23.04.21 Two Tumps (SO 117 850), Bryn Coch (SO 124
848), Cilfaesty (SO 128 840) and Banc Gorddwr
(SO 111 835)
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| Cilfaesty (SO 128 840) |
Having visited six hills around and including
Beacon Hill yesterday and with the glorious April weather continuing, I wanted
to visit Bryn Coch and Cilfaesty, two hills that are relatively close to where
I live and which I had only visited on two previous occasions, the last of
which was in May 2013. These hills are
positioned to the north of Beacon Hill and with the prospect of visiting and
surveying Two Tumps and Banc Gorddwr; two lower heighted hills joined to their
higher counterparts and with the bwlch of Cilfaesty also added to the day’s
surveying agenda, it promised to be a good day on the hill and would complete
the numerical gap for the hills taking in Cilfaesty and Beacon Hill.
The first survey of the day was beside the high
point of the B4355 road as it makes its way over the moor from Dolfor in the
north toward Beguildy in the south-east.
This was one of two potential bwlch positions for Banc Gorddwr, which is
classified as a 400m Sub-Pedwar and which rose above the road looking across it
to the higher hills of Bryn Coch and Cilfaesty.
I’m always wary of where the Trimble is
positioned during a survey on or beside a road, but during data collection only
one car passed and after the allotted data were gathered and stored I left the
road and headed on a gravelled track and then pastored grazing fields toward
the second potential bwlch position for Banc Gorddwr.
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| Gathering data at the first of two positions surveyed for the bwlch of Banc Gorddwr |
The weather conditions were similar to
yesterdays with blue sky dominating and a chilled breeze blowing across the
land. By the time I reached the second
potential bwlch a farm vehicle came down an adjacent field from the direction
of Two Tumps. It was soon driving across
the same field I was now in but on the opposite side of a large area of reed
grass which signified the low point of the land on the valley to valley traverse. It zoomed off to a lower part of the field
gathering sheep as it did so. It later
came back up the field close to where I was standing assessing the lay of land;
I waved across and walked toward it.
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| Early morning heading toward Bryn Coch and Cilfaesty |
The vehicle stopped and I explained what I hoped
to do, and asked about the name of the hills and we chatted for ten minutes or
so. The farmer told me where the
drainage point was on the field, and I joked and asked him if I could employ
him as a surveying assistant, we both laughed when he enquired what the pay
would be like.
Before leaving I asked if I could use the gate
that he had driven through for access to the summit of Two Tumps, and having
said yes and telling me how good the view was from the summit he left with a
wave and a smile.
I proceeded to gather data from the point where
he had directed me to for the drainage of the bwlch and afterward continued up
to the summit of Two Tumps. This hill,
as the farmer had told me, has a stunning and expansive view. Some views can be dramatic and especially so
when confronted by either cliffs or sheer drops, others are pleasing to the eye
where ridges cascade in to the distance, whereas the view from the summit of
Two Tumps is neither, it is just extensive, but when you have Cadair Idris and
the Aran as major mountain ranges shooting skyward way off in the distance as
well as a myriad of other hills on show it proved a wonderful view to savour.
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| Gathering data at the second of two positions surveyed for the bwlch of Banc Gorddwr |
I gathered data from three different positions
for the high point of Two Tumps with my favoured position being the top of one
of the two tumuli that give the hill its name.
Afterward I walked down to its connecting bwlch to also gather
data. This bwlch is where the reclaimed
pastored grazing land butts up against the moorland of Bryn Coch and Cilfaesty
and once bwlch data were gathered and stored; I then headed up to the summit of
Bryn Coch.
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| Gathering data at the summit of Two Tumps |
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| Gathering data at one of the positions surveyed for the summit of Two Tumps |
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| Gathering data at the bwlch of Two Tumps |
The summit of Bryn Coch consists of moor grass
and large amounts of heather and the high point was relatively easy to
determine. As the Trimble beeped away
gathering data I stood back and admired the view and also looked to my south where
the connecting bwlch between this hill and the higher Cilfaesty lay hidden. I had no memory of this bwlch from my previous
visits so did not know how unsavoury its undergrowth was. It proved a delight to get to and walk over
and also survey as a vehicle track on closely cropped grass heads directly over
the bwlch and continues up the northern flank of Cilfaesty. I’d spotted the same track on the western
fringe of Bryn Coch and wondered how far on the moor it went. Once on it, it took me up toward the summit
of Cilfaesty, back down to the bwlch and then onward back toward the summit of
Two Tumps, but before this I had to survey the bwlch of Bryn Coch.
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| Gathering data at the summit of Bryn Coch |
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| The Trimble set-up position at the summit of Bryn Coch |
Positioning the Trimble atop my rucksack on the
dried earthen track I stood an appropriate distance away from it as it gathered
data, so as not to get in the way of satellite reception and waited until the
allotted data were stored. Surveys are
now the norm for me on a hill, although during the recent winter lockdown I did
many local walks either up Yr Allt or Y Golfa where the Trimble was left at
home as both summits had been previously surveyed. However, in the main doing a hill walk
without the Trimble and prospect of surveying is now a rarity. Surveying certainly breaks the rhythm of a hill
walk, something that I was not fully conscious of before investing in the
equipment, but it does give time to look and reflect, more so when operating
the Leica equipment when a minimum of an hour of gathered data was the norm whilst
surveying with John Barnard and Graham Jackson.
Whereas the Trimble only requires two minutes of data collection to
produce an accurate result, I usually push the proverbial boat out and gather
five, but even this relatively short period of time gives opportunity to stop,
listen and look, just to slow down ones aims and savour those moments in the
beautiful uplands that Wales has to offer.
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| Cilfaesty from the approach to the connecting bwlch with Bryn Coch |
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| Gathering data at the bwlch of Bryn Coch |
The summit of Cilfaesty comprises discarded
debris consisting of wind torn black bin liners and once there I soon had the
Trimble set up gathering data. During
data collection I watched as two horses appeared to my west, they each stopped
to drink from a small pool just out of view.
One spotted me and stood proudly looking directly at me. I watched each as I left the summit, with
both slowly becoming ever smaller silhouettes against a radiant blue sky.
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| Gathering data at the summit of Cilfaesty |
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| I've been spotted! |
Heading back over the bwlch I continued up the
green track which soon brought me to the fence which to my east continued up
the short distance to the connecting bwlch for Two Tumps. The track now continued as no more than
vehicle marks on the pastored grazing field.
It led me back to a gate close to the summit tumuli of Two Tumps and
then down toward the second reedy bwlch position I had surveyed earlier in the
day. From here it was only a short
distance back to my car.
I now wanted to visit and survey the summit of
Banc Gorddwr whose bwlch I had surveyed earlier in the morning. Therefore, I re-positioned my car further up
the minor road that leaves the B4355 and parked where a track veers off the
tarmac across one of the adjacent fields.
The ground was so dry that I could have parked anywhere on the near
field.
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| An easy walk to the summit of Banc Gorddwr |
A narrow path led from the minor road up over
the moor to the summit of Banc Gorddwr which as I approached looked as if it
was crowned by an attractive rock. This
‘rock’ is grey, weathered and has moss growing on it but upon further
investigation it proved to be hollow and if placed there as an imitation rock
it almost convinced me. I placed the
Trimble approximately 2 metres from it and gathered the last summit data set of
the day.
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| Gathering data at the summit of Banc Gorddwr |
Once back at my car I drove the short distance
toward Waen farm and parked on the grass verge and walked down the lane to
where I now wanted to survey two points for the critical bwlch position of
Cilfaesty. The first of which was either
on or beside the track leading to the farm.
As I walked down the track a quad bike drove up it. I chatted with Charles Jones for ten minutes
or so, explaining where I’d just been, my interest in surveying and hill names
and the importance of his track and land near it.
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| Charles Jones |
Charles was extremely co-operative considering
someone had just turned up asking if they could clamber over a fence into the
adjacent field to sit on grass for ten minutes whilst a small piece of
equipment positioned on a rucksack quietly beeped away, and he had no problem
whatsoever with me wandering around the field assessing the lay of land.
I took two data sets for the bwlch position of Cilfaesty,
the first from where I judged the highest remaining natural ground was
positioned adjacent to the track, this was obviously higher bur also man-made
and similar in appearance to an under filled land bridge and therefore as such discounted
from the height of the bwlch, and the second position from a slender and steep
connection of land overlooking a picturesque small pool.
The first survey took an inordinate amount of
time for the Trimble to attain the 0.1m accuracy level before data should be
logged, but I was in no rush as I had permission to sit in the field and the
sun was out and that chilled breeze from early morning was now no more than a
remnant of memory.
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| Gathering data at the first of two positions surveyed for the bwlch of Cilfaesty |
After the first of these last two data sets of
the day was safely gathered and stored I clambered back over the fence, went through
the opposing open gate and walked past a small bowl of land which is now used
as a rubbish heap to where the second potential bwlch position is placed. This position overlooks a small pool with
steep brackened slopes dotted with badger sets and a view out toward Cilfaesty,
it is an attractive position for a potential bwlch to be placed. Unfortunately a few metres from it was a
discarded wheelie bin and across the near fence and at utter contrast to it was
the rubbish heap, however it was still a wonderful site even with the
accompaniment of the wheelie bin!
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| Gathering data at the second of two positions surveyed for the bwlch of Cilfaesty |
Again it took a lengthy period of time for the
Trimble to attain the 0.1m accuracy level, but once it had I pressed ‘Log’ and
sat contentedly waiting for the allotted data to be gathered and stored before
heading back to the minor lane and my awaiting car.
Survey Result:
Two Tumps
Summit Height: 507.7m (converted to OSGM15)
Summit Grid Reference: SO 11778 85096
Bwlch Height: 499.4m (converted to OSGM15)
Bwlch Grid Reference: SO 12321 84963
Drop: 8.3m
Dominance: 1.63%
Bryn Coch
Summit Height: 519.1m (converted to OSGM15)
Summit Grid Reference: SO 12497 84866
Bwlch Height: 481.9m (converted to OSGM15)
Bwlch Grid Reference: SO 12594 84370
Drop: 37.3m
Dominance: 7.18%
Cilfaesty
Summit Height: 527.8m (converted to OSGM15)
Summit Grid Reference: SO 12803 84079
Bwlch Height: 385.2m (converted to OSGM15)
Bwlch Grid Reference: SO 12044 82276
Drop: 142.5m
Dominance: 27.01%
Banc Gorddwr
Summit Height: 488.5m (converted to OSGM15)
Summit Grid Reference: SO 11192 83538
Bwlch Height: 466.6m (converted to OSGM15)
Bwlch Grid Reference: SO 11038 83998
Drop: 21.9m
Dominance: 4.49%
For further details please consult the Trimble Survey Spreadsheet
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