Mapping Mountains – Significant Name Changes – The Welsh P15s

Llan Ucha Castell Madog (SO 027 385) 

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 Llan Ucha Castell Madog (SO 027 385)

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 the B4520 road to its west and a minor road to its east, and has the small community of Capel Uchaf (Upper Chapel) towards the north-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 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 under the point (P. 399m) notation with an estimated c 21m of drop, based on the 399m summit spot height that appeared on the Ordnance Survey Vector Map Local hosted on the Geograph website which was entitled the Interactive Coverage Map and an estimated c 378m bwlch height, based on interpolation of 10m contouring between 370m – 380m. 

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 790a 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 Llan Ucha (of the farm) Castell Madog in the apportionments, with the details on the Tithe map appearing in the parish named as Llandylaelog Fach and in the county named as Brecon. 

Extract from the apportionments

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

 

The full details for the hill are: 

Group:  Mynydd Epynt 

Name:  Llan Ucha Castell Madog 

Previously Listed Name:  Pt. 399m 

OS 1:50,000 map:  160

Summit Height:  400.7m (LIDAR)                                                           

Summit Grid Reference:  SO 02707 38531 (LIDAR) 

Bwlch Height:  381.6m (LIDAR) 

Bwlch Grid Reference:  SO 02779 38800 & SO 02780 38801 (LIDAR) 

Drop:  19.1m (LIDAR) 

 

Myrddyn Phillips (May 2025)