Mapping Mountains – Hill Reclassifications – Y Pedwarau - The 400m Hills of Wales

Moel Cyneiniog (SN 725 883) – 400m Sub-Pedwar deletion

There has been a deletion from the listing of Y Pedwarau due to analysis of LIDAR data by Aled Williams.  Y Pedwarau is the title for the list of 400m hills of Wales and takes in all Welsh hills at or above 400m and below 500m in height that have a minimum 30m of drop, the list is a joint compilation between Myrddyn Phillips and Aled Williams, and it commenced publication on Mapping Mountains on the 30.01.17.

Accompanying the main Y Pedwarau list are five categories of sub hills, with this deletion affecting the 400m Sub-Pedwar category.  The criteria for 400m Sub-Pedwar qualification is all Welsh hills at or above 400m and below 500m in height with 20m or more and below 30m of drop.

Prior to analysis of LIDAR data the hill was listed with c 20m of drop based on the 414m summit spot height that appears on the Ordnance Survey 1:25,000 Explorer map and an estimated bwlch height of c 394m based on interpolation of bwlch contouring between 390m – 400m.

The hill is situated in the Pumlumon group of hills with its Cardinal Hill being Banc Llechwedd Mawr (SN 775 898) and is placed in the Region of Mid and West Wales (Region B, Sub-Region B2), and is positioned with the small community of Tal-y-bont towards its west and Ponterwyd towards its south south-east.

If wanting to visit the hill an ascent may prove problematic as the map indicates that the whole of the hill is swamped in conifer plantation.  However, the map also indicates a forest track that culminates at the bwlch of the hill and approaching the summit from here may prove less problematic than from other directions.

The name of the hill is Moel Cyneiniog and its deletion from 400m Sub-Pedwar status is due to the analysis of LIDAR data by Aled Williams.  LIDAR (Light Detection & Ranging) is highly accurate height data that is now freely available for much of England and Wales.

Aled’s analysis of LIDAR data gives the hill the following details:

Moel Cyneiniog

Summit Height:  408.4m

Summit Grid Reference:  SN 72547 88342

Bwlch Height:  391.9m

Bwlch Grid Reference:  SN 72713 88377

Drop:  16.5m

Therefore, the 408.4m LIDAR data produced for the summit position at SN 72547 88342 and the 391.9m LIDAR data produced for the bwlch position at SN 72713 88377 gives this hill 16.5m of drop which is insufficient for it to retain its status as a 400m Sub-Pedwar.

The full details for the hill are:

Cardinal Hill:  Banc Llechwedd Mawr

Summit Height:  408.4m (LIDAR data)

Name:  Moel Cyneiniog

OS 1:50,000 map:  135

Summit Grid Reference:  SN 72547 88342

Drop:  16.5m (LIDAR data)

The overall total for Y Pedwarau remains at 443 hills with eight additions, and twelve reclassifications to 400m Sub-Pedwar status since publication of the list by Europeaklist in May 2013.

The overall total for the 400m Sub-Pedwarau is now 218 with 21 hills being added and 16 hills being taken out of this category since publication of the list by Europeaklist in May 2013.

The list of Pedwar hills is available from the Haroldstreet website (January 2014) with all subsequent changes detailed on the Mapping Mountains site, with the list also having commenced publication on Mapping Mountains on the 30.01.17.

For the additions, reclassifications and deletions to Y Pedwarau reported on Mapping Mountains since the May 2013 publication of the list by Europeaklist please consult the following Change Registers:

Y Pedwarau

Y Pedwarau – 400m Sub-Pedwarau

Y Pedwarau – 390m Sub-Pedwarau

Y Pedwarau – 390m Double Sub-Pedwarau

Myrddyn Phillips and Aled Williams (May 2017)