Mapping Mountains – Significant Name Changes – 200m Twmpau

 

Field Above The House (SO 135 990) 

There has been a Significant Name Change to a hill that is listed in the 200m Twmpau, with the summit height, bwlch height and their locations, the drop and status of the hill confirmed by LIDAR analysis and a subsequent Trimble GeoXH 6000 survey conducted by Myrddyn Phillips. 

Field Above The House (SO 135 990)

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

200m Twmpau - Welsh hills at or above 200m and below 300m in height with 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, with the word Twmpau being an acronym standing for thirty welsh metre prominences and upward. 

The 200m Twmpau by Myrddyn Phillips

The hill is adjoined to the Carnedd Wen group of hills which are situated in the south-eastern part of North Wales (Region A, Sub-Region A4), and it is encircled by minor roads, with also the B4390 road to its north, the B4389 road to its west and the A483 road to its south-east, and has the village of Tregynon towards the west. 

When the original 200m height band of Welsh P30 hills were published on Geoff Crowder’s v-g.me website this hill was listed under the transposed name of Penyffridd, with an accompanying note stating; Name from buildings to the South-East.

 

Penyffridd

263m

SO136991

136

215

Name from buildings to the South-East

During my early hill listing I thought it appropriate to either invent a name for a hill, or use a name that appeared near to the summit of the hill on Ordnance Survey maps of the day.  My preference was to use farm names and put Pen, Bryn or Moel in front of them or as in this instance transpose the name of a near farm for that of the hill.  This is not a practice that I now advocate as with time and inclination place-name data can be improved either by asking local people or by examining historic documents, through this form of research an appropriate name for the hill can usually be found. 

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

This was one of a number of hills on a circular walk and after visiting the summit I called at Penyffridd to make place-name enquiries.  I was met by Gareth Jones and his daughter Katie.  Having explained my interest in hill and field names Gareth told me that he had lived here all his life and celebrated his 72^nd birthday the day before, and that the farm had been in his family for over 100 years.  We then discussed the merits of the name he knows the high field where the summit of this hill is situated; Field Above The House, Gareth also told me that the hill does not have an individual name.  The conversation progressed to other subjects and after ten minutes or so he asked if I wanted a drink.  Soon afterward I was sitting in his conservatory with nibbles prepared by his wife; Glenys, who also served up a large mug of very welcome tea.  I spent about an hour in the company of Gareth, chatting and laughing until the cake that was then served filled me up and I joked that if I didn’t leave soon I’d be getting back to my car when it was dark. 

Gareth Jones of Penyffridd

Therefore, the name this hill is now listed by in the 200m Twmpau is Field Above The House, and this was derived from local enquiry.

 

The full details for the hill are:

Group:  Carnedd Wen

Name:  Field Above The House

Previously Listed Name:  Penyffridd   

OS 1:50,000 map:  136

Summit Height:  264.9m (converted to OSGM15, Trimble GeoXH 6000) 

Summit Grid Reference:  SO 13508 99039 (Trimble GeoXH 6000) 

Bwlch Height:  220.0m (LIDAR) 

Bwlch Grid Reference:  SO 13331 98643 (LIDAR) 

Drop:  44.8m (Trimble GeoXH 6000 summit and LIDAR bwlch)

 

Myrddyn Phillips (January 2021)