Mapping Mountains – Trimble Surveys – Moel y Gamelin

05.05.18  Coed Hyrddyn (SJ 200 439)

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).

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.

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.

Heading up the northern flank of Coed Hyrddyn

Moel y Gamelin

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.

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.

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.

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%

For further details please consult the Trimble Survey Spreadsheet