Mapping Mountains – Hill Reclassifications – 200m Twmpau

Ffridd Tyddyn Mawr (SH 654 140) – 200m Sub-Twmpau addition

There has been a confirmation of an addition to the 200m Twmpau with the summit height, drop and status of the hill confirmed by a survey with the Trimble GeoXH 6000, which was conducted by Myrddyn Phillips and took place on the 17^th February 2018, and LIDAR analysis for the bwlch.

The criteria for this listing are:

200m Twmpau - Welsh hills at and above 200m and below 300m in height with 30m minimum drop, with an accompanying sub list entitled the 200m Sub-Twmpau with the criteria for this sub category being all Welsh hills at and above 200m and below 300m in height with 20m and more and below 30m of drop, with the word Twmpau being an acronym standing for thirty welsh metre prominences and upward.

The hill did not appear in the original Welsh P30 lists on Geoff Crowder’s v-g.me website as it did not meet the criteria then adopted for the Hills to be surveyed sub list.  The hill was subsequently listed in the sub category after this was standardised and interpolated drop values added, and was included when the updates to the 200m Welsh P30s were published for the Cadair Idris group of hills on Mapping Mountains on the 7^th July 2014.

Prior to the survey with the Trimble GeoXH 6000 the hill was listed with 20m of drop, based on the 274m summit spot height and 254m bwlch spot height that appear on the Ordnance Survey Interactive Coverage Map hosted on the Geograph website.

The bounded land where the summit of this hill is situated is named Ffridd Tyddyn Mawr and it is adjoined to the Cadair Idris group of hills, which is situated in the south-western part of North Wales (Region A, Sub-Region A3), and is positioned above the double lakes of Llynnau Cregennan which are to its north north-east and the small community of Arthog which is to its west north-west.

As the upper section of the hill is a part of designated open access land permission to visit does not need to be sought, for those wishing to visit the hill it can be approached from the lakeside car park adjacent to Llynnau Cregennan where a series of gates give access from one walled and bounded ffridd to the next.

The confirmation that Ffridd Tyddyn Mawr is a 200m Sub-Tumpau was due to the survey with the Trimble GeoXH 6000 and LIDAR analysis, resulting in a 273.2m (converted to OSGM15) summit height and a 251.2m (LIDAR) bwlch height, with these values giving the hill 22.0m of drop which is sufficient for its classification to this sub list.

The full details for the hill are:

Group:  Cadair Idris

Summit Height:  273.2m (converted to OSGM15)

Name:  Ffridd Tyddyn Mawr

OS 1:50,000 map:  124

Summit Grid Reference:  SH 65486 14081  

 

Drop:  22.0m (Trimble summit and LIDAR bwlch)

Ffridd Tyddyn Mawr (SO 654 140) now confirmed as a 200m Sub-Twmpau addition

For details on the survey that confirmed the addition of this hill to 200m Sub-Twmpau status

Myrddyn Phillips (March 2018)

Mapping Mountains – Significant Name Changes – 200m Twmpau

Ffridd Tyddyn Mawr (SH 654 140)

There has been a Significant Name Change to a hill that is now listed in the 200m Twmpau, with the summit height, drop and status of the hill being confirmed by a Trimble GeoXH 6000 survey which was conducted by Myrddyn Phillips and took place on the 17^th February 2018, and LIDAR analysis for the bwlch.

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

200m Twmpau – All Welsh hills at and above 200m and below 300m in height that have 30m minimum drop, with the word Twmpau being an acronym for ‘thirty welsh metre prominences and upward’.  With an accompanying sub category entitled the 200m Sub-Twmpau consisting of all Welsh hills at and above 200m and below 300m in height that have 20m or more and below 30m of drop.

The hill is adjoined to the Cadair Idris range of hills which are situated in the south-western part of North Wales (Region A, Sub-Region A3), and it overlooks the double lakes of Llynnau Cregennan to its north north-east and the small community of Arthog towards its west north-west. 

Ffridd Tyddyn Mawr (SH 654 140) on the right of photo

The hill did not appear in the 200m P30 list on Geoff Crowder’s v-g.me website as it did not meet the criteria set for the accompanying sub list which was entitled Hills to be surveyed, however when this sub list was standardised and drop values later added the hill was listed with 20m of drop.

As the summit of this hill and that of its slightly lower south-easterly top positioned at SH 65693 13963 comprise bounded land the details for each 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 Ordnance Survey 1:25,000 Explorer map

Extract from the Tithe map

The enclosed land where the summit of this hill is situated is given the number 103 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 Tyddynmawr, the details on the Tithe map appear in the county named as Merioneth and in the parish of Llangelynin.

Extract from the apportionments

However, for confirmation of the land boundary I visited Arwyn Lloyd who lives and has farmed from Ffridd Boedel (SH 659 140) for 40 years, this small farm house is situated to the immediate east of this bounded land.  Arwyn described the whole of this bounded land as Ffriddoedd and confirmed that the summit of the hill which is positioned at SH 65486 14081 and which we were looking up to from just above his farm house is on land associated with Tyddyn Mawr, a farm positioned at SH 652 144, and that the name Ffridd Tyddyn Mawr is appropriate.

Arwyn Lloyd of Ffridd Boedel farm

Therefore, the name this hill is now listed by in the 200m Twmpau is Ffridd Tyddyn Mawr, and this was derived from the Tithe map and local enquiry.

 

The full details for the hill are:

Group:  Cadair Idris

Name:  Ffridd Tyddyn Mawr

Previously Listed Name:  not previously listed 

Summit Height:  273.2m (converted to OSGM15)

OS 1:50,000 map:  124

Summit Grid Reference:  SH 65486 14081 

 

Drop:  22.0m (Trimble summit and LIDAR bwlch)

The Trimble GeoXH 6000 gathering data at the summit of Ffridd Tyddyn Mawr (SH 654 140)

For details on the survey of Ffridd Tyddyn Mawr

Myrddyn Phillips (March 2018)

Mapping Mountains – Trimble Surveys – Cadair Idris

17.02.18  Ffridd Tyddyn Bach (SH 656 139), Ffridd Tyddyn Mawr (SH 654 140), Ffridd Las (SH 660 139) and Ffridd Bellau Nant y Gwyrddail (SH 665 139)

Ffridd Bellau Nant y Gwyrddail (SH 665 139)

With the weather forecast giving drizzly wet conditions for tomorrow’s walk celebrating Rob Woodall’s completion of the Welsh mainland Tumps, I thought it wise to take advantage of today’s weather and visit these hills to get the surveys out of the way before tomorrow’s festivities.  This would enable me to survey these hills without a time constraint and also concentrate on the land to the west of Llynnau Cregennan and the minor road leading to the car park, as a small bump needed confirmation as a 200m Sub-Twmpau.

Whilst driving west toward Dinas Mawddwy the weather closed in and rain increased in strength, thankfully this ceased by the time I drove through Dolgellau toward my parking spot close to Llynnau Cregennan.  I hadn’t been this way in a number of years and it is another one of those secluded places nestled at the base of much higher hills, but still with an inner beauty all its own.

The higher satellite peaks of Cadair Idris were bathed in low lying cloud as I set off toward the first hill, and across the Afon Mawddach the southerly ridge of the Rhinogydd were again embedded in low cloud which remained steadfast during the following three hours, whilst the lower heighted hills I planned for today were glimmering free of cloud, with early morning sunshine occasionally illuminating their slopes.

Early morning cloud and colour

I wanted to survey three hills, two of which were planned for Rob’s walk tomorrow, the other was the confirmation of the 200m Sub-Twmpau, this hill is unnamed on the map and has three uppermost 270m map ring contours with the furthest north-westerly ring contour having a 274m spot height on the Ordnance Survey Interactive Coverage Map hosted on the Geograph website.

Reaching the first of these 270m ring contours I set the Trimble up on the ground and as it gathered its allotted five minutes of data I stood back and admired the profile of Pared y Cefn Hir, a hill that was the first to be surveyed using the Leica GS15 when still with John and Graham, this is a wonderful hill, rather Scottish in nature, one whose stature defies its relatively lowly height.  This morning the wisps of low cloud were still stubbornly hugging its higher ridge, but its mid and lower slopes were illuminated in early colour, and set against the waters of Llynnau Cregennan it gave a wonderful sight.

Gathering data at the summit of Ffridd Tyddyn Bach (SH 656 139)

Pared y Cefn Hir - a sublime hill

Prior to visiting these hills I’d looked at the Tithe map for boundaries between each and farm land allocation as I hoped to visit at least one farm later in the day and confirm names for each.  The Tithe map gave the land boundary for these three 270m ring contours split between Tyddyn Bach and Tyddyn Mawr, two farms positioned to the north of the hill, with just the latter named on current maps.  These land boundaries consisted of walls, between each was land probably seldom visited by the hill walker, and yet it was stunning in simplicity with wall, bog and hill all contrasting and giving substance to the view.  Land boundaries by their nature are impositions upon the land, they are territorial markers of ownership or grazing rights, they seldom enhance land, as the wild nature of open land will testify, and yet on this morning, the boundaries of walls seemed to justify their existence, they seemed set, permanent and unmoving, an indicator of an old traditional, and one that added perspective and history to this place.

The walled and bounded Ffriddoedd

As I gathered the Trimble after the morning’s first survey I headed northward toward the next 270m ring contour, this was visually lower than the third where the 274m spot height is adjoined, but as I had no time constraint and the weather favourable I thought I’d gather another data set to be completest.

Gathering data at the summit of the second and central 270m ring contour

This second high point proved to be an embedded rock with a small gorse bush smothering it, once five minutes of data were stored I headed toward the higher of the three ring contours and set the Trimble atop my rucksack and waited for the next data set to be gathered.

Gathering data at the summit of Ffridd Tyddyn Mawr (SH 654 140)

Before heading to the next hill I wanted to take at least two data sets from the positions that map contouring indicates are the possibilities for the critical bwlch position of this hill, the first of which was on a green path at the base of a bump, the second of which was in a bog close to the minor road as it skirts the western fringe of the double lakes.

Surveying the bwlch of Ffridd Tyddyn Mawr

After this second bwlch survey I started the ascent of the 279m map heighted hill which is directly above the minor road and the hill that Rob planned on finishing on tomorrow, whilst doing so I looked back at the bog I had just surveyed and decided I should take another data set from its northern extremes, so I backtracked down the hill, set the Trimble up and as it gathered data I noticed a farm vehicle parked outside Ffridd Boedel; a small farm house beside the minor road, and after the Trimble was packed away I knocked on its door, no one was in, but I hoped when here the following day to meet the farmer and ask about the names of these hills.

It was only a short walk, albeit steep, to the high point of what I learnt the next day is the hill known as Ffridd Las, this is the hill Rob planned on finishing on and as the Trimble was set on the ground aligned with the high point of the hill and beeped away gathering its five minutes of data I snook off to a convenient gorse bush and hid a small bottle of Champagne for tomorrow’s celebration.

Gathering data at the summit of Ffridd Las

Zoom in and you can just see the top of the small bottle of Champagne left in the gorse bush for the celebration of Rob's completion of the Welsh mainland Tumps the following day

Leaving the summit of Ffridd Las I headed south to the minor road at the hill’s base and walked the short distance toward a gate, beyond which was my car, from close to this a path heads across the connecting bwlch, this was the point for the next survey.  Before setting the Trimble to gather its next data set I assessed the lay of land from a number of directions and decided that beside this narrow path was as good as any.

Ffridd Las from the south

Approaching Ffridd Bellau Nant y Gwyrddail

Gathering data at the critical bwlch of Ffridd Las with Ffridd Bellau Nant y Gwyrddail in the background

Before visiting the summit of the third hill I wanted to gather data at its connecting bwlch, this is positioned to the north-east of its summit and so I walked on a moorland track and skirted the summit to its north, using gates to access the grazing pasture where the bwlch is situated.

The view north-east from the bwlch of Ffridd Bellau Nant y Gwyrddail

All that remained on this walk was the last survey, the summit of which is situated on land known as Ffridd Bellau Nant y Gwyrddail; which when translated in to English can mean the far off ffridd of Nant y Gwyrddail, with Nant-y-gwyrddail being a farm situated SH 671 143.  This hill’s summit proved a wonderful spot with views stretching down the stream valley toward Llyn Gwernan, across Llynnau Cregennan toward Pared y Cefn Hir and in to the mass of higher hills surrounding Cadair Idris.

Llynnau Cregennan from the summit of Ffridd Bellau Nant y Gwyrddail

Gathering data at the summit of Ffridd Bellau Nant y Gwyrddail

It was a fitting place to end this part of the morning’s surveying activities, but I still had time for one more survey which meant a small drive around the corner of the minor road, but this will be detailed in a separate post.

Survey Result:

Ffridd Tyddyn Bach (significant name change)

Summit Height:  272.0m (converted to OSGM15)

Summit Grid Reference:  SH 65693 13963

Bwlch Height:  259.4m (LIDAR)

Bwlch Grid Reference:  SH 65599 13975 (LIDAR)

Drop:  12.6m (Trimble summit and LIDAR bwlch)

Dominance:  4.66%

Ffridd Tyddyn Mawr (significant name change)

Summit Height:  273.2m (converted to OSGM15)

Summit Grid Reference:  SH 65486 14081

Bwlch Height:  251.2m (LIDAR)

Bwlch Grid Reference:  SH 65928 13997 (LIDAR)

Drop:  22.0m (Trimble summit and LIDAR bwlch) (200m Sub-Twmpau addition)

Dominance:  8.06%

Ffridd Las (significant name change)

Summit Height:  278.5m (converted to OSGM15)

Summit Grid Reference:  SH 66076 13984

Bwlch Height:  247.8m (converted to OSGM15)

Bwlch Grid Reference:  SH 66369 13783

Drop:  30.7m (200m Twmpau status confirmed)

Dominance:  11.02%

Ffridd Bellau Nant y Gwyrddail (significant name change)

Summit Height:  280.0m (converted to OSGM15)

Summit Grid Reference:  SH 66542 13906

Bwlch Height:  244.6m (converted to OSGM15)

Bwlch Grid Reference:  SH 66859 14241

Drop:  35.4m

Dominance:  12.64%

For further details please consult the Trimble Survey Spreadsheet