Mapping Mountains – Significant Name Changes – The Welsh P15s

Llan Ucha Castell Madog (SO 027 385) 

There has been a Significant Name Change to a hill that is listed in The Welsh P15s, with the summit height, bwlch height and their locations, the drop and status of the hill derived from LIDAR analysis conducted by Myrddyn Phillips. 

LIDAR image of Llan Ucha Castell Madog (SO 027 385)

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

The Welsh P15s – Welsh hills with 15m minimum drop, irrespective of their height, with an accompanying sub list entitled the Welsh Sub-P15s, with the criteria for this sub category being all Welsh hills with 14m or more and below 15m of drop.  The list is authored by Myrddyn Phillips, with the Introduction to the list appearing on Mapping Mountains on the 10^th May 2019. 

The Welsh P15s by Myrddyn Phillips

The hill is adjoined to the Mynydd Epynt group of hills, which are situated in the central part of South Wales (Region B, Sub-Region B1), and it is positioned with the B4520 road to its west and a minor road to its east, and has the small community of Capel Uchaf (Upper Chapel) 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 was not included in the accompanying Hills to be surveyed sub list, as it was considered not to meet the criteria then used for this sub category.

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 under the point (P. 399m) notation with an estimated c 21m of drop, based on the 399m summit spot height that appeared on the Ordnance Survey Vector Map Local hosted on the Geograph website which was entitled the Interactive Coverage Map and an estimated c 378m bwlch height, based on interpolation of 10m contouring between 370m – 380m. 

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

As the summit of this hill comprises bounded land the details for it 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 Tithe map

The enclosed land where the summit of this hill is situated is given the number 790a 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 Llan Ucha (of the farm) Castell Madog in the apportionments, with the details on the Tithe map appearing in the parish named as Llandylaelog Fach and in the county named as Brecon. 

Extract from the apportionments

Therefore, the name this hill is now listed by in the The Welsh P15s is Llan Ucha Castell Madog, and this was derived from the Tithe map. 

 

The full details for the hill are: 

Group:  Mynydd Epynt 

Name:  Llan Ucha Castell Madog 

Previously Listed Name:  Pt. 399m 

OS 1:50,000 map:  160

Summit Height:  400.7m (LIDAR)                                                           

Summit Grid Reference:  SO 02707 38531 (LIDAR) 

Bwlch Height:  381.6m (LIDAR) 

Bwlch Grid Reference:  SO 02779 38800 & SO 02780 38801 (LIDAR) 

Drop:  19.1m (LIDAR) 

 

Myrddyn Phillips (May 2025)

  

Mapping Mountains – Significant Height Revisions – The Welsh P15s

Llan Ucha Castell Madog (SO 027 385) 

There has been a Significant Height Revision to a hill that is listed in The Welsh P15s, with the summit height, bwlch height and their locations, the drop and status of the hill derived from LIDAR analysis conducted by Myrddyn Phillips. 

LIDAR image of Llan Ucha Castell Madog (SO 027 385)

The criteria for the list that this height revision applies to are:

The Welsh P15s – Welsh hills with 15m minimum drop, irrespective of their height, with an accompanying sub list entitled the Welsh Sub-P15s, with the criteria for this sub category being all Welsh hills with 14m or more and below 15m of drop.  The list is authored by Myrddyn Phillips, with the Introduction to the list appearing on Mapping Mountains on the 10^th May 2019. 

The Welsh P15s by Myrddyn Phillips

The name the hill is now listed by is Llan Ucha Castell Madog and this was derived from the Tithe map, and it is adjoined to the Mynydd Epynt group of hills, which are situated in the central part of South Wales (Region B, Sub-Region B1), and it is positioned with the B4520 road to its west and a minor road to its east, and has the small community of Capel Uchaf (Upper Chapel) 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 was not included in the accompanying Hills to be surveyed sub list, as it was considered not to meet the criteria then used for this sub category.

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 21m of drop, based on the 399m summit spot height that appeared on the Ordnance Survey Vector Map Local hosted on the Geograph website which was entitled the Interactive Coverage Map and an estimated c 378m bwlch height, based on interpolation of 10m contouring between 370m – 380m. 

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

One of the resources recently available online is the mapping on the OS Maps website and the details for this hill were subsequently re-assessed against this mapping.  This is the replacement for OS Get-a-map and until recent times had contours at 5m intervals which were proving consistently more accurate compared to the 5m contours that sometimes appear on the Ordnance Survey 1:25,000 Explorer map and used to appear on the online Vector Map Local.  This mapping had an uppermost 400m ring contour and bwlch contouring between 380m – 385m, with interpolation giving an estimated c 18m of drop.  Through discussion it was decided to wait for full LIDAR coverage before reassessing the status of this hill.

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. 

LIDAR summit image of Llan Ucha Castell Madog (SO 027 385)

The summit height produced by LIDAR analysis is 400.7m and when compared to its originally listed summit height, this comes within the parameters of the Significant Height Revisions used within this page heading, and these parameters are:

The term Significant Height Revisions applies to any listed hill whose interpolated height and Ordnance Survey, Harvey or other interactive map summit spot height has a 2m or more discrepancy when compared to the survey result produced by the Trimble GeoXH 6000 or analysis of data produced via LIDAR.  Also included are hills whose summit map data is missing an uppermost ring contour when compared with the data produced by the Trimble or by LIDAR analysis.

Therefore, the new listed summit height of this hill is 400.7m and this was derived from LIDAR analysis.  This is 1.7m higher than the original listed summit height of 399m which was derived from the Ordnance Survey Vector Map Local hosted on the Geograph website which was entitled the Interactive Coverage Map. 

 ills of Wales, and are reproduced below@

The full details for the hill are:

Group:  Mynydd Epynt 

Name:  Llan Ucha Castell Madog 

OS 1:50,000 map:  160

Summit Height (New Height):  400.7m (LIDAR)                                                           

Summit Grid Reference:  SO 02707 38531 (LIDAR) 

Bwlch Height:  381.6m (LIDAR) 

Bwlch Grid Reference:  SO 02779 38800 & SO 02780 38801 (LIDAR) 

Drop:  19.1m (LIDAR) 

 

Myrddyn Phillips (May 2025) 

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

Llan Ucha Castell Madog (SO 027 385) – Sub-Trichant deletion

There has been a deletion from 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 LIDAR analysis conducted by Myrddyn Phillips. 

LIDAR image of Llan Ucha Castell Madog (SO 027 385)

The criteria for the list that this deletion 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 now listed by is Llan Ucha Castell Madog and this was derived from the Tithe map, and it is adjoined to the Mynydd Epynt group of hills, which are situated in the central part of South Wales (Region B, Sub-Region B1), and it is positioned with the B4520 road to its west and a minor road to its east, and has the small community of Capel Uchaf (Upper Chapel) 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 was not included in the accompanying Hills to be surveyed sub list, as it was considered not to meet the criteria then used for this sub category.

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 21m of drop, based on the 399m summit spot height that appeared on the Ordnance Survey Vector Map Local hosted on the Geograph website which was entitled the Interactive Coverage Map and an estimated c 378m bwlch height, based on interpolation of 10m contouring between 370m – 380m. 

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

One of the resources recently available online is the mapping on the OS Maps website and the details for this hill were subsequently re-assessed against this mapping.  This is the replacement for OS Get-a-map and until recent times had contours at 5m intervals which were proving consistently more accurate compared to the 5m contours that sometimes appear on the Ordnance Survey 1:25,000 Explorer map and used to appear on the online Vector Map Local.  This mapping had an uppermost 400m ring contour and bwlch contouring between 380m – 385m, with interpolation giving an estimated c 18m of drop.  Through discussion it was decided to wait for full LIDAR coverage before reassessing the status of this hill.

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.

Therefore, the confirmation of the deletion of this hill from Sub-Trichant status is due to LIDAR analysis, resulting in a 400.7m summit height and a 381.6m bwlch height, with these values giving this hill 19.1m of drop, which is insufficient for it to be classified as a Sub-Trichant. 

 

The full details for the hill are: 

Group:  Mynydd Epynt 

Name:  Llan Ucha Castell Madog 

OS 1:50,000 map:  160

Summit Height:  400.7m (LIDAR)                                                           

Summit Grid Reference:  SO 02707 38531 (LIDAR) 

Bwlch Height:  381.6m (LIDAR) 

Bwlch Grid Reference:  SO 02779 38800 & SO 02780 38801 (LIDAR) 

Drop:  19.1m (LIDAR) 

 

Myrddyn Phillips (August 2024)

 

  

Mapping Mountains – Hill Reclassifications – Y Pedwarau – The 400m Hills of Wales

Llan Ucha Castell Madog (SO 027 385) – 390m Double Sub-Pedwar deletion

There has been a deletion to the listing of the Y Pedwarau – The 400m Hills of Wales, with the summit height, bwlch height and their locations, the drop and status of the hill derived from LIDAR analysis conducted by Myrddyn Phillips. 

LIDAR image of Llan Ucha Castell Madog (SO 027 385)

The criteria for the list that this deletion applies to are:

Y Pedwarau – The 400m Hills of Wales.  Welsh hills at or above 400m and below 500m in height that have 30m minimum drop, accompanying the main Y Pedwarau list are five categories of sub hills, with this hill being deleted from the 390m Double Sub-Pedwar category.  The criteria for this category being all Welsh hills at or above 390m and below 400m in height that have 20m or more and below 30m of drop.  The list is co-authored by Myrddyn Phillips and Aled Williams and is published on Mapping Mountains in Google Doc format.

Y Pedwarau - The 400m Hills of Wales by Myrddyn Phillips and Aled Williams

The name the hill is now listed by is Llan Ucha Castell Madog and this was derived from the Tithe map, and it is adjoined to the Mynydd Epynt group of hills, which are situated in the central part of South Wales (Region B, Sub-Region B1), and it is positioned with the B4520 road to its west and a minor road to its east, and has the small community of Capel Uchaf (Upper Chapel) 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 was not included in the accompanying Hills to be surveyed sub list, as it was considered not to meet the criteria then used for this sub category.

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 21m of drop, based on the 399m summit spot height that appeared on the Ordnance Survey Vector Map Local hosted on the Geograph website which was entitled the Interactive Coverage Map and an estimated c 378m bwlch height, based on interpolation of 10m contouring between 370m – 380m. 

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

One of the resources recently available online is the mapping on the OS Maps website and the details for this hill were subsequently re-assessed against this mapping.  This is the replacement for OS Get-a-map and until recent times had contours at 5m intervals which were proving consistently more accurate compared to the 5m contours that sometimes appear on the Ordnance Survey 1:25,000 Explorer map and used to appear on the online Vector Map Local.  This mapping had an uppermost 400m ring contour and bwlch contouring between 380m – 385m, with interpolation giving an estimated c 18m of drop.  Through discussion it was decided to wait for full LIDAR coverage before reassessing the status of this hill.

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.

Therefore, the confirmation of the deletion of this hill from 390m Double Sub-Pedwar status is due to LIDAR analysis, resulting in a 400.7m summit height and a 381.6m bwlch height, with these values giving this hill 19.1m of drop, which is insufficient for it to be classified as a 390m Double Sub-Pedwar. 

 

The full details for the hill are:

Group:  Mynydd Epynt 

Name:  Llan Ucha Castell Madog 

OS 1:50,000 map:  160

Summit Height:  400.7m (LIDAR)                                                           

Summit Grid Reference:  SO 02707 38531 (LIDAR) 

Bwlch Height:  381.6m (LIDAR) 

Bwlch Grid Reference:  SO 02779 38800 & SO 02780 38801 (LIDAR) 

Drop:  19.1m (LIDAR) 

 

For the additions, reclassifications and deletions to Y Pedwarau – The 400m Hills of Wales reported on Mapping Mountains since the May 2013 publication of the list by Europeaklist please consult the following Change Registers:

 

Y Pedwarau

 

Y Pedwarau – 400m Sub-Pedwarau

 

Y Pedwarau – 390m Sub-Pedwarau

 

Y Pedwarau – 390m Double Sub-Pedwarau

 

Myrddyn Phillips and Aled Williams (July 2024)