Mapping Mountains - Christmas Message

 

1,000,000 Page View on Mapping Mountains

 

Mapping Mountains has just exceeded 1,000,000 page views.

The site started in December 2013 with the intention of documenting the surveys conducted with the Trimble GeoXH 6000 and the various articles and such like that I had devised and written and which had accumulated over a number of years.  At its inception the thought of operating a blog was part terrifying, but also rather exciting. 

The site has now progressed to hosting the most accurate hill data, both numerical and for place name information.  Mapping Mountains is also archived on a monthly basis at the National Library of Wales at Aberystwyth.

Many thanks to all those who visit Mapping Mountains for their continued support and I hope the site will continue to provide detail on place name information and the most accurate numerical data.

Myrddyn Phillips (24^th December 2024)

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

Pt. 337.4m (SO 057 899) – Sub-Trichant addition

There has been confirmation of 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 LIDAR analysis conducted by Myrddyn Phillips. 

LIDAR image of Pt. 337.4m (SO 057 899)

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 hill is being listed by the point (Pt. 337.4m) notation, and it is adjoined to the Hirddywel group of hills, which are situated in the northern part of South Wales (Region B, Sub-Region B2), and it is positioned with minor roads to its north and south, and the A489 road farther to its north, and has the town of Y Drenewydd (Newtown) towards the east north-east.

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 accompanying 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 27m of drop, based on the 339m summit spot height that appears on the contemporary Ordnance Survey 1:25,000 Explorer map and the 312m bwlch spot height that appeared on the Ordnance Survey Vector Map Local hosted on the Geograph website and which was entitled the Interactive Coverage Map. 

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.

Therefore, the confirmation of the addition of this hill to Sub-Trichant status is due to LIDAR analysis, resulting in a 337.4m summit height and a 310.9m bwlch height, with these values giving this hill 26.5m of drop, which is sufficient for it to be classified as a Sub-Trichant. 

 

The full details for the hill are: 

Group:  Hirddywel 

Name:  Pt. 337.4m 

OS 1:50,000 map:  136

Summit Height:  337.4m (LIDAR)                                                           

Summit Grid Reference:  SO 05795 89947 (LIDAR) 

Bwlch Height:  310.9m (LIDAR) 

Bwlch Grid Reference:  SO 05311 89758 (LIDAR) 

Drop:  26.5m (LIDAR) 

 

Myrddyn Phillips (December 2024)

 

 

  

Mapping Mountains – Significant Name Changes – 500m Twmpau and Welsh Highlands – Uchafion Cymru

 

Mynydd St Ioan (SH 973 202) 

There has been a Significant Name Change to a hill that is listed in the 500m Twmpau and Welsh Highlands – Uchafion Cymru, with the summit height, bwlch height and their locations, the drop and status of the hill derived from LIDAR analysis conducted by Aled Williams. 

Mynydd St Ioan (SH 973 202)

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

500m Twmpau – Welsh hills at or above 500m and below 600m in height with 30m minimum drop, with an accompanying sub category entitled the 500m Sub-Twmpau consisting of all Welsh hills at or above 500m and below 600m in height with 20m or more and below 30m of drop.  The list is authored by Myrddyn Phillips, with the word Twmpau being an acronym standing for thirty welsh metre prominences and upward.

500m Twmpau by Myrddyn Phillips

Welsh Highlands – Uchafion Cymru – Welsh hills at or above 500m in height with 15m minimum drop, with an accompanying sub list entitled the Welsh Highland Subs, the criteria for which is all Welsh hills at or above 500m in height with 10m or more and below 15m of drop.  This list is authored by Myrddyn Phillips and Aled Williams with the Introduction to the list published on Mapping Mountains in November 2015 and the latest update relating to the list published on Mapping Mountains in January 2023.                                    

Welsh Highlands - Uchafion Cymru by Aled Williams and Myrddyn Phillips

The hill is adjoined to the Esgeiriau Gwynion group of hills, which are situated in the southern part of North Wales (Region A, Sub-Region A3), and it is positioned with the B4393 road to its north-east, and has the village of Llanwddyn towards the east south-east.

When the listing that became known as the 500m Twmpau and also the listing that became known as the Welsh Highlands – Uchafion Cymru was first compiled by Myrddyn Phillips, this hill appeared under the name of Mynydd St John, which is a prominent name that appears beside the summit of the hill on the Ordnance Survey 1:50,000 Landranger and 1:25,000 Explorer map. 

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

The intricacies of language and prioritising one in favour of another for listing a hill is fraught with complication, with originating Cymraeg names being anglicised and also originating English names being cymricised, examples such as these are more common in border country and especially so for anglicised forms.  There is no steadfast rule that fits all, but as a standard a name that has its origins in the Welsh language and where this is substantiated by either historic documentation and/or contemporary usage should be prioritised in favour of a contemporary anglicised or English version of the name.  Likewise, if a name exists where an element of it is in English and if this name applies to a hill that is situated in a Welsh speaking part of Wales it is standard practice to use a full Welsh term for the name.  It is also standard practice to use a Welsh name for a hill if another name exists that has originated in a different language.

Therefore, the name this hill is now listed by in the 500m Twmpau and Welsh Highlands – Uchafion Cymru is Mynydd St Ioan and this was derived from the contemporary Ordnance Survey 1:50,000 Landranger and 1:25,000 Explorer map, with the prioritised language protocol being used.  Interestingly the Welsh name of Ioan is also used on these maps for a ffridd that is positioned to the east of the summit of this hill. 

 

The full details for the hill are: 

Group:  Esgeiriau Gwynion 

Name:  Mynydd St Ioan 

Previously Listed Name:  Mynydd St John 

OS 1:50,000 map:  125 

Summit Height:  512.9m (LIDAR) 

Summit Grid Reference:  SH 97379 20286 (LIDAR) 

Bwlch Height:  489.1m (LIDAR) 

Bwlch Grid Reference:  SH 96246 19964 (LIDAR) 

Drop:  23.8m (LIDAR) 

 

Myrddyn Phillips and Aled Williams (December 2024)

 

 

 

 

 

Mapping Mountains – Trimble Surveys – Pendle

 

22.10.24  Little Hill (SD 919 325) 

Little Hill (SD 919 325)

A number of reservoirs dot the landscape immediately east of Burnley.  It was one of these, more specifically the Widdop Reservoir we drove toward after we indulged ourselves in a heartening light breakfast at John’s house in Burnley.

The previous evening consisted of an excellent meal followed by a varied few hours of conversation, which took in all manner of weird and wonderful subjects including death, string theory, aliens, religion, the Israeli and Palestine conflict and its history; for the latter it seems the Romans are to blame.  Also touched upon was prominence, relative height, their differences if any and the history of their use.  It proved a wonderful few hours with lots of laughs and insight.  However, it was now time for a walk and the next one on the agenda was Little Hill, which is positioned amongst a great swathe of moorland close to the Lancashire – Yorkshire border.

The parking area at the eastern end of the Widdop Reservoir proved an ideal place to start from.  By the time walking boots were donned, or in my case wellies, the sun was breaking through the morning haze and all seemed well in the world.

Intermittent cloud and a breeze gave beautiful conditions that remained with us for the majority of the walk.  These conditions enabled light and shade to be cast, which added flashes of subtle colour to the landscape. 

Crossing the dam

The flagged section of the dam across the reservoir gave us access to its southern side, where the Garple Gate track would take us high on the eastern flank of the hill.  I headed off before Mark and John, knowing that they would catch me up.  We were in no particular rush and I set a good, albeit relatively slow pace on the track, stopping occasionally to admire a small herd of cows as they nuzzled their way in the adjacent field and to admire the view across the reservoir. 

MOOOOOOOOO

Above the track a small wood consisting of fir trees added height above the immediate surrounds, with the darkened profiles of the rocks known as the Cludders beyond.  Beside the track the grasses were radiant with sunlight emphasising their autumnal hues with a rusted bronze ever present.  This time of year can be a shear joy to be out on the hill, with ever changing light giving richness to many a scene. 

The fir trees with the Cludders beyond

By contrast the land stretching down to the waters edge to the north-west consisted of greens interspersed with dulled browns, and again all emphasised by that ever changing mood of light and shade.  I stopped and admired the view for a few minutes, conscious that my two colleagues would soon catch me up. 

The greens and dulled browns of autumn

The Widdop Reservoir

By the time the track left the course of the waters edge and climbed steeply up to its high point, Mark and John had joined me.  I then followed them for the remainder of the distance toward the undulating summit area which consisted of a number of high points almost indistinguishable from one another.

The LIDAR ten figure grid reference for the summit was one of three points worthy of Trimbling.  The first of which was the point that we had initially walked to, which consisted of a solid wooden post designating its contention as summit position.  The second point was between the post position and the LIDAR position.  All three were Trimbled.

During Trimbling Mark and John headed toward a fence corner to the south.  It was from here that John suggested we descend; this alternative route would add variety to our walk.  It also meant that as long as I stood away from the equipment during data collection no one would interfere with satellite reception.

I took two minutes of data at each point, which is the minimum advised for an accurate result.  This would at least cut waiting time for John and Mark, who were being patient with my surveying needs, and had been the day before with the two hills we visited during the afternoon. 

Gathering data at one of the three positions surveyed for the summit of Little Hill

Once the three positions were Trimbled, I took the customary photos, packed the equipment away and headed over and around the numerous bogs and rejoined my colleagues for our descent.

John suggested heading down over pathless moor toward the continuation of the track as it heads westward from where we left it at its high point.  This would give us a semblance of dry ground to walk on, however being pathless much of it was rough, which necessitated slow going.  John headed straight down to the track, whilst I contoured; finding a convenient sheep path that took me back to the high point of the track, with Mark following the route John had taken. 

John heading down toward the track with the Gorple Reservoir in the distance

Where I now stood was delightful, with a band of sculptured rock adding foreground to the coloured grassland of the moor.  Having taken numerous photos I sat on the rock and waited the arrival of Mark and John.  From here we headed down our inward route as the sun disappeared behind a high cloud bank, only stopping occasionally to admire the view. 

A delightful spot to look and wait

The cows of our inward journey which were then in the adjacent field, were now on and beside the track which meant a slow walk past them.  Two were cwtched down giving me the eye as I stood and took their photo. 

All cwtched and giving me the eye

It had been an excellent trip north, with good company, food, conversation and hills, all that remained was the seemingly ever present queue on the M6 heading southward toward home. 

 

Survey Result:

 

Little Hill                                   

Summit Height:  468.2m (converted to OSGM15, Trimble GeoXH 6000)

Summit Grid Reference:  SD 91916 32500 (Trimble GeoXH 6000)

Col Height:  390.8m (LIDAR)

Col Grid Reference:  SD 91458 33732 (LIDAR)

Drop:  77.4m (Trimble GeoXH 6000 summit and LIDAR col)

Dominance:  16.54% (Trimble GeoXH 6000 summit and LIDAR col)  

 

 

For further details please consult the Trimble Survey Spreadsheet

 

 

 

 

 

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

 

Pt. 449.7m (NY 276 176) – Sub-Four addition

There has been an addition 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 from LIDAR analysis conducted by Myrddyn Phillips. 

LIDAR image of Pt. 449.7m (NY 276 176)

The criteria for the list that this addition 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 list is a sub list entitled the Sub-Fours, the criteria for which are all English hills at or above 400m and below 500m in height that have 15m or more and below 30m of drop.  The list is co-authored by Myrddyn Phillips and Aled Williams and is available to download in Google Doc format from the Mapping Mountains site.

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

The hill is listed by the point (Pt. 449.7m) notation, and it is adjoined to the High Raise group of hills, which are situated in the English Lake District, and it is positioned with the A591 road to its north-east and a minor road and the B5289 road to its west, and has the small community of Rosthwaite towards the south south-west.

When the Introduction to the first group of hills for the updated and revised listing of the The Fours – The 400m Hills of England was published by Mapping Mountains on the 10^th September 2022, it was announced that the accompanying sub lists were being revised with the two 390m categories dispensed with and the criteria and name of the 400m Sub-Fours revised.  The one accompanying sub list is now named the Sub-Fours with its criteria being all English hills 400m and above and below 500m in height that have 15m and more and below 30m of drop.

Prior to this revision this hill was listed with an estimated c 14m of drop, based on an estimated c 450m summit height and an estimated c 436m col height, with both heights based on interpolation of 10m contouring that appears on the Ordnance Survey 1:25,000 Explorer map. 

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.

Therefore, the addition of this hill to Sub-Four status is due to LIDAR analysis, resulting in a 449.7m summit height and a 434.5m col height, with these values giving this hill 15.2m of drop, which is sufficient for it to be classified as a Sub-Four.

 

The full details for the hill are:

Group:  High Raise

Name:  Pt. 449.7m

OS 1:50,000 map:  89, 90

Summit Height:  449.7m (LIDAR)

Summit Grid Reference:  NY 27681 17605 (LIDAR)

Col Height:  434.5m (LIDAR)

Col Grid Reference:  NY 27802 17564 (LIDAR)

Drop:  15.2m (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

 

Sub-Fours

 

Myrddyn Phillips and Aled Williams (December 2024)

  

Mapping Mountains – Significant Name Changes – 200m Twmpau

 

Moel Erfyl (SJ 105 144) 

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 Moel Erfyl (SJ 105 144)

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 that have 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.  The list is authored by Myrddyn Phillips, with the word Twmpau being an acronym standing for thirty welsh metre prominences and upward. 

200m Twmpau by Myrddyn Phillips

The hill is adjoined to the Foel Cedig group of hills, which are situated in the central part of North Wales (Region A, Sub-Region A3), and it is positioned encircled by minor roads, with the B4393 road farther to its north, the B4382 road farther to its west and the A495 road farther to its south-east, and has the village of Meifod towards the east south-east.

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 and invented name of The Voel Hill, with an accompanying note stating; Name from buildings to the East.

The Voel Hill

252m

SJ106144

125

239

Name from buildings to the 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 an anglicised farm and add the word Hill to it.  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 field number on the Tithe map can be cross referenced against the apportionments, which give the name of the owner or occupier as well as the name of the land.  In this instance it is the Tithe map that names the land where the summit of this hill is situated as a common named Moel Erfyl.

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

 

The full details for the hill are:

Group:  Foel Cedig

Name:  Moel Erfyl

Previously Listed Name:  The Voel Hill

OS 1:50,000 map:  125

Summit Height:  253.3m (LIDAR) 

Summit Grid Reference:  SJ 10565 14445 (LIDAR) 

Bwlch Height:  216.6m (LIDAR) 

Bwlch Grid Reference:  SJ 10926 14742 (LIDAR) 

Drop:  36.7m (LIDAR) 

 

Myrddyn Phillips (December 2024)