Mapping Mountains – Significant Name Changes – 100m Twmpau

Obelisg Bryn Pydew (SH 805 789) 

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 LIDAR analysis conducted by Myrddyn Phillips. 

LIDAR image of Obelisg Bryn Pydew (SH 805 789)

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 Hiraethog group of hills, which are situated in the northern part of North Wales (Region A, Sub-Region A2), and it is positioned encircled by minor roads, with the A470 road farther to its west and the A55 road farther to its south-east, and has the town of Llandudno towards the north-west.

When the original 100m 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-assessed and it was listed under the point (Pt. c 121m) notation with an estimated c 19m of drop, based on an estimated c 121m summit height and an estimated c 102m bwlch height, with both heights based on interpolation of 5m contouring that appeared on the Ordnance Survey Vector Map Local hosted on the Geograph website and which was entitled the Interactive Coverage Map.                      

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

Since the original publication of the Welsh P30 lists on Geoff Crowder’s v-g.me website there have been a number of resources made available online, and a variety of these refer to this hill and its high tower as the Bryn Pydew Obelisk.

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 100m Twmpau is Obelisg Bryn Pydew, and this was derived from a variety of online sources with the language protocol also being used. 

 

The full details for the hill are:

Group:  Mynydd Hiraethog

Name:  Obelisg Bryn Pydew

Previously Listed Name:  Pt. c 121m   

OS 1:50,000 map:  116

Summit Height:  121.1m (LIDAR) 

Summit Grid Reference:  SH 80506 78913 (LIDAR) 

Bwlch Height:  99.3m (LIDAR) 

Bwlch Grid Reference:  SH 80687 79013 (LIDAR) 

Drop:  21.8m (LIDAR) 

 

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

Myrddyn Phillips (July 2024)