Mapping Mountains – Hill Reclassifications – Y Trichant - The 300m Hills of Wales

Cwm Faerdy Bank (SO 078 695) – Sub-Trichant reclassified to Trichant

There has been confirmation of a reclassification to the list of 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 initial LIDAR analysis and a subsequent Trimble GeoXH 6000 survey conducted by Myrddyn Phillips.

Cwm Faerdy Bank (SO 078 695)

The criteria for the listing that this reclassification 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, and the Introduction to the Mapping Mountains publication of the list appearing on the 1^st January 2022. 

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

The name the hill is listed by is Cwm Faerdy Bank, and this was derived from local enquiry, and it is adjoined to the Hirddywel group of hills, which are situated in the northern part of South Wales (Region B, Sub-Region B2), and it is positioned with the Clywedog Brook to its west and the Afon Ieithon (River Ithon) to its east, and has the small community of Abaty Cwm-hir (Abbeycwmhir) towards the north-west. 

When the original 300m height band of Welsh P30 hills were published on Geoff Crowder’s v-g.me website, this hill appeared in the accompanying Hills to be surveyed sub list as it was considered not meet the criteria then used for the main P30 list.

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

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 with an estimated c 30m of drop, based on the 302m summit spot height that appears on the Ordnance Survey 1:25,000 Explorer map and an estimated c 372m bwlch height, based on interpolation of bwlch contouring between 270m – 280m.  These details were re-examined when the Ordnance Survey Vector Map Local hosted on Geograph website and which was entitled the Interactive Coverage Map became available online and the drop value was amended to an estimated c 31m.

LIDAR image of Cwm Faerdy Bank (SO 078 695)

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.

The Trimble GeoXH 6000 gathering data at the summit of Cwm Faerdy Bank

As the summit and bwlch of this hill have now been surveyed with the Trimble GeoXH 6000, it is these details that are prioritised for this hill. 

The Trimble GeoXH 6000 gathering data at the bwlch of Cwm Faerdy Bank

Therefore, the confirmation of the reclassification of this hill from Sub-Trichant status is due to a Trimble GeoXH 6000 survey, resulting in a 302.3m summit height and a 269.9m bwlch height, with these values giving this hill 32.4m of drop, which is sufficient for it to be classified as a Trichant. 

The full details for the hill are:

Group:  Hirddywel

Name:  Cwm Faerdy Bank

OS 1:50,000 map:  136, 147

Summit Height:  302.3m (converted to OSGM15)

Summit Grid Reference:  SO 07842 69512

Bwlch Height:  269.9m (converted to OSGM15)

Bwlch Grid Reference:  SO 08304 69664

Drop:  32.4m

Myrddyn Phillips (December 2018)

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

Cwm Faerdy Bank (SO 078 695)

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 initial LIDAR analysis and a subsequent Trimble GeoXH 6000 survey conducted by Myrddyn Phillips.

Cwm Faerdy Bank (SO 078 695)

The criteria for the listing 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, and the Introduction to the Mapping Mountains publication of the list appearing on the 1^st January 2022. 

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

The hill is adjoined to the Hirddywel group of hills, which are situated in the northern part of South Wales (Region B, Sub-Region B2), and it is positioned with the Clywedog Brook to its west and the Afon Ieithon (River Ithon) to its east, and has the small community of Abaty Cwm-hir (Abbeycwmhir) towards the north-west. 

The hill appeared in the original 300m height band of Welsh P30 hills published on Geoff Crowder’s v-g.me website, under the invented and transposed name of Mynydd Cwmfaerdy Hill, with an accompanying note stating; Name from wood to the West.

Mynydd Cwmfaerdy

302m

SO078695

136/147

200

Name from wood to the West

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, with little consideration for the meaning of the name and where it was appropriately applied to.  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 add the word Mynydd 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

Before visiting this hill I was fortunate to speak with the local farmer from Troed-rhiw-felen (SO 083 708) who invited me in to his conservatory where I sat with a drink as a fan gave respite from the increasingly warm conditions outside.  The farmer has asked me not to mention his name or use photographs that he kindly let me take.  He proved very knowledgeable and we talked for upwards of 30 minutes before he directed me to the track for the continuation of my walk.  During our conversation he gave me a number of names relating to local hills and explained that this hill is known as Cwm Faerdy Bank, with the land associated with it being a part of Cwm Faerdy farm (SO 079 699), which is positioned to the north of its summit.

Therefore, the name this hill is now listed by in the Y Trichant - The 300m Hills of Wales is Cwm Faerdy Bank, and this was derived from local enquiry.

The full details for the hill are:

Group:  Hirddywel

Name:  Cwm Faerdy Bank

Previously Listed Name:  Mynydd Cwmfaerdy

OS 1:50,000 map:  136, 147

Summit Height:  302.3m (converted to OSGM15)

Summit Grid Reference:  SO 07842 69512

Bwlch Height:  269.9m (converted to OSGM15)

Bwlch Grid Reference:  SO 08304 69664

Drop:  32.4m

Myrddyn Phillips (December 2018)

Mapping Mountains – Trimble Surveys – Hirddywel

10.07.18  Fron Bank (SO 078 708), Buddugre (SO 089 700) and Cwm Faerdy Bank (SO 078 695)

Fron Bank (SO 078 708)

With the weather predicted to be slightly cooler than of late this proved an ideal circuit of three hills, starting from the convenience of the minor road that heads north-west toward the small community of Abaty Cwm-hir (Abbeycwmhir).

I was walking further up the road by 9.00am having travelled from Worcester, and although slightly cooler the cloud heralded a muggy day on the hill.  Leaving the lane another minor paved road headed north-east and gained height toward the old farm of Fronrhydnewydd.

Adjacent hillsides were parched and dazzled in a yellowish tinge, with the overall colour to the land one that I had not seen in many years.  I accessed the field leading to the summit of my first hill through a gate, by now the sun had broken through the cloud and the clear heat of the last few weeks was replaced with a sun scorched humid feel where beads of sweat trickled down my face and quickly dropped to the floor as with face down I slowly plodded uphill.

I’d read reports that the high point of this hill was on an elevated hedge bank and LIDAR analysis had confirmed the summit to be positioned on or just to the south of this embankment.  As I gained height Buddugre stood across intervening land, rising to a long rounded ridge, with Llywy majestically alone, with its felled forested summit looking invitingly high against a backdrop of grey cloud whilst sun highlighted its lower slopes.

Buddugre (SO 089 700)

Llywy (SO 055 704)

Reaching the high point of the northerly field adjacent to the elevated hedge bank I peered through toward the southerly field and judged that a little higher, and therefore used a gate for access and did likewise when at its high point, resulting in the same conclusion.  As I deemed the hedge bank to be a recent man-made construct I positioned the Trimble on a fence post and took a measurement offset to the highest land at the base of the embankment.

As the Trimble was positioned against a hedge I took a ten minute data set, once complete I closed it off, packed it away and exited the field through a different gate and wandered back down to the minor paved road.

Gathering data at the summit of Fron Bank

The connecting bwlch for this first hill is positioned on the access track to Troed-rhiw-felen farm, with its critical point in the middle of the track which at this point has tree coverage on both sides.  Although I set the Trimble up, I closed it down after five to ten minutes as the accuracy level had not been attained and as this point has LIDAR coverage an accurate height value had already been obtained.

I then visited Bernie Pugh at the farm, once I’d introduced myself and explained my interest in local hill names he invited me in and offered a cup of coffee, we sat for 20 minutes in his conservatory as the fan blew cooling air and talked about local history and hill names.  Bernie’s family had been living at Troed-rhiw-felen since 1868 and the northern section of the hill I had just visited is a part of this farm’s land and he explained that the northern and eastern part of the hill is known as Troed y Felen Bank, whilst the southern and western section is known as Fron Bank, both unsurprisingly taking their names from near farms, with the designated boundary being the hedge bank, I told him I had just visited and thought the land of Fron Bank to be slightly higher and Bernie was in agreement.  He also said that he knows the hill with the wind turbine on top, which was my third and last hill of the day, as Cwm Faerdy Bank, again after the farm of Cwmfaerdy which is below the hill to its north.

After thanking Bernie for his time and the mug of coffee he kindly directed me on to the correct track from the side of his farm and gave me directions toward my second hill of the day; Buddugre.

The earthen track quickly gained height with the view back toward Fron Bank opening up, the land resembled a scene from southern Spain with parched dried fields and a heat induced stillness pervading all around.

Once on the broad northerly ridge of Buddugre it was only a short distance through a field of thistles to its summit which has a small concrete structure beside its high point, this I judged to be an embedded rock, with land 15 metres to the north also vying for the accolade of high point.  I took data sets from each and stood in the sunshine looking out toward the forested tops to the north-west whilst doing so.

Gathering data at the summit of Buddugre

Once data were stored I joined a gauged track that took me quickly down to the west toward a large field where the critical bwlch of Cwm Faerdy Bank is positioned.  The ten figure grid reference produced by LIDAR analysis brought me to its critical point and the customary five minutes of data were gathered.

Cwm Faerdy Bank (SO 078 695)

Approaching the critical bwlch of Cwm Faerdy Bank

Gathering data at the critical bwlch of Cwm Faerdy Bank

All that remained was a slow plod up a track toward the top of Cwm Faerdy Bank where a single wind turbine spun its blades looking down on a large circular shaped field where bales of hay were neatly packed and awaiting collection.  Again the LIDAR grid reference led me to its high point and after setting the Trimble up and pressing ‘Log’ I stood beside the perimeter fence and looked back on my earlier route up the lane toward Fron Bank and the continuation toward Buddugre.

Gathering data at the summit of Cwm Faerdy Bank

Once fine minutes of data were stored I packed the Trimble away and retraced my inward route back toward the connecting bwlch and walked down the track to Cwnfaerdy farm.  I knocked on the door and a young girl answered and kindly gave me the telephone number for me to contact her father in relation to the name of the hill above his farm.

I’d been on the hill for 4 hours 30 minutes and had taken five data sets and sat with a cup of coffee in a conservatory and arrived back at my car with two new locally known names for P30s, all in all it had been a good day! 

Survey Result:

Fron Bank (significant name change) 

Summit Height:  328.0m (converted to OSGM15, Trimble GeoXH 6000)

Summit Grid Reference:  SO 07843 70880 (Trimble GeoXH 6000)

Bwlch Height:  291.7m (LIDAR)

Bwlch Grid Reference:  SO 08229 70861 (LIDAR)

Drop:  36.2m (Trimble GeoXH 6000 summit and LIDAR bwlch)

Dominance:  11.04% (Trimble GeoXH 6000 summit and LIDAR bwlch) 

Buddugre (significant name change)

Summit Height:  417.9m (converted to OSGM15, Trimble GeoXH 6000)

Summit Grid Reference:  SO 08919 70025 (Trimble GeoXH 6000)

Bwlch Height:  304.5m (LIDAR)

Bwlch Grid Reference:  SO 08883 71933 (LIDAR)

Drop:  113.3m (Trimble GeoXH 6000 summit and LIDAR bwlch)

Dominance:  27.12% (Trimble GeoXH 6000 summit and LIDAR bwlch)  

Cwm Faerdy Bank (significant name change)

Summit Height:  302.3m (converted to OSGM15)

Summit Grid Reference:  SO 07842 69512

Bwlch Height:  269.9m (converted to OSGM15)

Bwlch Grid Reference:  SO 08304 69664

Drop:  32.4m (Sub-Trichant reclassified to Trichant)

Dominance:  10.72%

For further details please consult the Trimble Survey Spreadsheet