Mapping Mountains – Significant Name Changes – The Welsh P15s

Cae Cenfas Ucha (SN 751 118) 

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 Cae Cenfas Ucha (SN 751 118)

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 Du group of hills, which are situated in the southern part of South Wales (Region B, Sub-Region B5), and it is positioned with a minor road to its west and south, and the A4068 road to its east, and has the community of Y Gurnos towards the south-east.

When the listing that became known as The Welsh P15s was being compiled, this hill was not included as with an uppermost 170m contour and bwlch contouring between 160m – 170m that appear on the contemporary Ordnance Survey 1:50,000 Landranger and 1:25,000 Explorer map, it was judged not to meet the criterion for the main P15 or the accompanying P14 sub list. 

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 analysis gives the natural summit of this hill as 182.8m, and with a 164.5m bwlch height, these values give this hill 18.3m of drop, which is sufficient for it to be classified as a Welsh P15.

As the summit of this hill used to comprise 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 1302 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 Cenfas Ucha in the apportionments, with the details on the Tithe map appearing in the parish of Llan-giwg and in the county named as Glamorgan. 

Extract from the apportionments

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

 

The full details for the hill are: 

Group:  Mynydd Du 

Name:  Cae Cenfas Ucha 

Previously Listed Name:  unclassified 

OS 1:50,000 map:  160

Summit Height:  182.8m (LIDAR)                                                           

Summit Grid Reference:  SN 75108 11870 (LIDAR) 

Bwlch Height:  164.5m (LIDAR) 

Bwlch Grid Reference:  SN 75202 12488 (LIDAR) 

Drop:  18.3m (LIDAR) 

 

My thanks to Aled Williams for advise relating to the listed name of this hill 

Myrddyn Phillips (May 2024)

 

 

  

Mapping Mountains – Hill Reclassifications – 100m Twmpau

Bryn Hywel (SH 515 417) – 100m Sub-Twmpau deletion

There has been a deletion from the list of 100m 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 Bryn Hywel (SH 515 417)

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

100m Twmpau – Welsh hills at or above 100m and below 200m in height that have 30m minimum drop, with an accompanying sub list entitled the 100m Sub-Twmpau with the criteria for this sub category being all Welsh hills at or above 100m and below 200m 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. 

100m Twmpau by Myrddyn Phillips

The name the hill is listed by is Bryn Hywel, and it is adjoined to the Moel Hebog group of hills, which are situated in the north-western part of North Wales (Region A, Sub-Region A1), and it is positioned with minor roads to its west and south, the A487 road to its north-east, the B4411 road farther to its west and the A497 road farther to its south, and has the town of Cricieth towards the south south-west.

When the original 100m height band of Welsh P30 hills were published on Geoff Crowder’s v-g.me website, this hill was mistakenly included in the main P30 list.

After the sub list was standardised, and interpolated heights and drop values also included the details for this hill were re-assessed and it was reclassified to 100m Sub-Twmpau status and listed with an estimated c 21m of drop, based on the 159m summit spot height that appears on the Ordnance Survey 1:50,000 Landranger and 1:25,000 Explorer map and an estimated c 138m bwlch height, based on interpolation of 10m contouring between 130m – 140m. 

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 deletion of this hill from 100m Sub-Twmpau status is due to LIDAR analysis, resulting in a 158.7m summit height and a 139.6m bwlch height, with these values giving this hill 19.1m of drop, which is insufficient for it to be classified as a 100m Sub-Twmpau. 

 

The full details for the hill are: 

Group:  Moel Hebog 

Name:  Bryn Hywel 

OS 1:50,000 map:  124

Summit Height:  158.7m (LIDAR) 

Summit Grid Reference:  SH 51520 41737 (LIDAR) 

Bwlch Height:  139.6m (LIDAR) 

Bwlch Grid Reference:  SH 51674 41306 & SH 51675 41305 (LIDAR) 

Drop:  19.1m (LIDAR) 

 

Myrddyn Phillips (May 2024) 

Mapping Mountains – Significant Name Changes – 30-99m Twmpau and Y Trechol – The Dominant Hills of Wales

Cefn y Coed (SH 667 172) 

There has been a Significant Name Change to a hill that is listed in the 30-99m Twmpau and Y Trechol – The Dominant Hills of Wales, with the summit height, bwlch height and their locations, the drop, dominance and status of the hill derived from LIDAR analysis conducted by Myrddyn Phillips. 

LIDAR image of Cefn y Coed (SH 667 172)

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

30-99m Twmpau - Welsh hills at or above 30m and below 100m in height that have 30m minimum drop, with an accompanying sub list entitled the 30-99m Sub-Twmpau, with the criteria for this sub category being all Welsh hills at or above 30m and below 100m 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. 

30-99m Twmpau by Myrddyn Phillips

Y Trechol – The Dominant Hills of Wales – Welsh P30 hills whose prominence equal or exceed half that of their absolute height.  With the criteria for Lesser Dominant status being those additional Welsh P30 hills whose prominence is between one third and half that of their absolute height.  The list is authored by Myrddyn Phillips with the Introduction to the start of the Mapping Mountains publication of this list appearing on the 3^rd December 2015, and the list is now available in its entirety on Mapping Mountains in Google Doc format. 

Y Trechol - The Dominant Hills of Wales by Myrddyn Phillips

The hill is adjoined to the Cadair Idris 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-east, and has the town of Dolgellau towards the east.

The hill appeared in the original Welsh 30-99m P30 list on Geoff Crowder’s v-g.me website, under the transposed name of Coed-y-garth, which is a prominent name that appears to the south-west of the summit of this hill on the contemporary Ordnance Survey 1:50,000 Landranger and 1:25,000 Explorer map.

Coed-y-garth

90c

SH666172

124

23

Two points of same height

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 a prominent name that appears on the Ordnance Survey 1:50,000 Landranger and 1:25,000 Explorer map 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 185 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 Cefngoed in the apportionments, with the details on the Tithe map appearing in the parish of Dolgellau and in the county named as Merioneth. 

Extract from the apportionments

The Ordnance Survey One-Inch ‘Old Series’ map hosted on the website accessing the Tithe maps gives two prominent names for the wooded area taking in this hill; Coed y Garth to the south-west and Cefn-y-coed close to the summit of this hill.  With the Tithe map giving the land boundary between each and which is still portrayed on contemporary Ordnance Survey maps. 

Extract from the Ordnance Survey One-Inch Old Series map hosted on the Tithe website

Therefore, the name this hill is now listed by in the 30-99m Twmpau and Y Trechol – The Dominant Hills of Wales is Cefn y Coed, and this was derived from the Tithe map. 

 

The full details for the hill are:

Group:  Cadair Idris

Name:  Cefn y Coed

Previously Listed Name:  Coed-y-garth 

OS 1:50,000 map:  124

Summit Height:  89.0m (LIDAR) 

Summit Grid Reference:  SH 66751 17241 (LIDAR)               

Bwlch Height:  26.7m (LIDAR) 

Bwlch Grid Reference:  SH 67045 17182 (LIDAR) 

Drop:  62.3m (LIDAR) 

Dominance:  69.98% (LIDAR) 

 

Myrddyn Phillips (May 2024)

 

  

Mapping Mountains – Significant Name Changes – 30-99m Twmpau

 

Cae Pen y Cefn (SH 532 377) 

There has been a Significant Name Change to a hill that is listed in the 30-99m 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 Pen y Cefn (SH 532 377)

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

30-99m Twmpau - Welsh hills at or above 30m and below 100m in height that have 30m minimum drop, with an accompanying sub list entitled the 30-99m Sub-Twmpau, with the criteria for this sub category being all Welsh hills at or above 30m and below 100m 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. 

30-99m Twmpau by Myrddyn Phillips

The hill is adjoined to the Moel Hebog group of hills, which are situated in the north-western part of North Wales (Region A, Sub-Region A1), and it is positioned with a minor road to its north and south, and the A497 road farther to its north, and has the town of Porthmadog towards the east north-east.

When the original 30-99m 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 under the point (Pt. 58m) notation with an estimated c 20m of drop, based on the 58m summit spot height that appears on the contemporary Ordnance Survey 1:25000 Explorer map and an estimated c 38m bwlch height, based on interpolation of 5m contouring between 35m – 40m. 

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 202 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 Pen y Cefn in the apportionments, with the details on the Tithe map appearing in the parish of Treflys and in the county named as Caernarfon. 

Extract from the apportionments

Therefore, the name this hill is now listed by in the 30-99m Twmpau is Cae Pen y Cefn, and this was derived from the Tithe map. 

 

The full details for the hill are:

Group:  Moel Hebog

Name:  Cae Pen y Cefn

Previously Listed Name:  Pt. 58m 

OS 1:50,000 map:  124

Summit Height:  57.8m (LIDAR) 

Summit Grid Reference:  SH 53267 37729 (LIDAR)               

Bwlch Height:  37.3m (LIDAR) 

Bwlch Grid Reference:  SH 53729 38357 (LIDAR) 

Drop:  20.5m (LIDAR) 

 

Myrddyn Phillips (May 2024)