Mapping Mountains – Hill Reclassifications – Major Mountains of Britain and Ireland

Moel Siabod (SH 705 546) – Major addition

This is the first of two Hill Reclassification posts that give detail to a hill whose status has been altered in the listing of the Major Mountains of Britain and Ireland through map study and / or surveys that I have conducted.

Moel Siabod (SH 705 546)

This post is retrospective as this addition was initiated from studying the Ordnance Survey Interactive Coverage Map hosted on the Geograph website, and the details relating to this hill’s addition to the Majors were conveyed to the author of this list; Mark Trengove in January 2016.

This list was first published in a downloadable leaflet format by Europeaklist in February 2010 and entitled The Major Mountains of Britain and Ireland, its author; Mark Trengove originally listed 119 qualifying hills with their criteria being any British and Irish hill that has 600m or more of drop, with these comprising 82 hills in Scotland, 25 hills in Ireland, 7 hills in Wales, 4 hills in England and 1 hill in the Isle of Man, with a further five Scottish hills listed that fail to qualify for this list by 10m or less of drop.

The Major Mountains of Britain and Ireland by Mark Trengove

The details for the addition appear below:

There has been an addition to the listing of the Major Mountains of Britain and Ireland due to consulting the Ordnance Survey Interactive Coverage map hosted on the Geograph website which has a 272m spot height at the bwlch, with these details being conveyed to Mark Trengove in January 2016.

The name of the hill is Moel Siabod and prior to conveying these details this hill was listed with 595m of drop based on the 872m summit spot height that is adjoined to a triangulation pillar and the 277m spot height that appears on the area of this hill’s bwlch on the Ordnance Survey 1:50,000 Landranger and 1:25,000 Explorer map.  Importantly the 277m spot height appears on a road which is above the position of the critical bwlch.  

Extract from the Ordnance Survey 1:25,000 Explorer map

Extract from the Ordnance Survey Interactive Coverage Map hosted on the Geograph website

The hill is adjoined to the Moelwynion range of hills and is situated overlooking the A 5 road to its north-east, the A 4086 road to its north-west and the A 498 road to its west, and has the small community of Capel Curig to its north north-east.

The addition of this hill to Major status was accepted by Mark Trengove and its new classification augmented in to the listing of the Major Mountains of Britain and Ireland in January 2016 increasing the total of qualifying hills to 120.

The full details for the hill are:

Name:  Moel Siabod

Summit Height:  872m

OS 1:50,000 map:  115

OS 1:25,000 map:  18

Summit Grid Reference:  SH 70524 54631

Drop:  600m

Myrddyn Phillips (April 2018)