Guest Contributor – Ronnie Bowron

Introduction

If readers would like to contribute an article for the Guest Contributor page heading please contact me, my email address appears on the About Me page heading. The 0nly two things I ask is that the article should be hill related and importantly I should not end up in court through its publication! Otherwise the choice of subject matter is down to the Guest Contributor.

About the Author; Ronnie Bowron

Ronnie Bowron developed a passion for the mountains through Scouting where as a Cub Scout over the Easter weekend in 1976 he visited the Lake District for the first time.  Since then he has walked extensively around the UK, with various trips to the Alps and Himalaya.

Ten years ago he decided to have greater objectives to walking the fells and subsequently completed the Wainwrights and then the Outlying Fells, Birketts, Nuttalls and Simms.  Having completed a round of English and Welsh mountains he then refocused on the Lake District completing the Synges.

His current projects revolve around documenting all recognised hills/ mountains from any bagging list in each of the UK’s 15 National Parks.  He calls these “The Definitive Lists©” of the National Parks of the United Kingdom.  In the last 12 months he has completed rounds of all 1,020 summits in the Lake District National Park and all 187 summits within the Yorkshire Dales National Park.  His attention then turned to documenting all English/ Welsh Mountains over 2,000 feet / 600 metres on the same basis as his Definitive Lists, hence the research on the Corbett Twenty Fives. 

The Corbett Twenty Fives

Most people will be familiar with the Munro List of 283 Scottish Mountains over 3,000 feet first published in 1891 by Sir Hugh Munro and a round was first completed by the Rev.  Archibald Eneas Robertson on 28^th September 1901.

The fourth Munroist was J. Rooke Corbett who was a district valuer based in Bristol.  He completed the Munros and Munro Tops in 1930 and in doing so became only the second person to complete this feat.

In addition to his time in the mountains, Corbett compiled a list of 219 Scottish mountains between 2,500 feet and 3,000 feet in height which are now known as the Corbetts.  What is less well known is that he also published an English and Welsh list of mountains over 2,500 feet in height known as the Twenty Fives.  This is the first known list of English & Welsh summits.

Corbett was a member of the Rucksack Club which was formed in 1902 and it is still going strong to this day.  The Rucksack Club publishes an Annual Journal and the 1911 edition included a five page article entitled “Twenty-Fives”.  This article listed 130 mountains in England and Wales over 2,500 feet in height.

To the modern day peak bagger this first list of English and Welsh mountains has been lost in the depths of history but like its more famous Scottish cousin – The Munros – it deserves its recognised place in history.

The ethos of an early twentieth century peak bagger was very similar to the modern day peak bagger and it is worth repeating Corbett’s introductory remarks to the 1911 article: -

“During the last few years there has arisen among some of the members of the Rucksack Club a new craze or hobby, which may be looked upon as a special form of the old passion for ‘peak-bagging’ which has long been known to mountaineers.  This hobby consists in visiting as many as possible of the English and Welsh summits which are more than 2,500 feet above sea level.  The twenty-fiver is distinguished from the ordinary peak-bagger by the thoroughness of his work”

Part of its lack of recognition is that the Corbett Twenty Fives has never been digitised and published on any hill bagging sites.  As part of a wider project to list all English and Welsh Mountains over 2,000 feet or 600 metres which have appeared on any bagging list I have taken the opportunity to digitise the Corbett Twenty Fives.

The Corbett Twenty Fives had four editions and it’s worth putting them into context:

1911 edition was largely based on the Bartholomew Half Inch Maps published 1897-1907 and identified the initial 131 summits.

1912 update added 7 new summits, with 5 in England including Pillar Rock and 2 in Wales.

1929 edition was a fully revised list based on the new ‘Popular’ edition of the One-Inch Ordnance map.

1933 update added 4 new summits in England and 6 in Wales.  This update was by E. (Ted) Moss who was to become famous in this own right with the first 2,000 foot lists for England and Wales which were published in 1939 and 1940 respectively.

The Bartholohew Half Inch map which was largely used for the 1911 compilation was very basic.  It relied on contours at 250 foot intervals and had no grid lines; therefore the Corbett Twenty Fives are listed by geographic area.  The use of such a basic map puts the list in to context, and it would not be until the ‘Popular’ One Inch Ordnance Map was published that fifty foot contours and grid lines were first used.  By way of comparison, below is the equivalent map of Snowdon-Yr Wyddfa.

An important point to note is that these maps pre dated Ordnance Survey trig points which only came into being in April 1936.  A number of the spot heights on these maps were not true summits but cairned points with excellent views to allow the Ordnance Surveyors to complete their work.  These random spot heights are largely still recorded on the 2018 editions of the OS 1:50,000 Landranger mapping.

As a result of the improved mapping and visiting many of the locations in the preceding years, the 1929 edition removed 15 non summits.  In the same way as we have deleted Nuttalls I treat these as Del Corbett 25s – in my view these are worthy of record as for 18 years they were regarded as summits to the early twentieth century peak bagger.

No further revisions were made to this list after the 1933 update; therefore the Corbett Twenty Fives became a static list with 158 summits (94 in England and 64 in Wales).  By 1939 hill listing had moved onto what is now generally regarded as the height of a mountain, which is 2,000 foot (609.6 metres) or 600 metres for an appropriate metric equivalent.

For the record the articles supporting the various editions of the lists suggests that a gentleman called Minor was the first to bag a full round of the Twenty Fives and other members of the Rucksack Club followed in his footsteps.  I have yet to trace a record of where or on what date this was completed.

There are often discussions within the hill bagging community as to what constitutes a summit or trig point bag.  Whilst I agree that at the end of the day it comes down to personal conscious, there is an interesting observation in the 1922 update on this subject which is worthy of mention.  This relates to Gallt-y-Gogof near to Capel Curig and I quote: -

“The Ordnance Surveyors put the height of the mountain at only 2,499 feet, but members who passed over this summit on the way to the Glyders were naturally reluctant to let it be excluded from the list for the sake of twelve miserable inches.  The argument that the mountain was in fact more than 2,500 feet above sea level at low tide was held to be unsatisfactory, because it’s always low tide at some point on the British coast and always high tide at some other point.  More weight, however, attached to the argument that any person more than two feet in height who ascended this peak was entitled to count it as a twenty-five on the ground that the greater part of his anatomy had attained the required altitude; but, in order to place matters beyond dispute, it was finally agreed that this peak might be counted as a twenty-five by any climber who, when standing on the top most summit, should leap at least one foot into the air”

All those marginal summits where hours of GPS data have been collected could now be potentially elevated into a list simply by jumping into the air!  Needless to say Gallt-y-Gogof did not make the final Corbett Twenty Five list.

Ronnie Bowron (July 2018)

My thanks go to Gordon Adshead of the Rucksack Club for allowing me to source original copies of the Journals, to Phil Newby for agreeing to add the Corbett Twenty Fives to the Haroldstreet website and to Myrddyn Phillips of Mapping Mountains in publishing this article.

The Haroldstreet publication of the Corbett Twenty Fives

The final Twenty Five list of 158 summits appears below presented in alphabetical order with the list of deleted summits following: 

Corbett Twenty Fives

	Original Name	Grid Ref	Current Name
1	Allen Crags	NY 23670 08528	Allen Crags
2	Aran Bennllyn N Top	SH 86720 24269	Aran Benllyn
3	Aran Mawddwy	SH 86269 22383	Aran Fawddwy
4	Arenig Fawr S Top	SH 82704 36949	Arenig Fawr
5	Arenig Fawr Far South Top	SH 82684 36655	Arenig Fawr South Top
6	Bera Bach	SH 67206 67767	Bera Bach
7	Bera Mawr	SH 67482 68267	Bera Mawr
8	Black Crag	NY 16600 11662	Black Crag
9	Red Pike S Top	NY 16564 10146	Black Crag
10	Saddleback	NY 32345 27709	Blencathra-Hallsfell Top
11	Bowfell	NY 24455 06452	Bowfell
12	Bowfell Centre Top	NY 24450 06700	Bowfell Centre Top
13	Bowfell N Top	NY 24455 07002	Bowfell North Top
14	Brim Fell	SD 27075 98558	Brim Fell
15	Broad Crag	NY 21857 07556	Broad Crag
16	Buckbarrow Crag	SD 27110 98080	Buckbarrow Crag
17	Cader Berwyn S Top	SJ 07163 32351	Cadair Berwyn
18	Cader Berwyn N Top	SJ 07221 32715	Cadair Berwyn North Top
19	Cader Bronwen	SJ 07752 34661	Cadair Bronwen
20	Cader Idris	SH 71113 13035	Cadair Idris-Penygadair
21	Cairn Hill	NT 90370 19524	Cairn Hill
22	Carnedd Dafydd	SH 66283 63046	Carnedd Dafydd
23	Carnedd Llewellyn	SH 68361 64372	Carnedd Llewelyn
24	Carnedd y Filiast	SH 62038 62736	Carnedd y Filiast
25	Catstye Cam	NY 34811 15823	Catstye Cam
26	Black Ladders	SH 67500 63200	Cefn Ysgolion East Top
27	Black Ladders W Top	SH 67100 63000	Cefn Ysgolion West Top (Black Ladders)
28	Corn Du	SO 00718 21330	Corn Du
29	Crag Hill	NY 19273 20335	Crag Hill (Eel Crag)
30	Craig Berwyn N Top	SJ 07700 33500	Craig Berwyn (boundary)
31	Craig Berwyn S Top	SJ 07450 33300	Craig Berwyn South Top
32	Mynydd Pencoed	SH 71061 12127	Craig Cwm Amarch
33	Duwynt	SO 00551 20720	Craig Gwaun Taf (Duwynt)
34	Waun Rydd S Top	SO 06610 20160	Craig Pwllfa (Waun Rydd South Top)
35	Crib Goch	SH 62421 55155	Crib Goch
36	Crib y Ddisgl	SH 61079 55155	Crib y Ddysgl
37	Bryn Teg	SO 02389 21312	Cribyn
38	Crinkle Crags, South Top	NY 25004 04557	Crinkle Crags South Top (First Crinkle)
39	Crinkle Crags, Long Top	NY 24865 04873	Crinkle Crags-Long Top (Second Crinkle)
40	Cross Fell	NY 68718 34336	Cross Fell
41	Cyfrwy	SH 70389 13329	Cyfrwy
42	Dollywaggon Pike	NY 34626 13068	Dollywaggon Pike
43	Dove Crag	NY 37455 10436	Dove Crag
44	Dow Crag	SD 26253 97797	Dow Crag
45	Drum	SH 70843 69587	Drum
46	Drws Bach	SH 86299 21294	Drws Bach
47	Elidyr Fach	SH 60374 61335	Elidir Fach
48	Elidyr Fawr	SH 61171 61287	Elidir Fawr
49	Aran Bennllyn S Top	SH 86475 23384	Erw y Ddafad-ddu
50	Esk Pike	NY 23650 07505	Esk Pike
51	Fairfield	NY 35873 11757	Fairfield
52	Carmarthen Van	SN 82533 21793	Fan Brycheiniog-Trig Point
53	Foel Grach	SH 68878 65906	Foel Grach
54	Foel Fras	SH 69613 68121	Foel-fras
55	Foel Goch	SH 62858 61211	Foel-goch
56	Foel Goch S Top	SH 62793 60726	Foel-goch South Top
57	Garnedd Uchaf	SH 68698 66902	Garnedd Uchaf (Carnedd Gwenllian)
58	Gavel Pike	NY 37285 13419	Gavel Pike
59	Glaramara N Top	NY 24599 10457	Glaramara
60	Craig y Ffynon	SH 83674 19455	Glasgwm
61	Glyder Fach	SH 65643 58286	Glyder Fach
62	Glyder Fawr	SH 64243 57953	Glyder Fawr
63	Grassmoor	NY 17484 20352	Grasmoor
64	Great Carrs	NY 27078 00950	Great Carrs
65	Great Dodd	NY 34203 20530	Great Dodd
66	Unnamed top	NY 34060 20000	Great Dodd S Top
67	Great Dun Fell	NY 71016 32133	Great Dunn Fell
68	Great End	NY 22671 08386	Great End
69	Great Gable	NY 21100 10321	Great Gable
70	Great Rigg	NY 35592 10407	Great Rigg
71	Great Scoat Fell	NY 15459 11210	Great Scoat Fell
72	Green Gable	NY 21465 10717	Green Gable
73	Green Side	NY 35272 18751	Green Side (White Stones-Green Side)
74	Grey Friar	NY 26008 00361	Grey Friar
75	Grisedale Pike	NY 19840 22548	Grisedale Pike
76	Hart Crag	NY 36903 11207	Hart Crag
77	Harter Fell	NY 45969 09327	Harter Fell (Mardale)
78	Haycock	NY 14478 10717	Haycock
79	Helvellyn	NY 34245 15111	Helvellyn
80	Lower Man	NY 33744 15544	Helvellyn Lower Man
81	Nethermost Pike S Top	NY 34333 13666	High Crag (Grisedale)
82	High White Stones	NY 28088 09524	High Raise (High Raise (High White Stones)
83	High Raise	NY 44823 13453	High Raise (High Street)
84	High Stile	NY 17008 14818	High Stile (Grey Crag-High Stile)
85	High Street	NY 44076 11050	High Street
86	Sand Hill	NY 18567 22163	Hopegill Head
87	Ill Crags	NY 22319 07350	Ill Crag
88	Kidsty Pike	NY 44736 12580	Kidsty Pike
89	Kirk Fell W Top	NY 19494 10487	Kirk Fell
90	Kirk Fell E Top	NY 19915 10700	Kirk Fell East Top (Kirk Fell North Top)
91	Knock Fell	NY 72139 30238	Knock Fell
92	Knowe Crags	NY 31197 27029	Knowe Crags (Blease Fell)
93	Lingmell	NY 20933 08178	Lingmell
94	Little Dun Fell	NY 70447 33016	Little Dunn Fell
95	Llwydnor	SH 68945 69225	Llwytmor
96	Long Green	NY 20950 05700	Long Green Scafell
97	Glaramara S Top	NY 24586 10172	Looking Steads (Glaramara)
98	Dufton Fell	NY 77166 29080	Meldon Hill
99	Mickle Fell	NY80604 24548	Mickle Fell
100	Moel Hebog	SH 56482 46940	Moel Hebog
101	Arenig Fawr N Top	SH 82931 37281	Moel Llechwedd
102	Moel Siabod	SH 70526 54632	Moel Siabod
103	Moel Sych	SJ 06629 31858	Moel Sych
104	Moelwyn Mawr	SH 65822 44861	Moelwyn Mawr
105	Mynydd Moel	SH 72747 13678	Mynydd Moel
106	Mynedd Pencoed SW Top	SH 70512 11789	Mynydd Pencoed
107	Mynydd Perfedd	SH 62313 61888	Mynydd Perfedd
108	Nethermost Pike N Top	NY 34366 14218	Nethermost Pike
109	Pen Llithing yr Wrach	SH 71622 62290	Pen Llithrig y Wrach
110	Brecon Beacon	SO 01208 21583	Pen y Fan
111	Pen y Gader Fawr	SO 22944 28758	Pen y Gadair Fawr
112	Pen yr Helig-du	SH 69778 63045	Pen yr Helgi Du
113	Pen yr Olen Wen	SH 65595 61944	Pen yr Ole Wen
114	Aran Benllyn Far North Top	SH 86930 24702	Pen-aran
115	Pillar	NY 17125 12105	Pillar
116	Pillar E Top	NY 17844 11978	Pillar East Top
117	Pillar Rock	NY 17152 12375	Pillar Rock
118	Raise	NY 34281 17416	Raise
119	Ramsgill Head	NY 44332 12872	Rampsgill Head
120	Red Pike N Top	NY 16531 10607	Red Pike (Wasdale)
121	Red Screes	NY 39660 08757	Red Screes
122	Rough Crags E Top	NY 22063 06846	Rough Crags East Top
123	Rough Crags W Top	NY 22022 06903	Rough Crags West Top
124	Sail	NY 19817 20276	Sail
125	Scafell	NY 20680 06479	Scafell
126	Scafell Pikes	NY 21540 07217	Scafell Pike
127	Little Scoat Fell	NY 15999 11395	Scoat Fell
128	Shelter Crags	NY 24972 05348	Shelter Crags
129	Shelter Crags, N Top	NY 24923 05730	Shelter Crags North Top
130	Skiddaw	NY 26042 29082	Skiddaw
131	Little Man	NY 26675 27793	Skiddaw Little Man
132	Slight Side	NY 20990 05016	Slight Side
133	Y Wyddfa (Snowdon)	SH 60986 54376	Snowdon-Yr Wyddfa
134	St. Sunday Crag	NY 36917 13398	St Sunday Crag
135	Steeple	NY 15754 11675	Steeple
136	Stony Cove Pike	NY 41781 10007	Stony Cove Pike (Caudale Moor)
137	Striding Edge	NY 35061 14923	Striding Edge (High Spying How)
138	Stybarrow Dodd N Top	NY 34308 18912	Stybarrow Dodd
139	Stybarrow Dodd S Top	NY 34107 18678	Stybarrow Dodd South Top
140	Swirl How	NY 27280 00552	Swirl How
141	The Cheviot	NT 90906 20527	The Cheviot
142	Bellyside Crag	NT 91384 20770	The Cheviot North East Top
143	The Knowe	NY 45865 08885	The Knowe (Harter Fell South Top)
144	Coniston Old Man	SD 27242 97818	The Old Man of Coniston (Coniston Old Man)
145	Thornthwaite Crag	NY 43149 10051	Thornthwaite Crag
146	Tryfan	SH 66405 59387	Tryfan
147	Wandope	NY 18819 19731	Wandope
148	Watson's Dodd	NY 33567 19563	Watson's Dodd
149	Waun Fach	SO 21551 29984	Waun Fach
150	Waun Rydd N Top	SO 06212 20645	Waun Rydd
151	Wetherlam	NY 28818 01113	Wetherlam
152	White Dodd	NY 33780 16666	White Side
153	East of Llyn Caseg-Ffaith	SH 67781 58216	Y Foel Goch
154	East of Llyn Caseg-Ffaith	SH 67212 58470	Y Foel Goch North-West Top
155	Y Garn	SH 63089 59569	Y Garn
156	Lliwedd	SH 62242 53336	Y Lliwedd
157	Yr Aryg	SH 68062 67364	Yr Aryg
158	Yr Elen	SH 67386 65115	Yr Elen

Deleted Corbett Twenty Fives

	Original Name		Grid Ref		Current Name
1	Bellyside Crag		NT 90561 21103		Bellyside Crag
2	Black Dub		NY 70180 34947		Black Dub
3	Browncove Crags		NY 33217 15683		Browncove Crags
4	Braich Du		SH 65806 62629		Carnedd Fach
5	Cross Fell pt. 2799		NY 69500 34700		Cross Fell pt. 2799
6	Cross Fell pt. 2893		NY 68976 34585		Cross Fell pt. 2893
7	Eel Crag		NY 19028 20685		Eel Crag (Birkett)
8	Esgair Felen		SH 63379 57853		Esgair Felen
9	Fallow Hill		NY 70157 35438		Fallow Hill
10	Knock Fell pt. 2582		NY 73231 30132		Knock Fell pt 2532
11	Mickle Fell (second summit)		NY 80136 24182		Mickle Fell pt 2547
12	Steeple pt. 2746		NY 15790 11446		Middle Scoat Fell
13	Pen-y-Nantllyn		SO 22778 29073		Pen-y-Nantllyn
14	Skirwith Fell		NY 67937 35408		Skirwith Fell
15	The Cheviot pt. 2547		NT89890 20730		The Cheviot pt. 2547