Mapping Mountains – Significant Name Changes – 30-99m Twmpau and Y Trechol – The Dominant Hills of Wales

Mynydd Bach (SH 389 767)

There has been a Significant Name Change to a hill that is listed in the 30-99m Twmpau and Y Trechol – The Dominant Hills of Wales, with the summit height confirmed by LIDAR analysis, and a subsequent survey with the Trimble GeoXH 6000 conducted by Myrddyn Phillips, with the latter taking place on the 28^th October 2018.

LIDAR summit image of Mynydd Bach

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

30-99m Twmpau - Welsh hills at or above 30m and below 100m in height with 30m minimum drop, with an accompanying sub list entitled the 30-99m Sub-Twmpau with the criteria for this sub category being all Welsh hills at or above 30m and below 100m in height with 20m or more and below 30m of drop, with the word Twmpau being an acronym standing for thirty welsh metre prominences and upward.

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, with the Introduction to the Mapping Mountains publication of this list appearing on the 3^rd December 2015.

The hill is adjoined to the Ynys Môn group of hills, which are situated in the north-western part of North Wales (Region A, Sub-Region A1), and it has the A5 and A55 roads to its south, and has the village of Gwalchmai towards its south.

This hill was first listed in the original Welsh 30-99m P30 list published on Geoff Crowder’s v-g.me website, under the transposed name of Bryn-teg, which is a name appearing near to the hill on contemporary Ordnance Survey maps and which I presumed was the name of the hill, it is not, it is a name of a house.

Bryn-teg

95c

SH389768

114

262/263

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 a name on the map which I presumed to be that of the hill.  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

After visiting this hill I called at a number of houses, including Bryn-teg hoping to make place-name enquiries.  I was directed down the minor lane toward a cottage, as I headed toward the cottage a man appeared and walked toward a plot of land where his daughter was planning to live.  Gwyn Thomas lived at one of the houses I’d passed on the lane; the hill was on the other side of the road to where his daughter was planning to live and was at the back of Gwyn’s house.  I introduced myself and explained my interest in hill names and asked if he knew a name for the hill; he replied immediately and told me its name is Mynydd Bach.

Gwyn Thomas with Mynydd Bach in the background

Therefore, the name this hill is now listed by in the 30-99m Twmpau and Y Trechol – The Dominant Hills of Wales is Mynydd Bach, and this was derived from local enquiry.

The full details for the hill are:

Group:  Ynys Môn

Name:  Mynydd Bach

Previously Listed Name:  Bryn-teg

 

OS 1:50,000 map:  114

Summit Height:  96.5m (converted to OSGM15)

Summit Grid Reference:  SH 38964 76773

Bwlch Height:  c 64m

Bwlch Grid Reference:  SH 40259 77918 (I)

 

Drop:  c 32m

Dominance:  33.66%

For details on the summit survey of this hill

Myrddyn Phillips (May 2019)

Mapping Mountains – Trimble Surveys – Mynydd Twr

28.10.18  Mynydd Bach (SH 389 767)  

Visiting the summit of this hill seemed an easy affair, as logged ascents on the Hill Bagging website mainly used the access track to the north-west that leads to the two high masts and covered reservoir positioned on the summit area of the hill.  As well as giving an easy and convenient ascent it was also a short one, as it only involved a couple of hundred metres to the top.

However, as I drove up the narrow lane and arrived at the start of the track I found a high metal fence barring access, where the fence ended each side was well protected with brambles and unforgiving amounts of unsavoury undergrowth.  I parked my car for a good inspection and did consider trying to climb the locked fence, but smiled at the thought as I knew I would not be able to do this, even if wanting so, which by the way, I didn’t.

Having walked a short distance on the lane either side of the metalled fence I realised I would not be gaining access to the hill from this direction and therefore drove the short distance back down the lane to the small community of Gwalchmai and then drove north up another narrow lane which brought me to the east of the hill.  I found parking beside a gate that gave access to another track leading toward the hill, I decided to investigate.

The track led through a paddock where three horses were standing in the morning sun, one showed particular interest in me as I quietly headed up toward a mass of gorse, bracken and brambles with the summit just beyond.  This form of undergrowth is prevalent on many of the lower hills on Ynys Môn, and all that I have encountered can either be bi-passed or bashed through, but summer ascents wearing shorts is definitely not recommended!

The high ground of the paddock led me to two gates which gave access to an old stone wall and the mass of unsavoury undergrowth on the other side, but as the masts and the summit of the hill were now within reach there was only one thing for it, and within a minute or so I was over the remnants of the wall and heading through the gorse, bracken and brambles.  This conveniently led directly to the natural high point of the hill which LIDAR analysis gives as ground close to a small fenced compound where one of the masts is situated.

Within a few minutes I’d assessed the ground, stomped on a few brambles and set the Trimble up to gather data.  As the set-up position was beside the compound amongst lush vegetation I decided to gather a ten minute data set.

The Trimble set-up position at the summit of Mynydd Bach

As the Trimble quietly beeped away gathering its allotted data I roamed around the summit area, climbing the outer steps to the fenced reservoir and looking back on the Trimble which was hard to see through the mass of gorse and brambles.

Once data were gathered and stored I closed the equipment down, packed it away and tried to remember my inward route back through the unsavoury stuff.  Eventually I clambered over the old wall back on to greened land where the friendly horse wandered my way and followed me as I headed back through the paddock to my car.  All that remained was to make place-name enquiries as the hill remains unnamed on the map.

Gathering data at the summit of Mynydd Bach

The first house I called at was next to where my car was parked; the occupant was obviously in bed when I knocked on the door as when he opened it he was bare chested and still doing his trousers up, we talked for a number of minutes and he kindly directed me down the lane to the first of two small houses where he said the elderly woman would probably be able to help.

I walked down the lane toward the house with the rough and rocky slopes of the hill on my left, as I did so a man appeared and walked toward a plot of land where his daughter was planning to live.  Gwyn Thomas lived at one of the houses I’d passed on the lane; the hill was on the other side of the road to where his daughter was planning to live and was at the back of Gwyn’s house.  I introduced myself and explained my interest in hill names and asked if he knew a name for the hill; he replied immediately and told me its name is Mynydd Bach.

Gwyn Thomas with Mynydd Bach in the background

We talked for a number of minutes before I headed back up the lane after thanking Gwyn for his time.  Mynydd Bach is a proper little mountain, rough and rocky and with extensive views from its summit.  I was glad to have visited, even though the undergrowth had proven problematic, another hill bagged and just as important; another name documented.    

Survey Result:

Mynydd Bach (significant name change) 

Summit Height:  96.5m (converted to OSGM15, Trimble GeoXH 6000) (significant height revision)

Summit Grid Reference:  SH 38964 76773 (Trimble GeoXH 6000)

Bwlch Height: c 64m (interpolation)

Bwlch Grid Reference:  SH 40259 77918 (interpolation)

Drop:  c 32m (Trimble GeoXH 6000 summit and interpolated bwlch)

Dominance:  33.66% (Trimble GeoXH 6000 summit and interpolated bwlch)

For further details please consult the Trimble Survey Spreadsheet