Mapping Mountains – Significant Name Changes – 200m Twmpau

 

Banc (SN 674 702) 

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. 

Banc (SN 674 702)

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 Elenydd group of hills which are situated in the central part of the Mid and West Wales Region (Region B, Sub-Region B2), and it is positioned with the A485 road to its west, the B4340 road to its north and east, and has the village of Lledrod towards the west. 

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

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 Brynarth, with an accompanying note stating; Name from buildings to the South-West.

Brynarth

289m

SN674702

135

213

Name from buildings to the South-West

 

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 and use it 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. 

This was one of a number of hills visited during the day and I approached it via a narrow paved road that ends at the farm of Penlan, from here a track continued in the same direction toward the farm of Tynbwlch. 

Walking along the track toward the hill a quad bike appeared from an adjacent field and I flagged it down.  I introduced myself to Joseph Cook, who along with his father farms this land.  I explained my interest in his hill and its name.  Joseph told me that they know it as Banc, and happy with another name documented I thanked him, asked permission to visit the summit, which was duly granted with Joseph kindly directing me toward the best ascent route using connecting gates through the various fields toward the summit of the hill. 

Joseph Cook of Tynbwlch 

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

 

The full details for the hill are:

Group:  Elenydd

Name:  Banc

Previously Listed Name:  Brynarth   

OS 1:50,000 map:  135

Summit Height:  289.4m (converted to OSGM15, Trimble GeoXH 6000) 

Summit Grid Reference:  SN 67427 70214 (Trimble GeoXH 6000) 

Bwlch Height:  234.4m (LIDAR) 

Bwlch Grid Reference:  SN 67366 69677 (LIDAR) 

Drop:  55.05m (Trimble GeoXH 6000 summit and LIDAR bwlch)

 

Myrddyn Phillips (April 2021)