Mapping Mountains – Hill Reclassifications – The Fours – The 400m Hills of England

Eldon Hill (SK 115 811) – 400m Sub-Four reclassified to Four

There has been a reclassification to the listing of the The Fours – The 400m Hills of England, with the summit height, col height and their locations, the drop and status of the hill derived by Joe Nuttall who produced a summit analysis programme using LIDAR, and then by LIDAR analysis initially conducted by Jim Bloomer and subsequently by Aled Williams. 

LIDAR image of Eldon Hill (SK 115 811)

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

The Fours – The 400m Hills of England.  English hills at or above 400m and below 500m in height that have 30m minimum drop, accompanying the main listing of The Fours are three categories of sub hills, with this hill being reclassified from the 400m Sub-Four category, the criteria for which are all English 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 the 2^nd edition of the booklet containing this list was published by Mapping Mountains Publications on the 24^th April 2018.

The Fours - The 400m Hills of England by Myrddyn Phillips and Aled Williams

The name the hill is listed by is Eldon Hill, and it is adjoined to the Kinder Scout group of hills, which are situated in the Peak District (Region 36: The Southern Pennines), and it is positioned with minor roads to its north-west and south-west, and the A623 road farther to its south, and has the small village of Peak Forest towards the south.

When the 2^nd edition of the The Fours – The 400m Hills of England was published by Mapping Mountains Publications in April 2018, this hill was included as a 400m Sub-Four and listed with an estimated c 28m of drop, based on the 470m summit spot height that appears on the Ordnance Survey 1:50,000 Landranger and 1:25,000 Explorer map, and an estimated c 442m col height based on interpolation of 10m contouring between 440m – 450m. 

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

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. 

LIDAR summit image of Eldon Hill

LIDAR col image of Eldon Hill

Therefore, the reclassification of this hill from 400m Sub-Four status is due to LIDAR analysis, resulting in a 470.7m summit height and a 440.1m col height, with these values giving this hill 30.6m of drop, which is sufficient for it to be classified as a Four.

 

The full details for the hill are:

Group:  Kinder Scout

Name:  Eldon Hill

OS 1:50,000 map:  110

Summit Height:  470.7m (LIDAR)

Summit Grid Reference:  SK 11561 81143 (LIDAR)

Col Height:  440.1m (LIDAR)

Col Grid Reference:  SK 12172 81178 (LIDAR)

Drop:  30.6m (LIDAR)

 

For the additions, deletions and reclassifications to The Fours – The 400m Hills of England reported on Mapping Mountains since the December 2013 publication of the 1^st edition of this list by Europeaklist please consult the following Change Registers:

 

The Fours

 

The Fours – 400m Sub-Four

 

The Fours – 390m Sub-Four

 

The Fours – 390m Double Sub-Four

 

Aled Williams and Myrddyn Phillips (February 2022)

 

 

  

Mapping Mountains – Significant Name Changes – 200m Twmpau

Cae Cwar y Coed (SN 828 343) 

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 derived from LIDAR alanysis conducted by Myrddyn Phillips. 

LIDAR image of Cae Cwar y Coed (SN 828 343)

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 Mynydd Epynt group of hills, which are situated in the central part of South Wales (Region B, Sub-Region B1), and it is positioned with minor roads to its north-west and east, and the A40 road to its south, and has the town of Llanymddyfri (Llandovery) towards the west. 

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

The hill appeared in the original Welsh 200m P30 list on Geoff Crowder’s v-g.me website, under the transposed name of Allt Llwyn-y-berllan, which is a prominent name that appears near the summit of this hill on the Ordnance Survey 1:25,000 Explorer map.

Allt Llwyn-y-berllan

248m

SN827344

160

12/187

 

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, with the previously listed name of Allt Llwyn-y-berllan applicable to land that does not take in the summit of this hill, with the Ordnance Survey series of Six-Inch maps giving appropriate name placement. 

Extract from the Ordnance Survey series of Six-Inch maps

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. 

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 2696 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 Cae Cwar y Coed in the apportionments, with the details on the Tithe map appearing in the parish of Llanfair-ar-y-bryn and in the county named as Carmarthenshire. 

Extract from the apportionments

Therefore, the name this hill is now listed by in the 200m Twmpau is Cae Cwar y Coed and this was derived from the Tithe map. 

 

The full details for the hill are:

Group:  Mynydd Epynt

Name:  Cae Cwar y Coed

Previously Listed Name:  Allt Llwyn-y-berllan   

OS 1:50,000 map:  160

Summit Height:  246.6m (LIDAR) 

Summit Grid Reference:  SN 82809 34336 (LIDAR) 

Bwlch Height:  215.4m (LIDAR) 

Bwlch Grid Reference:  SN 83737 35272 (LIDAR) 

Drop:  31.2m (LIDAR) 

 

Myrddyn Phillips (February 2022)

  

Mapping Mountains – Hill Reclassifications – Y Trichant – The 300m Hills of Wales

 

Darren (SH 825 087) – Sub-Trichant addition

There has been an addition to the list of Y Trichant – The 300m Hills of Wales, with the summit height, bwlch height and their locations, the drop and status of the hill derived from detail on contemporary maps produced from Ordnance Survey data. 

The criteria for the list that this addition 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 13^th May 2017, and the Introduction to the Mapping Mountains publication of the list appearing on the 1^st January 2022. 

Y Trichant - The 300m Hills of Wales by Myrddyn Phillips

The name the hill is listed by is Darren, and it is adjoined to the Aran Fawddwy group of hills, which are situated in the south-western part of North Wales (Region A, Sub-Region A3), and it is positioned with minor roads to its north and east, the A487 road to its west and the A470 road farther to its east, and has the town of Machynlleth towards the south-west. 

When the original 300m height band of Welsh P30 hills were published on Geoff Crowder’s v-g.me website, this hill was not included in the Hills to be surveyed sub list, as it was considered not to meet the criteria then used for this sub category. 

After the sub list was standardised, and interpolated heights and drop values also included the details for this hill were re-evaluated and it was listed with 29m of drop, based on the 324m summit spot height that appears on the Ordnance Survey 1:50,000 Landranger and 1:25,000 Explorer map and the 295m bwlch spot height that appears on the Ordnance Survey 1:25,000 Explorer map. 

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

Since the original publication of the Welsh P30 lists on Geoff Crowder’s v-g.me website there have been a number of 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 were digitally updated such as the Ordnance Survey Vector Map Local that was hosted on the Geograph website and which was entitled the Interactive Coverage Map, whilst others are current and digitally updated such as the interactive mapping on the Magic Maps and WalkLakes websites. 

One of the resources recently available online is the mapping on the OS Maps website and the details for this hill were subsequently re-assessed against this mapping.  This is the replacement for OS Get-a-map and until recent times had contours at 5m intervals which were proving consistently more accurate compared to the 5m contours that sometimes appear on the Ordnance Survey 1:25,000 Explorer map and used to appear on the online Vector Map Local.  This mapping had bwlch contouring between 295m – 300m, with interpolation placing the height of the bwlch as an estimated c 296m, with these contours also represented on other 5m contouring available online. 

Extract from online 5m contouring

Therefore, the addition of this hill to Sub-Trichant status is due to detail on contemporary maps produced from Ordnance Survey data, resulting in a 324m summit height and an estimated c 296m bwlch height, with these values giving this hill an estimated c 28m of drop, which is sufficient for it to be classified as a Sub-Trichant. 

 

The full details for the hill are: 

Group:  Aran Fawddwy 

Name:  Darren 

OS 1:50,000 map:  124, 125

Summit Height:  324m (spot height)                                                           

Summit Grid Reference:  SH 82563 08709 (spot height) 

Bwlch Height:  c 296m (interpolation) 

Bwlch Grid Reference:  SH 82391 09148 (interpolation) 

Drop:  c 28m (spot height summit and interpolated bwlch) 

 

Myrddyn Phillips (February 2022)

Mapping Mountains – Significant Name Changes – 200m Twmpau

Cae Bedw (SN 807 368) 

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 derived from LIDAR analysis conducted by Myrddyn Phillips. 

LIDAR image of Cae Bedw (SN 807 368)

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 Mynydd Epynt group of hills, which are situated in the central part of South Wales (Region B, Sub-Region B1), and it is positioned with a minor road to its north-west, the A483 road to its west, the A40 road to its south and a minor road to its south-east, and has the town of Llanymddyfri (Llandovery) towards the west south-west. 

The hill appeared in the original Welsh 200m P30 list on Geoff Crowder’s v-g.me website, under the transposed name of Allt Nantygollen, which is a prominent name that appears near the summit of this hill on the Ordnance Survey 1:25,000 Explorer map.

Allt Nantygollen

270c

SN807368

160

187

 

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, with the previously listed name of Allt Nantygollen applicable to land that does not take in the summit of this 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

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 1221 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 Cae Bedw in the apportionments, with the details on the Tithe map appearing in the parish of Llanfair-ar-y-bryn and in the county named as Carmarthenshire. 

Extract from the Tithe map

Therefore, the name this hill is now listed by in the 200m Twmpau is Cae Bedw and this was derived from the Tithe map. 

 

The full details for the hill are:

Group:  Mynydd Epynt

Name:  Cae Bedw

Previously Listed Name:  Allt Nantygollen   

OS 1:50,000 map:  160

Summit Height:  270.9m (LIDAR) 

Summit Grid Reference:  SN 80708 36805 (LIDAR) 

Bwlch Height:  242.5m (LIDAR) 

Bwlch Grid Reference:  SN 80714 36536 (LIDAR) 

Drop:  28.4m (LIDAR) 

 

Myrddyn Phillips (February 2022)

  

Mapping Mountains – Hill Reclassifications – Y Trichant – The 300m Hills of Wales

 

Ffridd y Glyn (SH 816 080) – Sub-Trichant reclassified to Trichant

There has been confirmation of a reclassification to the list of Y Trichant – The 300m Hills of Wales, with the summit height, bwlch height and their locations, the drop and status of the hill derived from LIDAR analysis conducted by Myrddyn Phillips and detail on contemporary maps produced from Ordnance Survey data. 

LIDAR image of Ffridd y Glyn (SH 816 080)

The criteria for the list that this reclassification 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 13^th May 2017, and the Introduction to the Mapping Mountains publication of the list appearing on the 1^st January 2022. 

Y Trichant - The 300m Hills of Wales by Myrddyn Phillips

The name the hill is listed by is Ffridd y Glyn, and it is adjoined to the Aran Fawddwy group of hills, which are situated in the south-western part of North Wales (Region A, Sub-Region A3), and it is positioned with the A487 road to its west, the A489 road to its south and the A470 road to its east, and has the town of Machynlleth towards the south-west. 

When the original 300m height band of Welsh P30 hills were published on Geoff Crowder’s v-g.me website, this hill was included in the Hills to be surveyed sub list, as it was considered not to meet the criteria then used for the main P30 category. 

After the sub list was standardised, and interpolated heights and drop values also included the details for this hill were re-evaluated and it was listed with an estimated c 32m of drop, based on the 306m summit spot height that appears on the Ordnance Survey 1:25,000 Explorer map and an estimated c 274m bwlch height, based on interpolation of 10m contouring between 270m – 280m. 

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

Since the original publication of the Welsh P30 lists on Geoff Crowder’s v-g.me website there have been a number of 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 were digitally updated such as the Ordnance Survey Vector Map Local that was hosted on the Geograph website and which was entitled the Interactive Coverage Map, whilst others are current such as the interactive mapping on the Magic Maps and WalkLakes websites. 

One of the resources recently available online is the mapping on the OS Maps website.  This is the replacement for OS Get-a-map and until recent times had contours at 5m intervals which were proving consistently more accurate compared to the 5m contours that sometimes appear on the Ordnance Survey 1:25,000 Explorer map and used to appear on the online Vector Map Local.  Although the mapping on the OS Maps website no longer has contours at 5m intervals, such contours are represented on other mapping available online and for this hill this mapping has bwlch contouring between 275m – 280m, with interpolation placing the height of the bwlch as an estimated c 276m. 

Extract from online 5m contouring

Therefore, the confirmation of the reclassification of this hill from Sub-Trichant status is due to LIDAR analysis and detail on contemporary maps produced from Ordnance Survey data, resulting in a 306.5m summit height and an estimated c 276m bwlch height, with these values giving this hill an estimated c 30m of drop, which is sufficient for it to be classified as a Trichant. 

 

The full details for the hill are: 

Group:  Aran Fawddwy 

Name:  Ffridd y Glyn 

OS 1:50,000 map:  124, 125

Summit Height:  306.5m (LIDAR)                                                           

Summit Grid Reference:  SH 81676 08091 (LIDAR) 

Bwlch Height:  c 276m (interpolation) 

Bwlch Grid Reference:  SH 81720 08732 (interpolation) 

Drop:  c 30m (LIDAR summit and interpolated bwlch) 

 

Myrddyn Phillips (February 2022)