Mapping Mountains – Significant Name Changes – Y Pedwarau - The 400m Hills of Wales and Y Trechol – The Dominant Hills of Wales

Cefn Digoll (SJ 264 058)

There has been a Significant Name Change to a hill that is listed in the Y Pedwarau - The 400m Hills of Wales and Y Trechol - The Dominant Hills of Wales, with the summit height, bwlch height and their locations, the drop and dominance of the hill derived by a Trimble GeoXH 6000 survey and LIDAR analysis conducted by Myrddyn Phillips and Aled Williams.

Cefn Digoll (SJ 264 058)

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

Y Pedwarau – The 400m Hills of Wales – Welsh hills at or above 400m and below 500m in height that have 30m minimum drop, accompanying the main list are five categories of sub hills, with this hill listed in the 390m Sub-Pedwar category.  The criteria for this category are all Welsh hills at or above 390m and below 400m in height that have 30m minimum drop.  The list is co-authored by Myrddyn Phillips and Aled Williams and is published on Mapping Mountains in Google Doc format.

Y Pedwarau - The 400m Hills of Wales by Myrddyn Phillips and Aled Williams

Y Trechol – The Dominant Hills of Wales – Welsh P30 hills whose prominence equal or exceed half that of their absolute height.  With the criteria for Lesser Dominant status being those additional Welsh P30 hills whose prominence is between one third and half that of their absolute height.  The list is authored by Myrddyn Phillips with the Introduction to the start of the Mapping Mountains publication of this list appearing on the 3^rd December 2015, and the list is now available in its entirety on Mapping Mountains in Google Doc format.

Y Trechol - The Dominant Hills of Wales by Myrddyn Phillips

The hill is adjoined to the Stiperstones group of hills, which are situated in the eastern part of South Wales (Region B, Sub-Region B2), and it is positioned with the B4388 and the A483 roads to its west and a minor road to its east, and has the town of Y Trallwng (Welshpool) towards the south-west.

The hill appeared in the original 400m height band of Welsh P30 hills compiled by Myrddyn Phillips published on Geoff Crowder’s v-g.me website, under the transposed name of Beacon Ring, which is a prominent name that appears adjacent to the summit of this hill on the contemporary Ordnance Survey 1:50,000 Landranger and 1:25,000 Explorer map.

Beacon Ring

408m

SJ265058

126

216

Marilyn. Clem/Yeaman. Trig pillar marked on map.

During the original compilation Myrddyn Phillips thought it appropriate to either invent a name for a hill, or use a name that appeared near to the summit of the hill on Ordnance Survey maps of the day.  His preference was to use farm names and put Pen, Bryn or Moel in front of them or as in this instance transpose an English name used for the summit area and use it for that of the hill.  This is not a practice that is now advocated as with time and inclination place-name data can be improved either by asking local people or by examining historic documents, through this form of research an appropriate name for the hill can usually be found.

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

Since publication of these P30 lists on Geoff Crowder’s v-g.me website there have been a number of Ordnance Survey 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 are current and digitally updated such as the old Vector Map Local hosted on the Geograph website and which was entitled the Interactive Coverage Map and the interactive mapping available on the Magic Maps and WalkLakes websites.  One of the historic maps now available online is the Ordnance Survey One-Inch ‘Old Series’ map, and it is this map along with historic documents and local knowledge that forms the basis for the change in the listed name of this hill.

The One-Inch ‘Old Series’ map was the first map that Ordnance Survey produced, and their publication culminated from the whole of Britain being surveyed between 1791 and 1874 and the detail gathered therein produced at a scale of one inch to the mile and published in sheet format between 1805 and 1874.  The One-Inch ‘Old Series’ maps for the whole of Wales are now available online; they are also available in map format as enlarged and re-projected versions to match the scale and dimensions of the Ordnance Survey 1:50,000 Landranger series and are published by Cassini.  This series of maps form another important part in the study of Welsh upland place-names and bridge the timeframe leading up to the production of the Ordnance Survey base map of the Six-Inch series, and importantly for this hill and its listed name, it is this map that records the name of Cefn Digoll (with the composition given as Cefn Digol).

 

Extract from the Ordnance Survey One-Inch 'Old Series' 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 Y Pedwarau - The 400m Hills of Wales and Y Trechol – The Dominant Hills of Wales is Cefn Digoll, and this was derived from historic documents including the Ordnance Survey One-Inch 'Old Series' map and local knowledge, with the prioritised language protocol also being used.

 

The full details for the hill are:

Group:  Stiperstones

Name:  Cefn Digoll

Previously Listed Name:  Beacon Ring 

OS 1:50,000 map:  126

Summit Height:  408.3m (converted to OSGM15, Trimble GeoXH 6000)

Summit Grid Reference:  SJ 26479 05819 (LIDAR)  

Bwlch Height:  103.3m (converted to OSGM15, Trimble GeoXH 6000)

Bwlch Grid Reference:  SJ 28827 02177 (Trimble GeoXH 6000)

Drop:  305.0m (Trimble GeoXH 6000)

Dominance:  74.69% (Trimble GeoXH 6000)

Myrddyn Phillips and Aled Williams (April 2017)

Mapping Mountains – Trimble Surveys – Stiperstones

24.03.17 & 28.03.17  Cefn Digoll (SJ 264 058)

Cefn Digoll (SJ 264 058)

The high point of Cefn Digoll (known as the Long Mountain in English) is a copse of trees in the centre of a well preserved ancient hill fort.  Immersed in the trees is a triangulation pillar and it is land 3-4 metres from its base which is the high point of the hill.

The hill fort encircles the copse of trees, and its occupation is dated to the later part of the Bronze Age and the early part of the Iron Age.  The hill fort is known as Caer Digoll in Welsh and Beacon Ring in English.

Information board at the entrance to the wood at the summit of Cefn Digoll

On a chilled crisp day in December 2009 I visited the summit of Cefn Digoll with John Barnard and Graham Jackson with our aim to ascertain where the high point lay.  We used a level and staff and took readings on each high point of the ancient earthen embankment and proceeded in to the wood to the ground beside the trig pillar.  We found that the ground 3-4 metres from the base of the trig is 0.29m higher than the high point of the ancient embankment.  Today I wanted to re-visit Cefn Digoll and take a Trimble reading from the embankment high point which in affect would also then give the summit height.

The western side of the ancient earthen embankment

Access to the summit is relatively easy and I parked in a passing place near to the track that leads toward the two masts that adorn the summit area of the hill.  As I walked up the track the sun shone from a deep blue sky with a brisk easterly breeze adding a spring chill to proceedings.

I walked round the northern part of the ancient embankment before entering the wood from its west, the trig pillar is situated in the centre of the wood and I waited a few minutes with the Trimble positioned on the high point to note a ten figure grid reference for the summit.  During this dabbled light cascaded through the trees, colouring their bark and lighting an otherwise dark place.

Somewhere amongst the trees is a trig pillar

The Trimble marks the high point of Cefn Digoll

The trig pillar with the high point of Cefn Digoll about 3-4 metres to the right and where the Trimble is just visible at the base of a tree

Leaving the wood to its east I gained the top of the embankment and walked to its high point, I spent a couple of minutes stomping down a number of brambles and then positioned the Trimble on top of my rucksack to give it elevation above its immediate surrounds, I then measured a 0.41m offset between its internal antenna and the ground at the base of the ruck sack and waited for the 0.1m accuracy level to be attained before data should be logged.  As this high point of the ancient embankment is 0.29m lower than the summit beside the trig pillar it meant that with the 0.41m offset, that the Trimble was positioned 0.12m above the height of the hill’s summit.

Gathering data at the high point of the earthen embankment

Once five minutes of data were collected I switched the equipment off, took a few photographs, packed it away and walked back to my car and headed down into deepest darkest England to investigate the bwlch connecting this hill to the next higher summit.

This bwlch is positioned in the vicinity of Marton, which is a village situated a couple of miles across the border in England, with the bwlch either being beside Marton Pool, or to its east or to its south-west, dependent upon whether the water flowed in to or out of the lake.  Marton Pool is approximately 25 - 30 acres in area, having been upwards of 70 acres in area many years ago, its drainage and the flat bottomed nature of its immediate land meant that the adjacent fields would probably be wet, I didn’t have concern as I’d come prepared and wore my wellies.

Marton Pool

I wanted to take a series of data sets from the vicinity of the lake, but my priority was the find which direction water flowed on the eastern and the south-western sides of the lake as Ordnance Survey maps imply that an outflow on the east formed the infant Rea Brook, whilst the water on the south-west formed the infant Aylesford Brook.

Parking my car close to where a 103m spot height appears on the map at SJ 288 021 I took a data set with the Trimble positioned on the car roof with a 1.44m measurement offset to the road below, and then another data set in the adjacent field to the south beside a culvert pipe feeding a dried up dyke.  The connection of this pipe ran under the road to another drainage ditch in the adjacent field to the north.  Once data were stored I drove a mile or so north-east to the Marton Pool Caravan Park.

Gathering data on the southern side of the lane

I hoped that I could walk to the eastern part of the lake from the caravan park and as I drove down its access lane I waved to a man on a small pick-up vehicle, we stopped and chatted and I explained what I hoped to do, he explained that the water on the eastern side of the lake flowed out from a sluice gate and then offered to take me through the caravan park to the water’s edge.  I left my car in the small car park and we then chatted for about 15 minutes, beside us was an inflow from the Lowerfield Brook and he confirmed that the water drained out of the lake to the east, this meant that the bwlch for Cefn Digoll must either be on the south-western part of the lake or immediately beside the lake if the water also drained out on the south-western side.  He advised me to call at the pub in Marton as the fields behind led to the remains of an old boat house beside a part of the lake.  Before leaving I took a data set to ascertain the height of the water level.

On occasion life waiting for the Trimble to gather data can be a beautiful experience

During taking this data set I stood and looked out across the water to Corndon beyond, a subline image with breeze blown movement of bull rushes adding depth to the scene.

Gathering data to ascertain the height of the water level in Marton Pool with Corndon in the background

My next objective was the south-eastern side of the lake; I called at the pub and was invited in although it was locked for an afternoon siesta.  The man at the pub told me the route down to the lake which I followed across a couple of fields.

Between the lake side on its south-eastern side and the lane where I took the first data set are a series of water channels, I investigated two close to the lakeside and threw clumps of grass in to one and the water trickled in to the lake, this meant that in all likelihood the bwlch was positioned between the south-eastern side of the lake and the lane.  I proceeded to take a further three data sets in the fields following the series of water channels as they headed toward the lane.  I hoped to follow the main drainage channel to the lane but gave up when confronted with a field of penned in horses, happy that I’d taken sufficient data to answer where the bwlch was roughly positioned I headed up a field toward the houses in Marton, only to be confronted with a number of back gardens, thankfully a woman had spotted me and kindly directed me through her goat pen, past her chickens and rabbits and out toward the road next to her house.  I thanked her and explained what I was attempting to fathom, we talked about the drainage from the lake, and the natural spring emanating from her field and a multitude of other things.  She informed me that the culvert under the lane is blocked but the water to its north flowed in to the lake and the water to its south flowed down the valley, this meant that the position of the 103m spot height on the lane would be roughly where the bwlch for Cefn Digoll is positioned.

Gathering data beside one of the water ditches feeding into Marton Pool which is shielded by the trees in the background

I left Marton as the sun was sinking and the chilled air heralded a spring evening happy in the knowledge that a number of data sets were ready to process and their results would hopefully confirm that the land north of the lane increased in height as it neared the lake.

Postscript:

Having processed the data the results confirmed that the land headed down toward the lake on the northern side of the lane, however once the results of this Pedwar survey were forwarded to Aled he checked the area of the bwlch against LIDAR data and sent me the height and position of what LIDAR determined to be the remains of the natural bwlch, this was positioned close to the drainage ditch feeding the blocked culvert on the northern side of the lane, and therefore four days after surveying the summit and various points in the area of the bwlch of Cefn Digoll in glorious sunshine I headed back to take a series of data sets at the point where LIDAR data positioned the bwlch.

It was early morning when I pulled my car up beside a gate entrance on the lane, and a few minutes later the Trimble was positioned on top of my rucksack gathering data.  Thankfully the lay of land was not difficult to assess, and having dismissed the drainage ditch as having been tampered with by man and the earthen embankment above it as man-made, the Trimble was gathering data at the point where I judged the valley to valley traverse was at its highest and the hill to hill traverse at its lowest.

Gathering data at the critical bwlch of Cefn Digoll

It was a beautiful morning with a slight breath of breeze whisping the land as mist enveloped the early morning scene.  I was so at peace standing in the field waiting for the Trimble to gather its allotted five minutes of data that I collected three data sets from the same position with the aim to average the results and use the figure attained as that for the bwlch of Cefn Digoll.

LIDAR summit image of Cefn Digoll (SJ 264 058)

Postscript 2:

Since surveying this hill full LIDAR coverage is now available.  The LIDAR (Light Detection & Ranging) technique produced highly accurate height and positional data that is now freely available for England and Wales.  Consequently the numerical details for this hill have been analysed using this technique, resulting in the LIDAR summit grid reference being used.        

Survey Result:

Cefn Digoll (significant name change)

Summit Height:  408.3m (converted to OSGM15, Trimble GeoXH 6000)

Summit Grid Reference:  SJ 26479 05819 (LIDAR)

Bwlch Height:  103.3m (converted to OSGM15, and average of three Trimble GeoXH 6000 surveys)

Bwlch Grid Reference:  SJ 28827 02177 (Trimble GeoXH 6000)

Drop:  305.0m (Trimble GeoXH 6000)

Dominance:  74.69% (Trimble GeoXH 6000)

 

 

For details on the 1st visit to Cefn Digoll

For further details please consult the Trimble Survey Spreadsheet

Mapping Mountains – Trimble Surveys – Cilfaesty and Stiperstones

03.10.16  Cefn y Coed (SO 211 934), Black Hill (SO 209 929), Lan Fawr (SO 297 967, previously Trimbled) and Cefn Digoll (SJ 264 058, subsequently Trimbled)     

Cefn y Coed (SO 211 934)

After visiting Stingwern Hill (SJ 132 014) with Rick and Jen we navigated toward Trefaldwyn (Montgomery) and onward to the area known locally as Cefn y Coed, the top of which has another Marilyn to add to the growing number already bagged during the last twelve months by Jenny and Rick, who are fast approaching the record for the greatest number of Marilyns visited during a twelve month timeframe.

I’d visited this hill twice before, the first time in July 2004, and the second time in the company of Alan Dawson in October 2013 when he surveyed the hill with his Leica RX1250.  The hill is no more than a high pasture used for sheep grazing but it has extensive views and is situated in a quiet spot that is seldom visited unless you’re a Marilyn, Hump or P30 bagger.

We approached from the north where a gate gave access to the first of many fields.  There was a slightly chilling breeze whisking across the land as we gained height beside a row of stunted trees which shielded us from a tractor working away to our east on a complex of large barns that had appeared on the land since my first visit.

The top of this hill is slightly rounded and I remember watching Alan on my last visit as he used an Abney level to sight across to an adjacent point which is given a 355m spot height on Ordnance Survey maps, compared to the 355m ring contour where the listed summit appears, each point was surveyed by Alan with the results being 353.2m and 353.5m respectively.

As we approached the summit I crouched down and assessed the lay of land leading up to the high point from its north, once reached I put my rucksack on the ground as an indicator and Rick then assessed the lay of land from a number of directions and directed me toward where he judged the high point to be situated.

I set the Trimble up on top of my rucksack to give it elevation above the grass, measured a 0.43m offset between its internal antenna and the ground at its base and waited for the 0.1m accuracy level to be attained before pressing ‘Log’.  As data were gathered I joined Rick and Jen for a natter, as the last of the designated 300 datum points were stored the Marilyn bagging couple made a move toward the top where the 355m spot height appears on current Ordnance Survey maps.

Gathering data at the summit of Cefn y Coed

The route toward this southerly high point took us through a field of cows, they all rather obediently skipped through an open gate in to the field that we were vacating, all that was left in the field where they had once been and where we now were, was a rather big looking and slightly inquisitive bull, thankfully he seemed more concerned where his female company had gone rather than wondering why three people were roaming through his field.

As we arrived in the field where the 355m spot height is situated Rick directed me to a point to set the Trimble up, whilst Jenny headed toward a point nearer to where a conifer plantation is situated.  We decided that each point needed Trimbling, making three data sets in all including that already taken at what is designated the summit of the hill.

Once the five minutes of allotted data were gathered I headed toward Rick and Jen who had found the high point near to the conifer plantation, visually this looked higher than the point where I had just gathered data from, but lower than the point where the designated summit is given and where the first data set was taken with the Trimble.

Again the Trimble was set up on top of my rucksack to give it elevation above its immediate surrounds, and as it beeped away gathering its all-important data I kept Rick and Jen amused telling them stories of how I re-met Lou, a date we had whilst in school and also the fact that I’d lived with her younger sister.

The Trimble set-up position at the high point of Black Hill near to the conifer plantation

After the Trimble was packed away we descended north-west toward where a public footpath leads in to a wood; in front of us was a superb view stretching for miles, it was good to be out on the hill in good company with good conversation.  The path through the wood led us to Camp Farm where I went hunting its occupant.

Gordon Davies was busying himself in the sunshine when I introduced myself and explained my interest in Welsh upland place-names.  We then spent the next 30 minutes with him talking about all manner of things.

Gordon’s grandfather had moved to Camp Farm in 1904 from the Trefeglwys area, I asked about the names of the two tops we had visited, the latter beside the conifer plantation was just in view from where we were standing and Gordon told me that it is known as Black Hill.  I asked about the name of Caeliber Isaf which appears on the southern side of the hill on current Ordnance Survey maps, Gordon explained that Caeliber Isaf is mainly on the other side of the hill and takes in a small district and that there are other local places with Caeliber in their names (the name Caeliber Uchaf also appears toward the west on current Ordnance Survey 1:25,000 maps).  I then asked about the name of Cefn y Coed which appears across the summit area of this hill on the Ordnance Survey One-Inch ‘Old Series’ map, Gordon told me that he knew Cefn y Coed to be a local area rather than the hill itself.  The high point of the hill was out of view from where we were standing but Gordon pointed toward where it was situated and said that it was a little higher than Black Hill and that it was known locally as Cwm Bromley Top, with Cwm Bromley being a farm on the eastern side of the hill.

Gordon Davies

I scribbled all necessary details in my note book as Gordon kindly gave me all this information, he then asked us to follow him as he was going to try and point out where Snowdon was, we walked to the top of his drive and on to a scrub piece of land from where the high Berwyn and Aran, and the bulging profile of Cadair Idris were on fine display, and way off in the distance were two pyramidal summits and Gordon pointed toward them and said ‘there it is, that’s Snowdon.’  

We’d spent a very pleasant half hour or so in Gordon’s company and thanked him for his time and shook his hand before saying our goodbyes.  It was only a short walk back on the road to the awaiting car and then it was off to Churchstoke and the minor road leading toward the base of Corndon.

We approached Corndon from its north-west and I dropped Rick and Jen off next to a foot stile which gave access to the path that leads steeply up the hill’s western slopes, this is adjacent to where a mall conifer plantation has recently been felled.  Whist they bagged another Marilyn I continued up to the top of the track, parked, had a butty and watched the two of them nearing the summit.  I just had time to visit the summit of Lan Fawr; a 426.1m Pedwar before jumping in the car and driving back down the track to pick them up as they arrived back at the foot stile – good timing.

Jenny and Rick approaching the summit of Corndon

Corndon from the summit of Lan Fawr

Next on the agenda was the Stiperstones, an excellent hill, I dropped them off for their fifth Marilyn of the day on the high point of the road to the south of the summit and then drove to the main car park and sat in the sun and slightly chilly breeze and waited for them to wander down the path from the summit.

Before the last hill of the day we visited the Horseshoe Inn at the Bridges where Rick and Jen sampled a number of brews.  This is a lovely pub situated next to a bunkhouse that accommodates 22 people beside the trickling waters of the River East Onny.

Ready to sample the brews at the Horseshoe Inn at the Bridges

All that remained was a drive toward and through Churchstoke and Forden and up the steep minor road that leads to the ridge road passing over Cefn Digoll (Long Mountain).  By the time we reached the gate that gives access up the track to the summit the sun had sank in the sky, the gate was open and we took full advantage and gained a few metres in distance by driving up the track to park beside the large mast just to the south-east of the summit.

Leaving the car we followed the path to the northerly side of the ancient earthen embankment that encircles this hill’s summit and joined its top and walked round to the western side where the view opened up with slithers of orange hued against subtle blues as day turned to night.

The last light of a great day out with Rick and Jen

There was just time to venture in to the wood to visit the trig and the high point of the hill, before heading out of the wood and back to the car before darkness fell.  It had been a great day out in the company of Rick and Jen which was topped off with an extremely good meal at Spice UK in Welshpool.

Beside the trig pillar at the summit of Cefn Digoll

Postscript:

After arriving home I contacted Ted and Merle Davies at Cwm Bromley farm, Ted told me that he knows the high point where the summit of the hill is situated as the Tank Field as there’s a water tank in it, and confirmed that he occasionally refers to the field where the summit is situated as top of Cwm Bromley but doesn’t really know this field or the hill itself as either Cwm Bromley Top or as top of Cwm Bromley, preferring to call it the Tank Field.  However, study of the Tithe map confirmed that the old bounded land of this hill that now takes in many of the upper fenced fields and importantly also includes the summit was named as Cefn y Coed at the time of the Tithe map, this confirms that in all likelihood the hill is also named Cefn y Coed.

     

Survey Result:

Cefn y Coed (significant name changes) 

Summit Height:  353.6m (converted to OSGM15, Trimble GeoXH 6000)  353.5m (converted to OSGM15, Leica RX1250) (significant height revision)

Summit Grid Reference:  SO 21164 93411 (Trimble GeoXH 6000) SO 21163 93413 (Leica RX1250)

Bwlch Height:  184.2m (LIDAR)

Bwlch Grid Reference:  SO 20667 90868 (LIDAR)

Drop:  169.4m (Trimble GeoXH 6000 summit and LIDAR bwlch)

Dominance:  47.89% (Trimble GeoXH 6000 summit and LIDAR bwlch)

Black Hill

Summit Height:  353.4m (converted to OSGM15)

Summit Grid Reference:  SO 20930 92921

Bwlch Height:  c 344m (interpolation)

Bwlch Grid Reference:  SO 21118 93177 (interpolation)

Drop: c 9m (Trimble GeoXH 6000 summit and interpolated bwlch) 

Dominance:  2.55% (Trimble GeoXH 6000 summit and interpolated bwlch)

Lan Fawr  

Summit Height:  426.1m (converted to OSGM15, from previous Trimble GeoXH 6000 survey)

Summit Grid Reference:  SO 29711 96759 (from previous Trimble GeoXH 6000 survey) 

Bwlch Height:  392.6m (LIDAR)

Bwlch Grid Reference:  SO 29966 96784 (LIDAR)

Drop:  33.5m (Trimble GeoXH 6000 summit and LIDAR bwlch)

Dominance:  7.86% (Trimble GeoXH 6000 summit and LIDAR bwlch)

 

Cefn Digoll (significant name change)

Summit Height:  408.3m (converted to OSGM15, from subsequent Trimble GeoXH 6000 survey)

Summit Grid Reference:  SJ 26479 05819 (LIDAR)

Bwlch Height:  103.3m (converted to OSGM15, and average of three subsequent Trimble GeoXH 6000 surveys)

Bwlch Grid Reference:  SJ 28827 02177 ( from subsequent Trimble GeoXH 6000 survey)

Drop:  305.0m (Trimble GeoXH 6000)

Dominance:  74.69% (Trimble GeoXH 6000)

For details on the survey of Lan Fawr

 

For details on the 3^rd visit to Lan Fawr

For details on the 4th visit to Lan Fawr

For details on the survey of Cefn Digoll

For further details please consult the Trimble survey spreadsheet