05.05.18 Coed Hyrddyn (SJ 200 439)
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| Coed Hyrddyn (SJ 200 439) |
Coed Hyrddyn nestles
between two relatively busy A roads and a river and canal, it feels as if the
hill has been squeezed in to the landscape as it is dominated by higher hills
in all directions, and yet it is relatively prominent for its height and
commands extensive views, it can be combined with adjacent hills or as in today,
it can be the sole objective making an enjoyable few hours in warm sunshine
with good friends.
Lou had set me the
objective of a small walk near Llangollen on good paths that would last between
2-3 hours and Coed Hyrddyn seemed the obvious chose. I’d visited the hill on two previous occasions,
the first in December 2003 when I combined a number of hills in a good winter
walk, and the second along with John, Graham and Mark when we surveyed the hill
for Hump status in February 2013. On
both visits the weather proved somewhat cold with early frost and sleet showers
respectively, today the hill was bathed in early summer sunshine.
We started the walk from
beside the Motor Museum next to the Llangollen Canal and walked the short
distance back up the road to a track on the left which is also a public
footpath and heads north toward Abaty Glyn y Groes (Valle Crucis Abbey).
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| Setting off toward the hill |
The land sparkled with
summer growth with green fields running with new born lambs and a radiant blue
sky above, nearing the Abbey Farm I stopped and chatted with Jonathon Davies
and Edward Jones who were working in the adjacent field, and made place-name
enquiries, afterward we continued toward the farm and the Abbey.
The Abbey is now under the
care of Cadw and was built in 1201 by the Prince of Powys Fadog; Madog ap Gruffydd
Maelor. It fell in to disrepair after
the dissolution of the monasteries in 1537, and it still commands attention
with its west end entrance striking skyward.
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| The west entrance to the Abbey |
Beyond the Abbey we
crossed the A 542 road and used a foot stile to gain the lower slopes of Coed
Hyrddyn, these we followed around the hill’s base on a narrow path that led
steeply up its northern flank. To the
west and across the River Eglwyseg, Moel y Gamelin dominated the view, almost
pyramidal it looked down on all near hills, whilst across to the east Castell
Dinas Bran rose in a great lump of a hill.
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| Heading up the northern flank of Coed Hyrddyn |
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| Moel y Gamelin |
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| Abaty Glyn y Groes and Castell Dinas Bran |
The summit ridge of Coed
Hyrddyn has a number of rounded and grassed tops with a good path between and
the early summer warmth had brought walkers out on to the hill, with a small
group standing beside the high point as we made our way toward it.
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| Heading for the summit |
The summit of Coed
Hirddyn consists of a small grassed area and as the Trimble gathered its
customary five minutes of data I sat with Lou, Debs and Huw and looked out to
the west and bathed in the tranquillity and warmth that the day had brought.
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| Gathering data at the summit of Coed Hyrddyn |
After packing the
Trimble away we continued on the good path down toward the car park at the
southern end of the hill, past stunted gorse bushes as a steam train chugged up
the valley below whistling as it went.
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| Heading down |
Once off the hill we sat
beside the canal and river with glasses of cider, fizzy water and an ice cream
before leisurely walking on the canal tow path back to the car.
It had been a good way
to spend a few hours in the sunshine on a beautiful small heighted hill in
another lovely area of the country that I love.
Survey Result:
Coed Hyrddyn (significant name change)
Summit Height: 232.6m (converted to OSGM15, Trimble GeoXH
6000) 232.4m (converted to OSGM15, Leica
GS15)
Summit Grid Reference: SJ 20028 43944 (Trimble GeoXH 6000) SJ 20029 43943 (Leica GS15)
Bwlch Height: 130.4m (LIDAR) 130.4m (converted to OSGM15, Leica GS15)
Bwlch Grid Reference: SJ 20049 44655 and SJ 20051 44657 (LIDAR)
Drop: 102.2m (Trimble GeoXH 6000 summit and LIDAR bwlch) 102.0m (Leica GS15)
Dominance: 43.89%
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