Mapping Mountains – Significant Name Changes – 100m Twmpau

Trehafren Hill (SO 100 910) 

There has been a Significant Name Change to a hill that is listed in the 100m Twmpau, with the summit height, bwlch height and their locations, the drop and status of the hill confirmed by LIDAR analysis and a subsequent Trimble GeoXH 6000 survey conducted by Myrddyn Phillips. 

The summit of Trehafren Hill (SO 100 910)

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

100m Twmpau - Welsh hills at or above 100m and below 200m in height with 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. 

The 100m Twmpau by Myrddyn Phillips

The hill is adjoined to the Cilfaesty group of hills, which are situated in Mid and West Wales (Region B, Sub-Region B1), and it is positioned with a minor road to its immediate north, the Afon Hafren (River Severn) and the B4568 road farther to its north and the A4811 road to its south, and has the town of Y Drenewydd (Newtown) surrounding it. 

The hill appeared in the original 100m Welsh P30 list on Geoff Crowder’s v-g.me website under the invented and transposed name of Moel Trehafren, with an accompanying note stating; Name from surrounding estate.

Moel Trehafren

152m

SO100911

136

214/215

Name from surrounding estate

 

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 a housing estate and prefix it with the word Moel.  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

For the name of this hill I sought advice from a hill walking friend; Edward Humphreys, who is the Town Clerk of Newtown and Llanllwchaiarn.  He told me that Newtown and Llanllwchaiarn Town Council now have the tenancy of the land under a 99 year lease community asset transfer incorporating this hill, with the tenancy having been transferred from that of Powys County Council.  Ed also told me that the hill is known locally as Trehafren Hill.

Edward Humphreys

Since publication of these P30 lists on Geoff Crowder’s v-g.me website, research in to appropriate names of hills has been made easier by the availability of the Internet.  An online search brings up a number of references to the name of Trehafren Hill, including its own Facebook page!  Many of these are centred on the Mountain Bike Trail and BMX Pump Track that are now situated on this hill. 

Therefore, the name this hill is now listed by in the 100m Twmpau is Trehafren Hill and this was derived from local enquiry. 

 

The full details for the hill are: 

Group:  Cilfaesty 

Name:  Trehafren Hill

Previously Listed Name:  Moel Trehafren 

OS 1:50,000 map:  136

Summit Height:  152.8m (converted to OSGM15, Trimble GeoXH 6000)

Summit Grid Reference:  SO 10020 91073 (Trimble GeoXH 6000)

Bwlch Height:  115.4m (LIDAR)

Bwlch Grid Reference:  SO 10146 90923 (LIDAR)

Drop:  37.4m (Trimble GeoXH 6000 summit and LIDAR bwlch) 

 

Myrddyn Phillips (October 2021)