almost devoid of all context except for a 'Horrible Histories' type of caricature I.e Redcoats and wigs.
Kids will also play games where a hill is an important part of play.