Monthly Synopsis

 

Synopsis of all major changes detailed on Mapping Mountains during the last calendar month.  These can include new, confirmation and retrospective changes

 

Hill Reclassifications: 

Pt. 497.7m (NY 307 075) - Sub-Four addition

Moel Maehefa (SJ 087 744) - proposed Subhump reinstated to Hump

Mynydd Deulyn (SH 756 608) - Sub-Trichant deletion

Garth (SH 580 727) - 30-99m Sub-Twmpau addition

Lingmoor Fell (NY 306 043) - Sub-Four addition

Significant Height Revisions: 

Pt. 497.7m (NY 307 075) - The Fours - The 400m Hills of England

Cae Gwar y Tŷ (SO 035 495) - 200m Twmpau

Porfa Bwlch (SN 987 491) - The Welsh P15s

Belles Knott (NY 297 085) - The Fours - The 400m Hills of England

Glynllugwy (SH 754 592) - Y Trichant - The 300m Hills of Wales

Summit Relocations: 

Pt. 143.7m (ST 330 982) - 100m Twmpau

Cae Plu (SN 562 035) - The Welsh P15s

Bigni (SN 199 311) - 200m Twmpau

Cae Ton Bach Ucha (ST 320 991) - 100m Twmpau

Cae Gwar y Tŷ (SO 035 495) - 200m Twmpau

Garth (SH 580 727) - 30-99m Twmpau

Significant Name Changes: 

Cae Tŷ Cefn Ysgubor (SJ 111 080) - 200m Twmpau

Cefn (SN 997 734) - Y Trichant - The 300m Hills of Wales

Belan Bank (SJ 318 157) - 30-99m Twmpau

Pt. 143.7m (ST 330 982) - 100m Twmpau

Cae Plu (SN 562 035) - The Welsh P15s

Bigni (SN 199 311) - 200m Twmpau

Cae Ton Bach Ucha (ST 320 991) - 100m Twmpau

Porfa Bwlch (SN 987 491) - The Welsh P15s

Foel Goch (SH 717 015) - 200m Twmpau

Cae Gwar y Tŷ (SO 035 495) - 200m Twmpau

Mapping Mountains – Significant Name Changes – 200m Twmpau

Cae Gwar y Tŷ (SO 035 495) 

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 Gwar y Tŷ (SO 035 495)

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 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 west and immediate east, and the B4520 road farther to its east, and has the town of Llanfair-ym-Muallt (Builth Wells) towards the north.

When the original 200m height band of Welsh P30 hills were published on Geoff Crowder’s v-g.me website, this hill was included in the main P30 list under the transposed name of Cnwc-y-llo, with an accompanying note stating; Name from buildings to the North.

Cnwc-y-llo

235m

SO035495

147

188

Name from buildings to the North

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, with little consideration for the meaning of the name and where it was appropriately applied to.  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 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. 

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 226 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 Gwar y Tŷ in the apportionments, with the details on the Tithe map appearing in the parish named as Builth and in the county named as Brecon. 

Extract from the apportionments

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

 

The full details for the hill are:

Group:  Mynydd Epynt

Name:  Cae Gwar y Tŷ

Previously Listed Name:  Cnwc-y-llo   

OS 1:50,000 map:  147

Summit Height:  232.8m (LIDAR) 

Summit Grid Reference:  SO 03502 49537 & SO 03504 49535 (LIDAR) 

Bwlch Height:  198.4m (LIDAR) 

Bwlch Grid Reference:  SO 03391 49083 (LIDAR) 

Drop:  34.4m (LIDAR) 

 

Myrddyn Phillips (February 2025)

 

 

 

  

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

 

Lingmoor Fell (NY 306 043) – 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 imae of Lingmoor Fell (NY 306 043)

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 name the hill is listed by is Lingmoor Fell, and it is adjoined to the Scafell Pike group of hills, which are situated in the English Lake District, and it is positioned with the B5343 road to its north-east and minor roads to its west, south and east, and has the village of Chapel Stile towards the north-east.

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 14m of drop, based on the 437m summit spot height and the 423m col 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 addition of this hill to Sub-Four status is due to LIDAR analysis, resulting in a 438.2m summit height and a 422.3m col height, with these values giving this hill 15.9m of drop, which is sufficient for it to be classified as a Sub-Four.

 

The full details for the hill are:

Group:  Scafell Pike

Name:  Lingmoor Fell

OS 1:50,000 map:  90

Summit Height:  438.2m (LIDAR)

Summit Grid Reference:  NY 30613 04350 (LIDAR)

Col Height:  422.3m (LIDAR)

Col Grid Reference:  NY 30509 04425 (LIDAR)

Drop:  15.9m (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 (February 2025)

Mapping Mountains – Significant Name Changes – 200m Twmpau

Foel Goch (SH 717 015) 

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 Foel Goch (SH 717 015)

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 Tarren y Gesail 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 A493 road to its south, and has the town of Machynlleth towards the 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 name of Braich y Golwydd, which is a prominent name that appears south-west of this summit on the Ordnance Survey 1:50,000 Landranger and 1:25,000 Explorer map.

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, with little consideration for the meaning of the name and where it was appropriately applied to.  My preference was to use farm names and put Pen, Bryn or Moel in front of them.  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 943 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 Foel Goch in the apportionments as well as on the Tithe map, with the details on the Tithe map appearing in the parish of Pennal and in the county named as Merioneth. 

Extract from the apportionments

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

 

The full details for the hill are:

Group:  Tarren y Gesail

Name:  Foel Goch

Previously Listed Name:  Braich y Golwydd

OS 1:50,000 map:  135

Summit Height:  240.2m (LIDAR) 

Summit Grid Reference:  SH 71798 01550 (LIDAR) 

Bwlch Height:  217.5m (LIDAR) 

Bwlch Grid Reference:  SH 72278 01787 (LIDAR) 

Drop:  22.8m (LIDAR) 

 

Myrddyn Phillips (February 2025)

 

  

Mapping Mountains – Significant Name Changes – The Welsh P15s

Porfa Bwlch (SN 987 491) 

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 derived from LIDAR analysis conducted by Myrddyn Phillips. 

LIDAR image of Porfa Bwlch (SN 987 491)

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 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 and east, and the A483 road farther to its north, and has the town of Llanfair-ym-Muallt (Builth Wells) towards the east north-east.

When the listing that became known as The Welsh P15s was being compiled, this hill was listed under the point (Pt. 276m) notation with an estimated c 2om of drop, based on the 276m summit spot height that appeared on the Ordnance Survey Vector Map Local hosted on the Geograph website and which was entitled the Interactive Coverage Map and an estimated c 256m bwlch height, based on interpolation of 10m contouring between 250m – 260m. 

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 157 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 Pasture Adjoining Bwlch in the apportionments, with the details on the Tithe map appearing in the parish named as Llanynys and in the county named as Breconshire. 

Extract from the apportionments

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 Welsh P15s is Porfa Bwlch and this was derived from the Tithe map with the language protocol being used, with a translation of Porfa Bwlch being Bwlch Pasture. 

 

The full details for the hill are: 

Group:  Mynydd Epynt 

Name:  Porfa Bwlch

Previously Listed Name:  Pt. 276m 

OS 1:50,000 map:  147

Summit Height:  273.8m (LIDAR) 

Summit Grid Reference:  SN 98775 49136 & SN 98777 49139 (LIDAR) 

Bwlch Height:  253.8m (LIDAR) 

Bwlch Grid Reference:  SN 98928 49112 (LIDAR) 

Drop:  19.95m (LIDAR) 

 

Myrddyn Phillips (February 2025)