Mapping Mountains – Significant Name Changes – 30-99m Twmpau

Penpontbren Mochno (SN 630 925) 

There has been a Significant Name Change to a hill that is listed in the 30-99m 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 Penpontbren Mochno (SN 630 925)

The criteria for the list that this name change applies to are:

30-99m Twmpau - Welsh hills at or above 30m and below 100m in height with 30m minimum drop, this height band of hills has two accompanying sub lists, the first of which is entitled the 30-99m Sub-Twmpau with the criteria for this sub category being all Welsh hills at or above 30m and below 100m in height with 20m or more and below 30m of drop, and the second sub category is entitled the Double Sub-Twmpau with the criteria for this sub category being all Welsh hills at or above 20m and below 30m in height with 20m or more and below 30m of drop.  The list is authored by Myrddyn Phillips, with the word Twmpau being an acronym standing for thirty welsh metre prominences and upward. 

30-99m Twmpau by Myrddyn Phillips

The hill is adjoined to the Banc Llechwedd Mawr group of hills, which are situated in the northern part of South Wales (Region B, Sub-Region B1), and it is positioned with the B4353 road to its north and west, and the A487 road to its east, and has the small community of Borth towards the south south-west.

When the original 30-99m 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 under the point (Pt. 26m) notation with 24m of drop, based on the 26m summit spot height that appeared on the Ordnance Survey Vector Map Local hosted on the Geograph website and which was entitled the Interactive Coverage Map and the 2m bwlch spot height that appears on the Ordnance Survey 1:25,000 Explorer map. 

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 362 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 the farm of Penpontbren Mochno in the apportionments, with the details on the Tithe map appearing in the parish named as Llangynfelyn and in the county named as Cardigan. 

Extract from the apportionments

Therefore, the name this hill is now listed by in the 30-99m Twmpau is Penpontbren Mochno, with this was derived from the Tithe map. 

 

The full details for the hill are:

Group:  Banc Llechwedd Mawr

Name:  Penpontbren Mochno

Previously Listed Name:  Pt. 26m 

OS 1:50,000 map:  135

Summit Height:  26.9m (LIDAR) 

Summit Grid Reference:  SN 63095 92547 (LIDAR)               

Bwlch Height:  2.0m (LIDAR) 

Bwlch Grid Reference:  SN 62775 92295 (LIDAR) 

Drop:  24.8m (LIDAR) 

 

Myrddyn Phillips (September 2025)