Mapping Mountains – Significant Name Changes – 200m Twmpau

 

Square Field (SJ 070 031) 

There has been a Significant Name Change to a hill that is listed in the 200m Twmpau, with the summit height, bwlch height and their locations, the drop and status of the hill confirmed by LIDAR analysis and a subsequent Trimble GeoXH 6000 survey conducted by Myrddyn Phillips. 

Square Field (SJ 070 031)

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

200m Twmpau - Welsh hills at or 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 or above 200m and below 300m 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. 

The 200m Twmpau by Myrddyn Phillips

The hill is adjoined to the Carnedd Wen group of hills which are situated in the south-eastern part of North Wales (Region A, Sub-Region A4), and it is encircled by minor roads, with also the A458 road to its north, the A470 road to its south-west and the B4389 road to its east, and has the village of Adfa towards the south south-west. 

When the original 300m height band of Welsh P30 hills was published on Geoff Crowder’s v-g.me website, this hill was included in the main P30 list and listed with a 300m summit height, based on the spot height that appears on the Ordnance Survey 1:25,000 Explorer map and listed by the name of Dwyrhiw, which is a prominent name that appears to the south-east of the summit on the Ordnance Survey 1:50,000 Landranger and 1:25,000 Explorer map.

Dwyrhiw

300m

SJ070031

136

215

During my early hill listing I paid little regard to name placement on the map, or the meaning of names and to what feature the name was appropriately applied to.  Therefore, I prioritised names for listing purposes that I now understand are either inappropriate or where another name is viewed as being more appropriate. 

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

Five weeks after surveying the summit of this hill I re-visited with Alex Cameron.  This second visit gave opportunity to call at the landowning farm (SO 069 030) which is situated just below the end of the track which is adjacent to the summit and to its south.  I’d already been told by Ruth Davies of Llawnt Isaf (SJ 077 033) that John Watkins would be able to help and no doubt give me the field name for where the summit is situated.  John answered the door and we talked for 10-15 minutes.  He explained that his father came to the farm as a tenant in 1917 and then bought the farm from the local estate in 1921 when the estate was sold.  I drew a diagram of the farm and the access track leading from it to the paved lane, and the fields and their boundaries.  John told me that the field where the summit is situated is known as the Square Field and this was once made up of two fields, with the one nearer the paved road being known as the Clover Field.  Each is now a part of Square Field, and the field where the 300m spot height appears on the Ordnance Survey 1:25,000 Explorer map is known as the Meadow. 

John Watkins

Therefore, the name this hill is now listed by in the 200m Twmpau is Square Field, and this was derived from local enquiry.

 

The full details for the hill are:

Group:  Carnedd Wen

Name:  Square Field

Previously Listed Name:  Dwyrhiw   

OS 1:50,000 map:  136

Summit Height:  299.4m (converted to OSGM15, Trimble GeoXH 6000) 

Summit Grid Reference:  SJ 07034 03161 (Trimble GeoXH 6000) 

Bwlch Height:  253.6m (LIDAR) 

Bwlch Grid Reference:  SJ 06533 03161 (LIDAR) 

Drop:  45.8m (Trimble GeoXH 6000 summit and LIDAR bwlch)

 

Myrddyn Phillips (January 2021)

 

 

 

 

Mapping Mountains – Trimble Surveys – Carnedd Wen

 

15.09.20  Square Field (SJ 070 031, previously Trimbled) 

Square Field (SJ 070 031)

I’d visited the summit of this hill five weeks ago whilst doing a circular walk having set off early in the morning to beat the forecast warm and humid conditions predicted for later in the morning and afternoon.  By the time I had reached the track that runs from the narrow road to the north-east of the summit and ends at a farm, the heat was battering me and I stood looking at the continuation of the track as it swept steeply down to the farm and wondered if I could make it back up if I visited the farm to make place-name enquiries.  With two hills remaining to visit and a few miles before arriving back at my car, I decided the farm could wait, and so I continued to the hill’s high point which was situated in the grazing field just to the south of the track and only two metres from an intervening fence. 

Today, this hill was on our schedule as Alex had not visited it and it was conveniently placed between our last hill; Top Field (SJ 070 055) and our next hill; Pen y Gaer (SJ 067 014).  Whilst on the summit of Top Field a greyed sky pushed in from the west, smothering the sunshine and blue skies of the morning.  It looked as if it heralded rain, which was a surprise as this was not forecast, and by the time Alex navigated us to the track and I parked the car and we strode out over the fence and stood on the summit, the grey sky pre-dominated. 

I quickly took two photos of Alex on the summit with the car no more than a few metres behind him, and wondered whether anyone would ever write rules to ethical bagging.  I hope not, as little adventures like this all add fun to the game. 

One of the easier hills to bag; Alex at the summit of Square Field

Soon we were parked in the farmyard and having knocked on the front door of the farm, John Watkins answered.  As I introduced myself and explained the reason for calling the first few spots of rain started to fall.  It looked as if I was going to get wet; however John kindly invited me in, where I spent ten minutes or so talking with him. 

John, like the vast majority of the farming community who I have met over the years, was a delight to meet.  He told me the hill doesn’t have an individual name so we concentrated on the field name.  I drew a diagram of his farm, the track and the paved road with appropriate field boundaries.  He told me that the field where the summit of the hill is situated is known as the Square Field and that this used to be made of two fields, with the other known as the Clover Field, and the field to the south-west where the 300m spot height appears on the Ordnance Survey 1:25,000 Explorer map is known as the Meadow. 

John Watkins

Thanking John I headed back to Alex, who had patiently waited in the car.  The rain had now stopped, but the greyness of the sky above showed signs that more rain was not too far away, next stop; Pen y Gaer (SJ 067 014). 

 

Survey Result: 

 

Square Field (significant name change)

Summit Height:  299.4m (converted to OSGM15, from previous Trimble GeoXH 6000 survey) (Trichant reclassified to 200m Twmpau)

Summit Grid Reference:  SJ 07034 03161 (from previous Trimble GeoXH 6000 survey)

Bwlch Height:  253.6m (LIDAR)

Bwlch Grid Reference:  SO 06533 03161 (LIDAR)

Drop:  45.8m (Trimble GeoXH 6000 summit and LIDAR bwlch)

Dominance:  15.29% (Trimble GeoXH 6000 summit and LIDAR bwlch)

 

 

For details on the Trimble GeoXH 6000 summit survey of this hill

For further details please consult the Trimble Survey Spreadsheet