Thursday 29 February 2024

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

 

Lan Pulput (SN 834 392) – 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 Lan Pulpit (SN 834 392)

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 13th May 2017, and the Introduction to the Mapping Mountains publication of the list appearing on the 1st January 2022. 

Y Trichant - The 300m Hills of Wales by Myrddyn Phillips

The name the hill is now listed by is Lan Pulput and this was derived from the Tithe map, and it 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 A483 road to its north-west, and has the town of Llanymddyfri (Llandovery) towards the south-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 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 an estimated c 22m of drop, based on the 305m summit spot height that appears on the contemporary Ordnance Survey 1:25,000 Explorer map, and an estimated c 283m bwlch height, based on interpolation of 10m contouring between 280m – 290m. 

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 304.2m summit height and a 283.4m bwlch height, with these values giving this hill 20.9m of drop, which is sufficient for it to be classified as a Sub-Trichant. 

 

The full details for the hill are: 

Group:  Mynydd Epynt 

Name:  Lan Pulput 

OS 1:50,000 map:  160

Summit Height:  304.2m (LIDAR)                                                           

Summit Grid Reference:  SN 83485 39206 (LIDAR) 

Bwlch Height:  283.4m (LIDAR) 

Bwlch Grid Reference:  SN 83885 39030 (LIDAR) 

Drop:  20.9m (LIDAR) 

 

Myrddyn Phillips (February 2024)

Wednesday 28 February 2024

Mapping Mountains – Significant Name Changes – 100m Twmpau


Crug Cwm (SN 612 257) 

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 derived from detail produced by Joe Nuttall in his surface analysis programme, with subsequent LIDAR analysis conducted by the DoBIH team and independently by Myrddyn Phillips. 

LIDAR image of Crug Cwm (SN 612 257)

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 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 hill is adjoined to the Mynydd Mallaen group of hills, which are situated in the central part of South Wales (Region B, Sub-Region B1), and it is positioned encircled by minor roads, with the A40 road farther to its south and the B4302 road farther to its east, and has the town of Llandeilo towards the south south-east.

The hill appeared in the original Welsh 100m P30 list on Geoff Crowder’s v-g.me website, under the invented and transposed name of Twyn y Crugcwm, with an accompanying note stating; Name from buildings to the East.


Twyn y Crugcwm190cSN613259146186Name 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 a farm and add the words Twyn y 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. 

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 3474 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 a part of Crug Cwm farm in the apportionments, with the details on the Tithe map appearing in the parish of Llandeilo Fawr and in the county named as Carmarthen. 

Extract from the apportionments

Therefore, the name this hill is now listed by in the 100m Twmpau is Crug Cwm, and this was derived from the Tithe map. 

 

The full details for the hill are:

Group:  Mynydd Mallaen

Name:  Crug Cwm

Previously Listed Name:  Twyn y Crugcwm   

OS 1:50,000 map:  146

Summit Height:  192.8m (LIDAR) 

Summit Grid Reference:  SN 61260 25753 (LIDAR) 

Bwlch Height:  159.0m (LIDAR) 

Bwlch Grid Reference:  SN 63103 27207 (LIDAR) 

Drop:  33.8m (LIDAR) 

 

Myrddyn Phillips (February 2024)

 

 

  

Tuesday 27 February 2024

Mapping Mountains – Significant Height Revisions – The Fours – The 400m Hills of England

 

South Hessary Tor (SX 597 723) 

There has been a Significant Height Revision that is retrospective and due to a summit relocation to a hill that is listed in 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 South Hessary Tor (SX 597 723)

The criteria for the list this height revision affects 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 are three categories of sub hills, the 400m Sub-Four category, the 390m Sub-Four category and the 390m Double Sub-Four category.  The list is co-authored by Myrddyn Phillips and Aled Williams and the 2nd edition of the booklet containing this list was published by Mapping Mountains Publications on the 24th April 2018.

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

The name the hill is listed by is South Hessary Tor, and it is adjoined to the High Willhays group of hills, which are situated in Dartmoor in the south-west of the country, and it is positioned with the B3212 road to its north-west and a minor road to its east, and has the village of Princetown towards the north-west.

When the listing that is now known as The Fours – The 400m Hills of England was originally compiled this hill appeared under the name of South Hessary Tor North Top with a summit height of 451m positioned at SX 594 730, based on the spot height that appears on the contemporary Ordnance Survey 1:25,000 Explorer map. 

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

When the 1st edition of the The Fours was published by Europeaklist in December 2013, this hill was listed as South Hessary Tor with a 454m summit height positioned at SX 597 723, based on the spot height that appears on the Harvey Maps 1:40,000 British Mountain Map to Dartmoor.  This is also the summit height and position used when the 2nd edition of the The Fours – The 400m Hills of England was published by Mapping Mountains Publications in April 2018. 

Extract from the Harvey Maps 1:40,000 British Mountain Map to Dartmoor

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 summit image of South Hessary Tor (SX 597 723)

LIDAR analysis gives the highest ground on this hill as 454.1m positioned at SX 59712 72361, as opposed to the originally listed summit position of 450.7m positioned at SX 59448 73056, and this comes within the parameters of the Significant Height Revisions used within this page heading, these parameters are:

The term Significant Height Revisions applies to any listed hill whose interpolated height and Ordnance Survey or Harvey map summit spot height has a 2m or more discrepancy when compared to the survey result produced by the Trimble GeoXH 6000 or analysis of data produced via LIDAR, also included are hills whose summit map data is missing an uppermost ring contour when compared to the data produced by the Trimble or by LIDAR analysis.

Therefore, the listed summit height of this hill is 454.1m and this was derived from LIDAR analysis, this is 3.1m higher than the originally listed summit height which was based on the 451m spot height that appears on the contemporary Ordnance Survey 1:25,000 Explorer map. 

 

The full details for the hill are:

Group:  High Willhays

Name:  South Hessary Tor

OS 1:50,000 map:  191

Summit Height (New Height):  454.1m (LIDAR)

Summit Grid Reference:  SX 59712 72361 (LIDAR)

Col Height:  418.9m (LIDAR)

Col Grid Reference:  SX 58746 73462 (LIDAR)

Drop:  35.2m (LIDAR)

 

Myrddyn Phillips and Aled Williams (February 2024)

 

 

 

 

Monday 26 February 2024

Mapping Mountains – Significant Name Changes – Y Trichant – The 300m Hills of Wales

 

Dorth Siwgr (SN 834 427) 

There has been a Significant Name Change to a hill that is listed in the 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 Dorth Siwgr (SN 834 427)

The criteria for the list that this name change 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 13th May 2017, and the Introduction to the Mapping Mountains publication of the list appearing on the 1st January 2022. 

Y Trichant - The 300m Hills of Wales 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 A483 road to its north-west and a minor road to its south, and has the town of Llanymddyfri (Llandovery) towards the south-west.

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

The hill appeared in the original 300m height band of Welsh P30 hills published on Geoff Crowder’s v-g.me website, under the transposed name of Sugar Loaf, which is the name given the hill on the contemporary Ordnance Survey 1:50,000 Landranger and 1:25,000 Explorer map.


Sugar Loaf320cSN834427147/160187
 

Since the original publication of the Welsh P30 lists on Geoff Crowder’s v-g.me website the access to a large number of documents, both historical and contemporary is now available via online sources on the internet.  One of these is the transcript from Wyn W. Sir Gaerfyrddin. Ye Brython Cymreig, Saturday, Gorphenaf 8 published in 1898.  This confirms the use of the Welsh name with the literal translation now appearing on contemporary Ordnance Survey maps as the English name. 

Extract from Wyn W.  Sir Gaerfyrddin.  Ye Brython Cymreig, Saturday, Gorphenaf 8 published in 1898

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 Y Trichant – The 300m Hills of Wales is Dorth Siwgr and this was derived Wyn W. Sir Gaerfyrddin. Ye Brython Cymreig, Saturday, Gorphenaf 8 published in 1898, with the prioritised language protocol being used. 

 

The full details for the hill are: 

Group:  Mynydd Epynt 

Name:  Dorth Siwgr 

Previously Listed Name:  Sugar Loaf 

OS 1:50,000 map:  147, 160

Summit Height:  325.6m (LIDAR)                                                           

Summit Grid Reference:  SN 83481 42793 (LIDAR) 

Bwlch Height:  295.2m (LIDAR) 

Bwlch Grid Reference:  SN 83703 42851 (LIDAR) 

Drop:  30.4m (LIDAR) 

 

My thanks to Aled Williams for advising me in relation to the listed name of this hill 

Myrddyn Phillips (February 2024)

 

 

 

Sunday 25 February 2024

Mapping Mountains – Summit Relocations – 100m Twmpau

 

Crug Cwm (SN 612 257) 

There has been a Summit Relocation 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 derived from detail produced by Joe Nuttall in his surface analysis programme, with subsequent LIDAR analysis conducted by the DoBIH team and independently by Myrddyn Phillips. 

LIDAR image of Crug Cwm (SN 612 257)

The criteria for the list that this summit relocation 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 now listed by is Craig Cwm and this was derived from the Tithe map, and it is adjoined to the Mynydd Mallaen group of hills, which are situated in the central part of South Wales (Region B, Sub-Region B1), and it is positioned encircled by minor roads, with the A40 road farther to its south and the B4302 road farther to its east, and has the town of Llandeilo towards the south south-east.

When the original Welsh 100m P30 list was published on Geoff Crowder’s v-g.me website, this hill was listed with a non-interpolated c 190m summit height positioned at SN 61434 26099, based on the largest of four uppermost 190m ring contours which appears on the contemporary Ordnance Survey 1:25,000 Explorer map. 

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

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 an estimated c 34m of drop, based on an estimated c 193m summit height positioned at SN 61434 26099, with the next largest 190m ring contour estimated as c 192m positioned at SN 61257 25745, and an estimated c 159m bwlch height, based on interpolation of 10m contouring between 150m – 160m.

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 summit image of Crug Cwm (SN 612 257)

LIDAR analysis gives the highest ground on this hill as 192.8m positioned at SN 61260 25753, as opposed to 191.4m to the previously listed summit positioned at SN 61430 26107 and SN 61432 26105, and this comes within the parameters of the Summit Relocations used within this page heading, these parameters are:

The term Summit Relocations applies when the high point of the hill is found to be positioned; in a different field, to a different feature such as in a conifer plantation,  within a different map contour, to a different point where a number of potential summit positions are within close proximity, when natural ground or the natural and intact summit of a hill is confirmed compared to a higher point such as a raised field boundary or covered reservoir that is judged to be a relatively recent man-made construct, or a relocation of approximately 100 metres or more in distance from either the position of a map spot height or from where the summit of the hill was previously thought to exist.

Therefore, the height produced by LIDAR analysis to the summit of this hill is 192.8m and is positioned at SN 61260 25753, this position is not given a spot height on the contemporary Ordnance Survey 1:50,000 Landranger and 1:25,000 Explorer map, and is approximately 350 metres south-westward from where the previously listed summit is positioned. 

 

The full details for the hill are: 

Group:  Mynydd Mallaen 

Name:  Crug Cwm 

OS 1:50,000 map:  146

Summit Height:  192.8m (LIDAR) 

Summit Grid Reference (New Position):  SN 61260 25753 (LIDAR) 

Bwlch Height:  159.0m (LIDAR) 

Bwlch Grid Reference:  SN 63103 27207 (LIDAR) 

Drop:  33.8m (LIDAR) 

 

Myrddyn Phillips (February 2024)