Mapping Mountains – Significant Name Changes – The Welsh P15s

Mynydd Llandyfalle (SO 075 369) 

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 Mynydd Llandyfalle (SO 075 369)

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 Epynt 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 B4520 road farther to its west and the A470 road farther to its north-east and south-east, and has the small community of Capel Uchaf (Upper Chapel) towards the north-west.

When the listing that became known as The Welsh P15s was being compiled, this hill was included in the main list under the transposed name of Llandyfalle Hill, which is a prominent name that appears near the summit of the hill on the contemporary Ordnance Survey 1:50,000 Landranger and 1:25,000 Explorer map. 

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

Since the original compilation of this list there have been a number of maps made available online.  Some of these are historic such as the series of Six-Inch maps on the National Library of Scotland website.  Whilst others were digitally updated such as the Ordnance Survey Vector Map Local that was hosted on the Geograph website and which was entitled the Interactive Coverage Map, whilst others are current and digitally updated such as the interactive mapping on the Magic Maps and WalkLakes websites.  One of the historic maps now available online is the Ordnance Survey Draft Surveyors map which formed the basis for the first publicly available Ordnance Survey One-Inch ‘Old Series’ map, and it is the Draft Surveyors map and the prioritised language protocol that has prompted the change in the listed name of this hill.

The Draft Surveyors maps consist of the preliminary drawings made by the Ordnance Survey surveyors between the 1780s and 1840 and formed the basis for the first publicly available One-Inch map.  They were drawn at scales of six inches to the mile for areas considered of particular military significance and down to two inches to the mile for other areas.  Fair copies were then produced from these preliminary drawings to one inch to the mile and then copper plates were prepared for printing.  The Draft Surveyors maps for the whole of Wales are now available online and they form an important part in the study of Welsh upland place-names as they bridge the time frame between the late 18^th century and the mid-19^th century when the Ordnance Survey produced their first One-Inch maps, and importantly for this hill and its listed name, it is this map that uses the name of Mynydd Llandyfalle for the land taking in the summit of this hill. 

Extract from the Ordnance Survey Draft Surveyors 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 The Welsh P15s is Mynydd Llandyfalle, and this was derived from the Ordnance Survey Draft Surveyors Map with the language protocol also being used. 

 

The full details for the hill are: 

Group:  Mynydd Epynt 

Name:  Mynydd Llandyfalle 

Previously Listed Name:  Llandyfalle Hill 

OS 1:50,000 map:  160

Summit Height:  377.0m (LIDAR)                                                           

Summit Grid Reference:  SO 07556 36973 (LIDAR) 

Bwlch Height:  361.7m (LIDAR) 

Bwlch Grid Reference:  SO 07117 37107 & SO 07106 37103 (LIDAR) 

Drop:  15.3m (LIDAR) 

 

Myrddyn Phillips (May 2025)