Mapping Mountains – Significant Name Changes – Y Pedwarau – The 400m Hills of Wales

Pen Carn Llwyd (SO 244 125)

There has been a Significant Name Change to a hill that is listed in the Y Pedwarau – The 400m Hills of Wales, with the summit height, bwlch height and their locations, the drop and status of the hill confirmed via LIDAR analysis conducted by Aled Williams.

LIDAR image of Pen Carn Llwyd (SO 244 125)

The criteria for the list that this name change applies to are:

Y Pedwarau – The 400m Hills of Wales.  Welsh hills at or above 400m and below 500m in height that have 30m minimum drop, accompanying the main Y Pedwarau list are five categories of sub hills, with this hill being listed in the 400m Sub-Pedwar category.  The criteria for 400m Sub-Pedwar status being all Welsh hills at or above 400m and below 500m in height that have 20m or more and below 30m of drop.  The list is co-authored by Myrddyn Phillips and Aled Williams and is published on Mapping Mountains in Google Doc format.

The hill is adjoined to the Cymoedd Gwent group of hills, which are situated in the north-eastern part of South Wales (Region C, Sub-Region C2), and it is positioned with the A465 road to its north and the B4246 road to its east, and has the town of Y Fenni (Abergavenny) towards the east north-east.

The hill appeared in the original Welsh 400m P30 list published on Geoff Crowder’s v-g.me website under the name of Gilwern Hill, which is a prominent name that appears to the north-west of this hill’s summit on contemporary Ordnance Survey 1:50,000 Landranger and 1:25,000 Explorer maps.  This is also the name the hill was listed by in the 1^st edition of the Y Pedwarau published by Europeaklist in May 2013.

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

Since publication of the 1^st edition of Y Pedwarau there are now a number of Ordnance Survey maps made available online, some of these are historic such as the series of Six-Inch maps on the National Library of Scotland website, whilst others are current and digitally updated such as the Vector Map Local hosted on the Geograph website and which is entitled the Interactive Coverage Map.  One of the historic maps now available is the Ordnance Survey Draft Surveyors map which formed the basis for the first publicly available Ordnance Survey One-Inch ‘Old Series’ map and it is this map that formed the basis for the change in this hill’s listed name.

Extract from the Ordnance Survey Draft Surveyors map

The Draft Surveyors maps consist of the preliminary drawings made by the Ordnance Surveyor’s surveyors between the 1780s and 1840 and formed the basis for the first publicly available One-Inch map.  They were drawn at scales of six inches to the mile for areas considered of particular military significance and down to two inches to the mile for other areas.  Fair copies were then produced from these preliminary drawings to one inch to the mile and then copper plates were prepared for printing.  The Draft Surveyors maps for the whole of Wales are now available online and they form an important part in the study of Welsh upland place-names as they bridge the time frame between the late 18^th century and the mid-19^th century when the Ordnance Survey produced their first One-Inch maps, and importantly for this hill and its listed name, it is the Draft Surveyors map that name the hill as Pen Carn Llwyd.

Therefore, the name this hill is now listed by in the Y Pedwarau – The 400m Hills of Wales is Pen Carn Llwyd, and this was derived from the Ordnance Survey Draft Surveyors map.

The full details for the hill are:

Group:  Cymoedd Gwent

Name:  Pen Carn Llwyd

Previously Listed Name:  Gilwern Hill

OS 1:50,000 map:  161

Summit Height:  441.6m (LIDAR)

Summit Grid Reference:  SO 24427 12563 (LIDAR)

Bwlch Height:  416.3m (LIDAR)

Bwlch Grid Reference:  SO 24363 11890 (LIDAR)

Drop:  25.3m (LIDAR)

Myrddyn Phillips and Aled Williams (January 2020)

Mapping Mountains – Significant Name Changes – Y Trichant – The 300m Hills of Wales

Mynydd Sygyn (SH 596 475)

There has been a Significant Name Change to a hill that is listed in the Y Trichant – The 300m Hills of Wales, with the summit height, bwlch height and their locations, the drop and status of the hill confirmed by LIDAR analysis conducted by Myrddyn Phillips.

LIDAR summit image of Mynydd Sygyn (SH 596 475)

The criteria for the list that this name change applies to are:

Y Trichant – The 300m Hills of Wales – Welsh hills at or above 300m and below 400m in height that have 30m minimum drop, with an accompanying sub list entitled the Sub-Trichant with the criteria for this sub category being all Welsh hills at or above 300m and below 400m in height with 20m or more and below 30m of drop.  The list is authored by Myrddyn Phillips, with the Introduction to the list and the renaming of it appearing on Mapping Mountains on the 13th May 2017.

The hill is adjoined to the Moelwynion group of hills, which are situated in the north-western part of North Wales (Region A, Sub-Region A1), and it is positioned with the A498 road to its north-west, and has the village of Beddgelert towards the north-west.

The hill appeared in the original Welsh 300m P30 list published on Geoff Crowder’s v-g.me website, under the name of Craig y Llan, which is a prominent name that appears on contemporary Ordnance Survey 1:25,000 Explorer maps and is associated with a cliff to the west of the summit of this hill.

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

During my early hill listing I paid little regard to name placement on the map, or the meaning of names and to what feature the name was appropriately applied to.  Therefore I prioritised names for listing purposes that I now understand are either inappropriate or where another name is viewed as being more appropriate.

Since publication of these P30 lists on Geoff Crowder’s v-g.me website there have been a number of Ordnance Survey maps made available online, some of these are historic such as the series of Six-Inch maps on the National Library of Scotland website, whilst others are current and digitally updated such as the Vector Map Local hosted on the Geograph website and which is entitled the Interactive Coverage Map, and it is the contemporary Ordnance Survey 1:25,000 Explorer map that uses the name of Mynydd Sygyn, with the series of Six-Inch maps confirming this name’s placement.

Extract from the Ordnance Surveys series of Six-Inch maps

Therefore, the name this hill is now listed by in the Y Trichant – The 300m Hills of Wales is Mynydd Sygyn, and this was derived from contemporary Ordnance Survey 1:25,000 Explorer maps, with its position in relation to this hill confirmed via the Ordnance Surveys series of Six-Inch maps.

The full details for the hill are:

Group:  Moelwynion

Name:  Mynydd Sygyn

Previously Listed Name:  Craig y Llan

OS 1:50,000 map:  115

Summit Height:  309.8m (LIDAR)

Summit Grid Reference:  SH 59665 47553 (LIDAR)

Bwlch Height:  249.1m (LIDAR)

Bwlch Grid Reference:  SH 60247 48143 (LIDAR)

Drop:  60.7m (LIDAR)

Myrddyn Phillips (January 2020)

Mapping Mountains – Significant Name Changes – Y Trichant – The 300m Hills of Wales

Bryn Du (SH 866 014)

There has been a Significant Name Change to a hill that was surveyed for inclusion in the Y Trichant – The 300m Hills of Wales, with the summit height, bwlch height and their locations, the drop and status of the hill ascertained from a Trimble GeoXH 6000 survey conducted by Myrddyn Phillips.

Bryn Du (SH 866 014)

The criteria for the list that this name change applies to are:

Y Trichant – The 300m Hills of Wales.  Welsh hills at or above 300m and below 400m in height that have 30m minimum drop, with an accompanying sub list entitled the Sub-Trichant with the criteria for this sub category being all Welsh hills at or above 300m and below 400m in height with 20m or more and below 30m of drop.  The list is authored by Myrddyn Phillips, with the Introduction to the list and the renaming of it appearing on Mapping Mountains on the 13th May 2017.

The hill is adjoined to the Pumlumon group of hills, which are situated in the north ern part of Mid and West Wales (Region B, Sub-Region B2), and it is positioned with the Afon Twymyn and the A470 road to its north and the B4518 road to its east, and has the village of Llanbrynmair towards the north-east. 

The hill was not included in the Hills to be surveyed sub list that accompanied the original Welsh 300m P30 list published on Geoff Crowder’s v-g.me website, as it was considered not to meet the criteria then used in this sub category.  It was later listed by the point (Pt. 370m) notation when The Welsh P15s were compiled.  Prompted by the Trimble GeoXH 6000 survey and as this hill comprises bounded land the Tithe map was consulted. 

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

The term Tithe map is generally given to a map of a Welsh or English parish or township and which was prepared after the 1836 Tithe Commutation Act.  This act allowed tithes to be paid in cash rather than goods.  The Tithe maps gave names of owners and occupiers of land in each parish and importantly for place-name research they also included the name of enclosed land.  This enclosed land is usually based on a field system, however not every field is given a name, but many are and especially so in Wales.

Extract from the Tithe map

The enclosed land where the summit of this hill is situated is given the number 1410 on the Tithe map, this can be cross referenced against the apportionments; it is these apportionments that give the name of the owner or occupier of the land as well as the name of the land.  The land where the summit of this hill is situated is named as Bryn Du in the apportionments, with the details on the Tithe map appearing in the parish of Darowen and in the county named as Montgomery.

Extract from the apportionments

Although the hill does not meet the criteria for a Sub-Trichant, it was surveyed for this status and as its listed name does not appear on an Ordnance Survey map it is worth documenting with a Significant Name Changes post under the list that it was surveyed for.  Therefore, the name this hill is now listed by is Bryn Du, and this was derived from the Tithe map.

The full details for the hill are:

Group:  Pumlumon

Name:  Bryn Du

Previously Listed Name:  Pt. 370m

OS 1:50,000 map:  135, 136

Summit Height:  368.4m (converted to OSGM15)

Summit Grid Reference:  SH 86623 01433

Bwlch Height:  352.1m (converted to OSGM15)

Bwlch Grid Reference:  SH 86831 01543

Drop:  16.3m 

Myrddyn Phillips (January 2020)

Mapping Mountains – Hill Reclassifications – Welsh Highlands – Uchafion Cymru

Clo Cadno (SO 118 162) – Welsh Highland P15 addition

There has been an addition to the listing of the Welsh Highlands – Uchafion Cymru, with the summit height, bwlch height and their locations, the drop and status of the hill derived from LIDAR analysis conducted by Aled Williams.

LIDAR image of Clo Cadno (SO 118 162)

The criteria for the list that this addition applies to are:

The Welsh Highlands – Uchafion Cymru – This is the revised draft title for the Welsh 500m P15s list that takes in all hills in Wales at or above 500m in height with 15m minimum drop.  The list is co-authored by Myrddyn Phillips and Aled Williams with the Introduction to the list being published on Mapping Mountains in November 2015 and an update relating to the list appearing on Mapping Mountains on the 19th June 2019.

The name the hill is listed by is Clo Cadno and it is adjoined to the Cymoedd Gwent group of hills, which are situated in the eastern part of South Wales (Region C, Sub-Region C2), and is positioned with minor roads to its north-west and south-west and the B4560 road to its east, and has the village of Llangynidr towards the north-east and the small community of Trefil towards the south.

During the compilation of the original list of Welsh 500m P15s that later became known as Yr Uchafion and latterly as the Welsh Highlands – Uchafion Cymru, this hill was not included in the main P15 list as Ordnance Survey 1:25,000 Explorer maps only give an uppermost 520m ring contour with bwlch contouring between 510m – 520m.

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

The details for this hill were re-examined via mapping on the OS Maps website.  This is the replacement for OS Get-a-map and has contours at 5m intervals which are proving consistently more accurate compared to the 5m contours that sometimes appear on Ordnance Survey 1:25,000 Explorer maps and the online Vector Map Local hosted on the Geograph website.  As OS Maps data suggested that this hill had a minimum of 15m of drop it prompted scrutiny using LIDAR.

Extract from the OS Maps website

It was not until LIDAR became available that the details for this hill could be accurately re-assessed.  The LIDAR (Light Detection & Ranging) technique produced highly accurate height data that is now freely available for much of England and Wales.  

Therefore, the addition of Clo Cadno to Welsh Highland P15 status is due to LIDAR analysis, resulting in a 530.3m summit height and a 513.6m bwlch height, with these values giving this hill 16.7m of drop which is sufficient for it to be classified as a Welsh Highland P15.

The full details for the hill are:

Group:  Cymoedd Gwent

Name:  Clo Cadno

OS 1:50,000 map:  161

Summit Height:  530.3m (LIDAR)

Summit Grid Reference:  SO 11849 16247 (LIDAR)

Bwlch Height:  513.6m (LIDAR)

Bwlch Grid Reference:  SO 12197 15992 (LIDAR)

   

Drop:  16.7m (LIDAR) 

For the additions, deletions and reclassifications to The Welsh Highlands – Uchafion Cymru reported on Mapping Mountains please consult the following Change Registers:

The Welsh 500m P15s (Yr Uchafion)

The Welsh 500m P15s (Yr Uchafion) – 500m Subs

The Welsh 500m P15s (Yr Uchafion) – 490m Subs

The Welsh 500m P15s (Yr Uchafion) – Double Subs

Aled Williams and Myrddyn Phillips (January 2020)

Mapping Mountains – Hill Reclassifications – 100m Twmpau and 200m Twmpau

Coed y Bwnydd (SO 366 069) – 100m Twmpau reclassified to 200m Twmpau

There has been a reclassification to the list of 100m Twmpau and 200m Twmpau, with the summit height, bwlch height and their locations, the drop and status of the hill confirmed by LIDAR analysis conducted by Myrddyn Phillips.

LIDAR image of Coed y Bwnydd (SO 366 069)

The criteria for the two listings that this reclassification applies to are:

100m Twmpau – Welsh hills at or above 100m and below 200m in height that have 30m minimum drop, with an accompanying sub list entitled the 100m Sub-Twmpau with the criteria for this sub category being all Welsh hills at or above 100m and below 200m in height with 20m or more and below 30m of drop.

100m Twmpau by Myrddyn Phillips

200m Twmpau – Welsh hills at or above 200m and below 300m in height that have 30m minimum drop, with an accompanying sub list entitled the 200m Sub-Twmpau with the criteria for this sub category being all Welsh hills at or above 200m and below 300m in height with 20m or more and below 30m of drop.

200m Twmpau by Myrddyn Phillips

The name the hill is listed by is Coed y Bwnydd and it is adjoined to the Mynyddoedd Duon group of hills which are situated in the eastern part of South Wales (Region C, Sub-Region C3), and it is positioned with the Afon Wysg (River Usk) and the B4598 road to its west, the A40 road to its north and the A449 road to its east, and has the village of Raglan towards the east north-east and the town of Brynbuga (Usk) towards the south south-east.

When the original 100m height band of Welsh P30 hills were published on Geoff Crowder’s v-g.me website this hill was included in the main P30 list under the name of Clytha Hill and listed with a 196m summit height, based on the spot height that appears on the Ordnance Survey 1:25,000 Explorer map at SO 368 069.

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

The details for this hill were re-assessed when the Ordnance Survey Vector Map Local hosted on the Geograph website and which is entitled the Interactive Coverage Map became available online.  This mapping had many spot heights not on other publicly available Ordnance Survey maps and gives a second 196m spot height on the summit area of this hill and positioned at SO 367 069.  This additional 196m spot height also appears on Ordnance Survey data available on the Magic Maps website.

Extract from the Magic Maps website

However, it was not until LIDAR became available that the details for this hill could be accurately re-assessed.  The LIDAR (Light Detection & Ranging) technique produced highly accurate height data that is now freely available for much of England and Wales. 

The reclassification of this hill from 100m Twmpau status is due to LIDAR analysis, resulting in a 201.4m summit height and a 59.4m bwlch height, with these values giving this hill 142.0m of drop.  With the 201.4m summit height taken to the remains of an embankment which forms a part of an ancient hill fort which qualifies under the criteria used within this list and its height is sufficient for it to be classified as a 200m Twmpau.

The full details for the hill are:

Group:  Mynyddoedd Duon

Name:  Coed y Bwnydd

OS 1:50,000 map:  161

Summit Height:  201.4m (LIDAR)

Summit Grid Reference:  SO 36613 06919 (LIDAR)

Bwlch Height:  59.4m (LIDAR)

Bwlch Grid Reference:  SO 39308 08901 (LIDAR)

Drop:  142.0m (LIDAR)

Myrddyn Phillips (January 2020)

Mapping Mountains – Significant Name Changes – Y Pedwarau – The 400m Hills of Wales

Mynydd Rhymni (SO 126 089)

There has been a Significant Name Change to a hill that is listed in the Y Pedwarau – The 400m Hills of Wales, with the summit height, bwlch height and their locations, the drop and status of the hill confirmed via LIDAR analysis conducted by Aled Williams.

LIDAR image of Mynydd Rhymni (SO 126 089)

The criteria for the list that this name change applies to are:

Y Pedwarau – The 400m Hills of Wales.  Welsh hills at or above 400m and below 500m in height that have 30m minimum drop, the list is co-authored by Myrddyn Phillips and Aled Williams and is published on Mapping Mountains in Google Doc format.

The hill is adjoined to the Cymoedd Gwent group of hills, which are situated in the north-eastern part of South Wales (Region C, Sub-Region C2), and it is encircled by roads with the A465 to its north-west, the B4257 and A469 to its west, the B4256 to its south and the A4048 to its east, and has the town of Tredegar towards the north-east and Rhymni (Rhymney) towards the south-west.

The hill appeared in the original Welsh 400m P30 list published on Geoff Crowder’s v-g.me website under the name of Rhymney Hill, which is a prominent name that appears beside the summit of this hill on contemporary Ordnance Survey 1:50,000 Landranger and 1:25,000 Explorer maps.  The composition of this name was changed to Rhymni Hill when the 1^st edition of the Y Pedwarau was published by Europeaklist in May 2013.

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

The intricacies of language and prioritising one in favour of another for listing a hill is fraught with complication, with originating Cymraeg names being anglicised and also originating English names being cymricised, examples such as these are more common in border country and especially so for anglicised forms.  There is no steadfast rule that fits all, but as a standard a name that has its origins in the Welsh language should be prioritised in favour of a contemporary anglicised or English version of the name, and ideally for this to be substantiated by either historic documentation and / or contemporary usage.  Likewise, if a name exists where an element of it is in English and if this name applies to a hill that is situated in a Welsh speaking part of Wales it is standard practice to use a full Welsh term for the name.  It is also standard practice to use a Welsh name for a hill if another name exists that has originated in a different language.

Since publication of the 1^st edition of this list by Europeaklist in May 2013 there has been a thorough review of all hill names where a full Welsh term has not been used.  Therefore, the name this hill is now listed by in the Y Pedwarau – The 400m Hills of Wales is Mynydd Rhymni, with the full Welsh term for the name favoured over that of the mixed language version previously used.  This keeps uniformity with other hill names in the area which use the term Mynydd.

The full details for the hill are:

Group:  Cymoedd Gwent

Name:  Mynydd Rhymni

Previously Listed Name:  Rhymni Hill

OS 1:50,000 map:  161

Summit Height:  457.1m (LIDAR)

Summit Grid Reference:  SO 12603 08983 (LIDAR)

Bwlch Height:  379.1m (LIDAR)

Bwlch Grid Reference:  SO 14083 07664 (LIDAR)

Drop:  78.0m (LIDAR)

Myrddyn Phillips and Aled Williams (January 2020)