Mapping Mountains – Significant Name Changes – The Welsh P15s

 

Comin Gwauncaegurwen (SN 711 123) 

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 Comin Gwauncaegurwen (SN 711 123)

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 the A4068 road to its north-east, the A4069 road to its north-west and a minor road to its south, and has the village of Brynaman towards the north.

When the listing that became known as The Welsh P15s was being compiled, this hill was not included in the main P15 list or the accompanying P14 sub list, as it possessed no contours of significance on either the Ordnance Survey 1:50,000 Landranger or the 1:25,000 Explorer map. 

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 highest ground on this hill as 216.6m, and with a 196.6m bwlch height, these values give this hill 19.98m 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.

The enclosed land where the summit of this hill is situated is given the number 195 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 Gwauncaegurwen Common on the Tithe map and 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 Tithe map

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 Welsh P15s is Comin Gwauncaegurwen and this was derived from the Tithe map with the prioritised language protocol being used. 

 

The full details for the hill are: 

Group:  Mynydd Du 

Name:  Comin Gawuncaegurwen 

Previously Listed Name:  unclassified 

OS 1:50,000 map:  160

Summit Height:  216.6 (LIDAR)                                                           

Summit Grid Reference:  SN 71158 12343 (LIDAR) 

Bwlch Height:  196.6m (LIDAR) 

Bwlch Grid Reference:  SN 71330 12592 & SN 71332 12592 (LIDAR) 

Drop:  19.98m (LIDAR) 

 

Myrddyn Phillips (April 2024)