Mapping Mountains – Significant Name Changes – Y Trichant – The 300m Hills of Wales

 

Cold Weston (SO 141 907) 

There has been a Significant Name Change to a hill that is listed in the Y Trichant – The 300m Hills of Wales, with the summit height, bwlch height and their locations, the drop and status of the hill derived from detail on contemporary maps produced from Ordnance Survey data, LIDAR analysis and a subsequent Trimble GeoXH 6000 survey conducted by Myrddyn Phillips. 

LIDAR image of Cold Weston (SO 141 907)

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

Y Trichant – The 300m Hills of Wales.  Welsh hills at or above 300m and below 400m in height that have 30m minimum drop, with an accompanying sub list entitled the Sub-Trichant with the criteria for this sub category being all Welsh hills at or above 300m and below 400m in height with 20m or more and below 30m of drop.  The list is authored by Myrddyn Phillips, with the Introduction to the list and the renaming of it appearing on Mapping Mountains on the 13^th May 2017. 

Y Trichant - The 300m Hills of Wales by Myrddyn Phillips

The hill is adjoined to the Cilfaesty group of hills, which are situated in Mid and West Wales (Region B, Sub-Region B1), and it is positioned with a minor road to its north-east, the A489 road to its west and the B4368 road to its east, and has the village of Ceri (Kerry) towards the south-east.                     

The hill appeared in the original 300m Welsh P30 list on Geoff Crowder’s v-g.me website under the transposed and invented name of Dolforgan Hill, with an accompanying note stating; Name from hall and wood to the South.

Dolforgan Hill

306m

SO142907

136

214/215

Name from hall & wood to the South

 

During my early hill listing I 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.  My preference was to use farm names and put Pen, Bryn or Moel in front of them or as in this instance transpose the name of a wood and hall and add the word Hill to it.  This is not a practice that I now advocate 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

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 185 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 Cold Weston, with the details on the Tithe map appearing in the parish of Kerry and in the county named as Montgomery. 

Extract from the apportionments

Therefore, the name this hill is now listed by in the Y Trichant – The 300m Hills of Wales is Cold Weston and this was derived from the Tithe map. 

 

The full details for the hill are: 

Group:  Cilfaesty 

Name:  Cold Weston 

Previously Listed Name:  Dolforgan Hill 

OS 1:50,000 map:  136

Summit Height:  306.0m (converted to OSGM15, Trimble GeoXH 6000)    

Summit Grid Reference:  SO 14188 90749 (Trimble GeoXH 6000) 

Bwlch Height:  237m (spot height) 

Bwlch Grid Reference:  SO 13525 90858 (spot height) 

Drop:  69m (Trimble GeoXH 6000 summit and spot height bwlch) 

Myrddyn Phillips (October 2021)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mapping Mountains – Trimble Surveys – Cilfaesty

 

14.07.21  Cold Weston (SO 141 907) 

LIDAR image of Cold Weston (SO 141 907)

Cold Weston; a name derived from the Tithe map, is similar to many hills of comparable height with its upper field used for pasture.  Many such hills are not dramatic in nature, but they are well worth visiting and if time permits, also exploring, as they usually have a quiet ambiance with many affording excellent views, and this hill was no exception.  However, one difference being is that the local farmer accompanied me to the summit of this hill and helped find its high point in the long summer grass. 

I contemplated approaching this hill on a public footpath from the north-west but decided to drive up the access track to Weston farm to ask permission to park and visit the high point of the hill.  The farm is positioned just below the summit to its south. 

This hill was the fourth of a planned seven during the morning and early afternoon, as I wanted to leave the hills before conditions became too warm and driving to just below the summit was a good way to shorten this particular walk. 

Prior to visiting this hill I had analysed it via LIDAR and build up contours until a single point gave its summit position.  Its bwlch is not yet covered by LIDAR, therefore for listing purposes its bwlch height, at the present, is reliant upon a 237m spot height that appears on the Ordnance Survey 1:50,000 Landranger map. 

My day’s route was taking me from just east of Kerry, winding its way back and forth across the intervening A489 road and ending on Trehafren Hill (SO 100 910), which is positioned in Newtown.  I had only previously visited the last planned hill, so all others were new to me, and even though these hills are relatively small in height it is the exploration and investigation that I enjoy and this is enhanced when visiting new ground. 

As I left the main road I turned right on to a minor lane and then immediately right again on the gravelled track leading to Weston farm.  I had only driven a few metres up the track before I spotted a tractor in the adjacent field cutting silage; I stopped and waved over to it.  I was soon in conversation with Edward Jones who kindly gave permission to park at his farm to visit the hill, before leaving he asked if I could call at the farm house as his wife may wonder what I was doing. 

Donna Jones of Weston farm

I continued up the track and soon parked in the farm yard.  As I left my car, Donna; Edward’s wife, was walking down toward me, I waved and we chatted for a number of minutes.  I explained what I hoped to do and she said ‘follow me’ and away we went past the farm house to a gate giving access up a field to another gate, beyond which was the upper field where the summit is situated. 

It’s only on occasion that I end up on a summit with a local farmer and such an opportunity is one to relish.  I stood on top with Donna with the two of us assessing the summit area of the hill for its highest point before I placed the Trimble atop my rucksack to gather data. 

Gathering data at the summit of Cold Weston

During data collection we stood below the equipment chatting away about all manner of things.  Once allotted data were gathered and stored I closed the equipment down and took a few photographs of Donna on the summit beside the Trimble. 

Donna Jones at the summit of Cold Weston

The view from the top took in the whole of Newtown and down the Severn Valley to the Breiddin close to Welshpool and the higher hills to the west.  It was a wonderful summit to stand on and talk with the local farmer, the opportunity to do so doesn’t occur very often, but when it does it is always welcome. 

 

Survey Result: 

 

Cold Weston (significant name change)

Summit Height:  306.0m (converted to OSGM15, Trimble GeoXH 6000)

Summit Grid Reference:  SO 14188 90749 (Trimble GeoXH 6000)  

Bwlch Height:  237m (spot height)

Bwlch Grid Reference:  SO 13525 90858 (spot height)

Drop:  69m (Trimble GeoXH 6000 summit and spot height bwlch)

Dominance:  22.54% (Trimble GeoXH 6000 summit and spot height bwlch)

 

 

For further details please consult the Trimble Survey Spreadsheet