10.06.15 Cefn Bola Maen (SN 965 348), Garreg Fawr (SN
945 373), Pt. 412.8m (SN 925 349), Pt. 412.8m (SN 931 340), Coedcae Colfrân
(SN 936 330), Twyn Disgwylfa (SN 951 318) and Pt. 394m (SN 958 315)
Twyn Disgwylfa (SN 951 318) |
Mynydd Epynt is a large
area of uplands in southern mid Wales whose hills in its northern and western
lands are out of bounds for much of the year.
These lands were acquired by the War Office in late June 1940 and subsequently
used as a military firing range and named the Sennybridge Training Area.
In all the War Office
acquired approximately 12,000 hectares of land and 219 people from 54 homes
were uprooted. These homes were mainly
farms and the community they formed has forever gone, with many having lived on
the Epynt for generations. Some found
new farms, whilst others lived out there lives heartbroken from their
loss. This sparse community was Welsh
speaking and their upheaval resulted in the de-facto Welsh language border
being shifted ten miles to the west.
Access through these
hills has to be planned, in the past I have been fortunate and have been taken
by a local farmer in his Landrover on the northern escarpment tracks late in
the evening when the military had ended their day’s work. I’ve also picked off some of the hills on
this ranges eastern periphery, but the bulk of the hills within the Epynt
remain unvisited by me.
In 2004 the Epynt Way was
created by the Ministry of Defence as a 75km (49 mile) long distance footpath,
this footpath is circular and has been established around the perimeter of the
firing range. This long distance
footpath partly compensates those who wish to visit this area as the old rights
of way have been closed due to the nature of the military’s use of the land.
Today I wanted to
investigate part of the southern land of the Epynt and visit four Pedwarau and
two Subs and survey as many summits and bylchau as possible, in fact only one
critical bwlch associated with these hills was not on my planned route and this
lay northward in the firing range and was definitely out of bounds for the day.
I parked in a small
lay-by just beyond Ffosygerwn which is used by a farmer to swing his vehicles
into his farmyard having spoken to him beforehand. As I got my boots on and sorted my gear out
the early morning wind whipped a chill into proceedings, and I put on my one
skin summer walking jacket as my arms
had got decidedly cold when I had previously spoken to the farmer.
My first hill of the day
was Cefn Bola Maen and to get to it I walked on quiet narrow lanes as they
meandered upward, a farmer passed on a quad bike with fresh warm milk contained
in a feeding vessel for a newly arrived calf, we only spoke for a minute or so
as he needed to get to the calf before the milk cooled.
I left the lane at a
corner and tried to find the continuing footpath having incorrectly
investigated the back of someone’s house named Troed-y-rhiw on the map which is
situated below the farm of Bolamaen. Behind
me the prominent profile of the Beacons rose out of the south-Walian landscape,
these hills and their distinctive shape would remain with me for the rest of
the day.
The distinctive profile of Bannau Brycheiniog - the Brecon Beacons that would remain with me for most of the day |
The slightly raised summit of Twyn Disgwylfa in centre of photo |
Old and modern; the ancient standing stone of Maen Richard with the more recent construction of the trig pillar on the summit of Cefn Bola Maen in the background |
Gathering data from the summit of Cefn Bola Maen |
Looking across to the summits of Coedcae Colfrân on the left and one of the Sub-Pedwar peaks on the right |
The blue tinged waters of Llyn Dŵr |
A quiet landscape of cotton grass and water |
As the Trimble gathered
its all-important data from the moorland summit a small herd of grazing horses approached
from the east, they happily submerged themselves in the long grass. I then went to have a look at the rock that
the hill takes its name from, Garreg Fawr is indeed large. The rock is split in two and I wondered if it
is a recumbent that once stood proudly on this hill. Whatever its history I Trimbled it and took a
number of photos when doing so.
On the edge of military land with grazing horses adding peace and tranquility to the thud of distant explosions |
Gathering data from the summit of Garreg Fawr |
Gathering data from the top of the Garreg Fawr |
My route down to the valley with the ridge to the left of the distinctive copse of fir trees being my next objective |
No entry when the red flag is flying |
Definitely a place to avoid on red flag flying days |
By now the early
afternoon was proving warm and I slowly made my way up the track and quietly
continued past Rhiw and followed the track to its end in a field. This then gave access through a gate back
onto the higher Epynt ridge. Away to my
north another red flag flew, but my route now continued south over two
Sub-Pedwar hills.
These two Subs are
listed under the point (Pt.) notation in Y Pedwarau as no names seem to exist
for these hills; one has 28m of drop and the other 26m of drop according to
Ordnance Survey map details. Each bwlch
and summit was Trimbled, with the high point of the 413m spot heighted top
being at a grassed ancient cairn, between each is the continuation of the track
that leads onto the military land.
Gathering data from the summit of one of the 400m Sub-Pedwar hills with the copse of fir trees seen from the ochr coloured track on the right of the photo |
As I placed the Trimble
down on the track next to the narrow road I waited in the sunshine and watched
the occasional car and tractor as they crested the top of the road. Once bwlch data were gathered I followed a
sheep track back up toward the next summit, the sheep track soon found a wider
green track that led through a small copse of conifers to emerge onto open
hillside, a gate then led onto the high pasture where the trig point at the
summit of Coedcae Colfrân stands.
I placed the Trimble
approximately 4 metres from the base of the trig pillar on what looked to be
the high point of the hill, as all surrounding rocks at the base of the trig
moved when I examined them. I was
nearing the end of my walk but still had the bwlch and summit of Twyn Disgwylfa
to survey, this hill is a Hump as well as a Pedwar so it had a wee bit of
ascent from its connecting bwlch, and once the Trimble was packed away it was
this bwlch that I now headed down to.
Gathering data from the summit of Coedcae Colfrân |
I contentedly approached
this bwlch and pinpointed where I thought the Trimble needed to be placed from
the vantage point of height. Once at
this point I had to balance between large wobbly tussocks of reed grass as the
whole area is water laden. Before
placing the Trimble I photographed some of these tussocks as the afternoon
light highlighted their greens.
Greens of summer |
Seemingly untouched and sprouting out of a landscape of tussock and water |
Gathering data in the bog which constitutes the bwlch of Twyn Disgwylfa |
I slowly plodded along
this ridge past the first potential high point which is immersed in gorse, to
the next two potential high points; the latter two are attractive and are
situated near two pools which have cairns built on them, with the stones
seemingly floating on the water.
One of the two attractive pools on the summit area of Twyn Disgwylfa |
Gathering data from the summit of Twyn Disgwylfa |
Looking back toward Twyn Disgwylfa |
The 18th and last data set of the day |
Evening light on Bannau Brycheiniog |
My route back to the car |
Survey Result:
Cefn Bola Maen
Summit Height: 421.9m (converted to OSGM15)
Summit Grid Reference: SN 96510 34812
Bwlch Height: 375.3m (converted to OSGM15)
Bwlch Grid Reference: SN 96472 35794
Drop: 46.6m
Dominance: 11.05%
Dominance: 11.05%
Garreg Fawr
Summit Height: 428.7m (converted to OSGM15)
Summit Grid Reference: SN 94536 37354
Bwlch Height: c 396m (interpolation)
Bwlch Grid Reference: SN 94843 40061 (interpolation)
Bwlch Height: c 396m (interpolation)
Bwlch Grid Reference: SN 94843 40061 (interpolation)
Drop: c 33m
Dominance: 7.62%
Dominance: 7.62%
Pt. 412.8m
Summit Height: 412.8m (converted to OSGM15)
Summit Grid Reference: SN 92523 34928
Bwlch Height: 385.2m (LIDAR)
Bwlch Grid Reference: SN 92403 35561 (LIDAR)
Drop: 27.6m (Trimble summit and LIDAR bwlch)
Dominance: 6.69% (Trimble summit and LIDAR bwlch)
Dominance: 6.69% (Trimble summit and LIDAR bwlch)
Pt. 412.8m
Summit Height: 412.8m (converted to OSGM15)
Summit Grid Reference: SN 93184 34035
Bwlch Height: 385.3m (LIDAR)
Bwlch Grid Reference: SN 92897 34689 (LIDAR)
Drop: 27.5m (Trimble summit and LIDAR bwlch)
Dominance: 6.66% (Trimble summit and LIDAR bwlch)
Dominance: 6.66% (Trimble summit and LIDAR bwlch)
Summit Height: 408.3m (converted to OSGM15)
Summit Grid Reference: SN 93612 33065
Bwlch Height: 377.2m (LIDAR)
Bwlch Grid Reference: SN 92953 33459 (LIDAR)
Drop: 31.1m (Trimble summit and LIDAR bwlch)
Dominance: 7.62% (Trimble summit and LIDAR bwlch)
Dominance: 7.62% (Trimble summit and LIDAR bwlch)
Twyn Disgwylfa
Summit Height: 416.7 (converted to OSGM15)
Summit Grid Reference: SN 95132 31863
Bwlch Height: 315.9m (LIDAR)
Bwlch Grid Reference: SN 93709 32589 (LIDAR)
Drop: 100.8m (Trimble summit and LIDAR bwlch)
Dominance: 24.19% (Trimble summit and LIDAR bwlch)
Dominance: 24.19% (Trimble summit and LIDAR bwlch)
Pt. 393.7m
Summit Height: 393.7m (converted to OSGM15)
Summit Grid Reference: SN 95885 31534
Bwlch Height: 373.8m (converted to OSGM15)
Bwlch Grid Reference: SN 95425 31655
Drop: 19.9m (non 390m Double Sub-Pedwar and non 300m Sub-Twmpau
status confirmed)
Dominance: 5.06%
status confirmed)
Dominance: 5.06%
For further details please
consult the Trimble survey spreadsheet click {here}
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