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 13^th May 2017, and the Introduction to the Mapping Mountains publication of the list appearing on the 1^st 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 Loaf

320c

SN834427

147/160

187

 

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)