Mapping Mountains – Hill Reclassifications – The 500-Metre Tops of England and Wales – Deweys

Craig Fawr (SN 879 638) – Dewey addition

This is one in a series of retrospective Hill Reclassification posts that detail hills whose status has altered in the listing of the Deweys and where I have had direct association with the status change.  These posts will tie in with a forthcoming Change Register giving detail to this list and its alterations since publication in the Mountain tables book.

The view from the summit of Craig Fawr

The 500-Metre Tops of England and Wales are affectionately known after their hill list compiler; Michael Dewey.  This list mixes metric and imperial height in its criteria to bookend up to the 2000ft height band and takes in all hills in England, Isle of Man and Wales that are 500m and above and below 2000ft (609.6m) in height that have 30m minimum drop.

This list formed one of a number of lists that appeared in the Mountain tables book published by Constable in 1995 and at the time of publication comprised 373 hills with 164 in England, 5 in the Isle of Man and 204 in Wales.  The Deweys have undergone extensive revision since first publication with the initial stages forming the basis of this revision given below:

1995    Mountain tables published by Constable with 373 hills listed as Deweys.

April 2000    Strider (LDWA quarterly booklet) publishes contact details for David Purchase and Myrddyn Phillips who have found and list 24 and 14 possible new 500m tops respectively.

It was expanded versions of the above two lists that formed the basis of the next publication:

25^th May 2000    List of Possible 500 Metre Tops by Michael Dewey listing 44 hills.

David Purchase expands his Additional Dewey 500m Hills and Myrddyn Phillips produces lists of English 500m hills to measure and Welsh 500m hills to measure.

These lists formed the basis of the next publication:

29^th June 2000    Possible/Probable 500’s by Michael Dewey listing 77 hills.  Michael adopts following protocol; if one person proposes that a top should qualify as a 500 by personal survey, and is then confirmed by a second person, it should then be promoted to the main list.

April 2002    The 500+ Tops of England and Wales – The ‘New Deweys’ published in the Strider booklet and listing 66 new qualifying hills.

25^th May 2006    Rob Woodall republishes Michael’s main and possible/probable lists on the RHB Yahoo group file database. 

 

Mountain tables by Michael Dewey

The details for this addition appear below:

The name the hill is listed by in the Deweys is Craig Fawr, and it is adjoined to the Elenydd group of hills which are situated in the central part of Wales, and it is positioned with the A470 road to its east, and has the Claerwen Reservoir to its immediate west north-west, and the town of Rhaeadr Gwy (Rhayader) towards the east north-east.

This hill was not included in the original 1995 publication, but with a 519m summit spot height that appears on the Ordnance Survey 1:50,000 Landranger and 1:25,000 Explorer map and a 477m bwlch spot height that appears on the Ordnance Survey 1:25,000 Explorer map, this hill has a minimum of 42m of drop according to contemporary Ordnance Survey maps and therefore was an automatic entry to the listing of Deweys.   

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

The above detail was noted by David Purchase and Myrddyn Phillips who worked independently but also exchanged all data.  These details were forwarded to the list author; Michael Dewey and the hill was added to the list on the 3^rd May 2000.

Gathering data with the Trimble GeoXH 6000 at the summit of Craig Fawr (SN 879 638)

This hill was subsequently surveyed by GNSS receiver by Myrddyn Phillips on the 27^th February 2019 using a Trimble GeoXH 6000, resulting in a 517.9m summit height and a 475.7m bwlch height, with these values giving this hill 42.1m of drop confirming its Dewey status.

The full details for the hill are:

Name:  Craig Fawr

OS 1:50,000 map:  147

OS 1:25,000 map:  187, 200

Summit Height:  517.9m (Trimble GeoXH 6000)

Summit Grid Reference:  SN 87939 63846 (Trimble GeoXH 6000)

Bwlch Height:  475.7m (Trimble GeoXH 6000)

Bwlch Grid Reference:  SN 88241 64748 (Trimble GeoXH 6000)

Drop:  42.1m (Trimble GeoXH 6000)

Myrddyn Phillips (May 2020)

Mapping Mountains – Trimble Surveys – Carn yr Hyrddod

27.02.19  Cefn Cwm Coel (SN 891 647), Craig Fawr (SN 879 638) and Pen Garn Ddu (SN 891 628, only bwlch surveyed)

Cefn Cwm Coel (SN 891 647)

The hills of the Elenydd are some of the most tranquil, and yet also some of the roughest anywhere in the country.  They are in the main open hills, with only a few fences crossing their ridges, and consist of rough grassland which in summer can be energy sapping and soul destroying.  However, in late winter / early spring when Sky Larks sing overhead and a cooling breeze sweeps across their desolate land there are few other places I would rather be.

Today was forecast to be the last day of the unseasonably warm weather and therefore with clear conditions I decided to visit the hills between the Claerwen and Garreg Ddu / Caban Coch reservoirs to the south-west of Rhaeadr Gwy (Rhayader).

As I set off on the track leading toward the farm of Henfron blue sky radiated from above casting early morning colour with the sun glinting through the trees that sprung up beside the waters of the Garreg Ddu Reservoir.  The track led through old deciduous woodland and gave to a leisurely pace. 

Glinting light

The bridge spanning the Garreg Ddu and Caban Coch reservoirs

The bridge spanning the waters between the Garreg Ddu and Caban Coch reservoirs merged grey in the background giving an ethereal feel to the land.  Although the track was shaded with dappled light the sun and blue sky heralded a warm day ahead on the hill.

The track leading to Henfron farm

As I gained height past the farm of Henfron the wilderness of the Elenydd opened up with its bleached moor and rough grassland.  Ahead lay the summit of Cefn Cwm Coel which had been reclassified to 500m Sub-Uchaf status in February 2017 with 14m of drop based on the 489.6m LIDAR bwlch data analysed by Aled and the 504m Ordnance Survey summit spot height.  I wanted to take summit and bwlch data with the Trimble to ascertain this hill’s accurate drop value.

Beyond the last gate I followed vehicle tracks on the moor and only left these when the summit ridge came in to view.  Once off the vehicle track the underfoot conditions became rough with grassed tussocks and heather the order of the day.  Surrounding me the land shone a tinged subtle and bleached yellow, a marvellous sight.

I spent 40 minutes on the summit of Cefn Cwm Coel and took data sets from four potential summit positions.  During this I looked out on my next objective; this hill’s connecting bwlch to Craig Dyfnant, and it looked a wild inhospitable place consisting of an extremely large bog.

One of four data sets gathered on the summit area of Cefn Cwm Coel

The openness of these hills can take time to adjust to, as there are few features for the eye to follow, just rising land to more open hills and rounded grassed ridges leading in to the distance.  Once I had packed the survey equipment away I tried to follow a sheep track through the tussocks down to the connecting bwlch.  By now my mind was adjusting to the landscape with its openness a thing of beauty however rough the underfoot conditions.

Nearing the bwlch the land turned from bleached tussock to dulled brown heather, and the grid reference produced for the critical point from Aled’s LIDAR analysis led me through a never ending land of heather and bog, which today after the warm weather of late was thankfully relatively dry.

I stood and enjoyed my surroundings as the Trimble gathered its customary five minutes of data.  The bog only ended as the land rose toward the eastern slopes of Craig Dyfnant, and I wondered where my best route lay toward the next survey point; the bwlch of Craig Fawr.  Once the Trimble had gathered its allotted data I set off on a direct course toward the next bwlch and soon regretted my decision as the underfoot conditions proved extremely rough, soon however I found another sheep track that thankfully led me toward another relatively dry bog.

Gathering data at the critical bwlch of Cefn Cwm Coel

This next bwlch proved to be situated in another stunning place, with a slender water course indicating the slow ebb of the ups and downs.  I took two data sets and after activating the equipment to log data I marched off across the bog so as not to get in the way of satellite reception and straight in front of me a large bird silently took flight, I had a glimpse of a rounded head as it flew away to nestle back on the moor.  I had disturbed a Short-eared Owl.

Gathering data at one of two positions surveyed for the critical bwlch of Craig Fawr

It proved a slow plod up to the summit of Craig Fawr which has a number of contenders for its summit position.  I took data from three points, during which I looked out on the blued waters of the Claerwen Reservoir as the first signs of delicate westerly mist slowly rolled in.

The Claerwen Reservoir

Once all points judged to be worthy of summit contention had been surveyed I packed the Trimble away and headed east toward a slight rise overlooking steepening ground.  I’d overheated on my ascent but had welcomed the morning’s cooling breeze as height was gained, but now I needed to convert my walking trousers to shorts and take my spring fleece off as it was so warm, I cannot remember having to do this on the hills in February before.

Gathering data at the summit of Craig Fawr

I did wonder if I should continue to Pen Garn Ddu and Gurnos but decided that time and the warmth of the day dictated that it was time to descend, but not before one last survey of the critical bwlch of Pen Garn Ddu.

This was again placed in a large bog that was thankfully relatively dry.  Its yellowed tinge almost glowed in the afternoon sunlight.  I sat during data collection and let my mind wander, as I also did once the equipment was packed away and I walked the few metres back toward a gate.

Gathering data at the critical bwlch of Pen Garn Ddu

It had proved a beautiful day on these hills, and again I stopped by the next gate entrance and rested in the warmth of the day.  This gave access on to a track which led through the conifer plantation to my awaiting car.

Having followed the forest track down I lingered beside the road bridge spanning the Garreg Ddu and Caban Coch reservoirs taking a series of photos and talking with a number of people who were out enjoying the warmth of the day.

The Garreg Ddu Reservoir and Valve Tower

The subtle greys of the morning against this bridge had been replaced with succulent colour and dappled reflections.  I was in no rush and savoured the time here.  Just looking and enjoying.  But as with everything, there comes a time to leave.  It had been a good day on the hill with the Elenydd beckoning for another visit shortly.           

      

Survey Result:

Cefn Cwm Coel

Summit Height:  503.0m (converted to OSGM15)

Summit Grid Reference:  SN 89142 64733

Bwlch Height:  489.6m (converted to OSGM15)

Bwlch Grid Reference:  SN 88436 65372

Drop:  13.4m (500m Sub-Uchaf deletion)

Dominance:  2.66%

Craig Fawr

Summit Height:  517.9m (converted to OSGM15)

Summit Grid Reference:  SN 87939 63846

Bwlch Height:  475.7m (converted to OSGM15)

Bwlch Grid Reference:  SN 88241 64748

Drop:  42.1m

Dominance:  8.14%

Pen Garn Ddu

Summit Height:  466.5m (LIDAR)

Summit Grid Reference:  SN 89125 62814 (LIDAR)

Bwlch Height:  415.2m (converted to OSGM15, Trimble GeoXH 6000)

Bwlch Grid Reference:  SN 88854 63617 (Trimble GeoXH 6000)

Drop:  51.3m (LIDAR summit and Trimble GeoXH 6000 bwlch)

Dominance:  11.00% (LIDAR summit and Trimble GeoXH 6000 bwlch)

For further details please consult the Trimble Survey Spreadsheet