Mapping Mountains – Hill Reclassifications – The Welsh P15s

Braich Bryn Engan (SH 720 568) – Welsh P15 addition 

There has been an addition to the list of 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 Braich Bryn Engan (SH 720 568)

The criteria for the list that this addition 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 name the hill is listed by is Braich Bryn Engan, and it is adjoined to the Moel Siabod group of hills, which are situated in the north-western part of North Wales (Region C, Sub-Region C1A), and it is positioned with the A4086 road to its north-west and the A5 road to its north-east, and has the village of Capel Curig towards the north.

When the listing that became known as The Welsh P15s was being compiled, this hill was not included in either the main list or the accompanying sub list, with subsequent interpolation giving the hill an estimated c 335m summit height and an estimated c 327m bwlch height, with both heights based on interpolation of 10m contouring. 

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.

Therefore, the addition of this hill to Welsh P15 status is due to LIDAR analysis, resulting in a 339.9m summit height and a 334.0m bwlch height, with these values giving this hill 15.9m 0f drop, which is sufficient for it to be classified as a Welsh P15. 

 

The full details for the hill are: 

Group:  Moel Siabod 

Name:  Braich Bryn Engan 

OS 1:50,000 map:  115

Summit Height:  339.9m (LIDAR)                                                           

Summit Grid Reference:  SH 72062 56877 (LIDAR)                                                  

Bwlch Height:  334.0m (LIDAR) 

Bwlch Grid Reference:  SH 71985 56818 (LIDAR) 

Drop:  15.9m (LIDAR) 

 

Myrddyn Phillips (October 2026)