Mapping Mountains – Significant Name Changes – The Welsh P15s

 

Wylfa (SH 353 936) 

There has been a Significant Name Change to a hill that is listed in The Welsh P15s, 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 Wylfa (SH 353 396)

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

The Welsh P15s – Welsh hills with 15m minimum drop, irrespective of their height, with an accompanying sub list entitled the Welsh Sub-P15s, with the criteria for this sub category being all Welsh hills with 14m or more and below 15m of drop.  The list is authored by Myrddyn Phillips, with the Introduction to the list appearing on Mapping Mountains on the 10^th May 2019. 

The Welsh P15s by Myrddyn Phillips

The hill is adjoined to the Ynys Môn 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 coast to its north, west and east and a minor road and the A5025 road farther to its south-east, and has the village of Cemaes towards the east. 

When the listing that became known as The Welsh P15s was being compiled, this hill was listed under the point (Pt. c 36m) notation with an estimated c 18m of drop, based on an estimated c 36m summit height and an estimated c 18m bwlch height, with both heights based on interpolation of 5m contouring that appear on the Ordnance Survey 1:25,000 Explorer map. 

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

As the summit of this hill comprises bounded land the details for it were examined on the Tithe 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 2 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 Wylfa in the apportionments, with the details on the Tithe map appearing in the parish of Llanfechell and in the county named as Anglesey. 

Extract from the apportionments

Therefore, the name this hill is now listed by in The Welsh P15s is Wylfa and this was derived from the Tithe map. 

 

The full details for the hill are: 

Group:  Ynys Môn 

Name:  Wylfa

Previously Listed Name:  Pt. c 36m 

OS 1:50,000 map:  114

Summit Height (New Height):  38.2m (LIDAR)                                                           

Summit Grid Reference:  SH 35343 93609 (LIDAR) 

Bwlch Height:  20.45m (LIDAR) 

Bwlch Grid Reference:  SH 35438 93650 (LIDAR) 

Drop:  17.8m (LIDAR) 

 

Myrddyn Phillips (June 2021)