Mapping Mountains – Significant Name Changes – 100m Twmpau

Boncan Fawr (SH 550 666)

There has been a Significant Name Change to a hill that is listed in the 100m Twmpau, with the summit height, bwlch height and their locations, the drop and status of the hill derived from a Trimble GeoXH 6000 summit survey and LIDAR bwlch analysis conducted by Myrddyn Phillips.

The summit of Boncan Fawr (SH 550 666) with the Trimble GeoXH 6000 gathering data

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

100m Twmpau - Welsh hills at or above 100m and below 200m in height with 30m minimum drop, with an accompanying sub list entitled the 100m Sub-Twmpau with the criteria for this sub category being all Welsh hills at or above 100m and below 200m in height with 20m or more and below 30m of drop.  The list is authored by Myrddyn Phillips, with the word Twmpau being an acronym standing for thirty welsh metre prominences and upward.

100m Twmpau by Myrddyn Phillips

The hill is adjoined to the Glyder Fawr group of hills, which are situated in the north-western part of North Wales (Region A, Sub-Region A1), and it is positioned with the B4547 road to its north-east and the B4366 road to its south-east, and has the small city of Bangor towards its north north-east.

The hill originally appeared in the 100m P30 list on Geoff Crowder’s v-g.me website under the invented and transposed name of Bryn Ty-mawr with an accompanying note stating; Name from buildings to the South-East. 

Bryn Ty-mawr

154m

SH551666

114/115

17/263

Name from buildings to the South-East

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.  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

Prior to visiting this hill I called at Tŷ-mawr; the farm to the immediate south-east of the summit.  I was met by Jane who told me that the land where the summit of this hill is situated is no longer a part of Tŷ-mawr and it is now worked by Fachell, a farm situated to the west of the hill.

After visiting the hill I called at Fachell and was met by Llinos Jones who invited me in.  I’m indebted to the kindness and hospitality shown me over the years by the farming community and this visit is just one of many where this was shown, and the next half an hour with Llinos and her family proved a delight.

Llinos’ daughter; Elan phoned her father; Aled, who soon arrived and we sat and chatted about the hill and its name.  Aled explained that they know it as Boncan Fawr (pronounced Boncan and not Boncyn), with Aled being the fourth generation of his family to have farmed from Fachell.

The Jones family (L-R); Elan, Llinos, Aled, Elis and Bedwyr

Therefore, the name this hill is now listed by in the 100m Twmpau is Boncan Fawr, and this was derived from local enquiry.

The full details for the hill are:

Group:  Glyder Fawr

Name:  Boncan Fawr

Previously Listed Name:  Bryn Ty-mawr 

  

OS 1:50,000 map:  114, 115

Summit Height:  153.6m (converted to OSGM15, Trimble GeoXH 6000)

Summit Grid Reference:  SH 55099 66613 (Trimble GeoXH 6000)

Bwlch Height:  110.1m (LIDAR)

Bwlch Grid Reference:  SH 55523 66111 (LIDAR)

 

Drop:  43.5m (Trimble GeoXH 6000 summit and LIDAR bwlch)

Myrddyn Phillips (February 2019)

Mapping Mountains – Trimble Surveys – Glyder Fawr

02.10.18  Boncan Fawr (SH 550 666)  

The summit of Boncan Fawr (SH 550 666)

I’d previously visited this hill in May 2004 when it was still listed as Bryn Ty-mawr; a name I’d invented when the original Welsh P30 lists were published on Geoff Crowder’s v-g.me website.  I have little memory of it, but my visit was one of many during that day as I roamed around this part of Wales bagging hills.  Today I was heading toward Ysbyty Gwynedd to visit my brother and this hill and a survey of its summit fitted in nicely on the way to the hospital, and hopefully doing so before the forecast rains set in late afternoon.

I also wanted to make place-name enquiries as an invented name given a hill by a list author is never the best of things, therefore before visiting the hill I called at Ty-mawr; the farm to the immediate south-east of the summit.  I was met by Jane who told me that the land where the summit of this hill is situated is no longer a part of Ty-mawr and it is now worked by Fachell, a farm back down the road and to the west of the hill.  Unfortunately Jane did not know an individual name for the hill.

Before visiting Fachell I headed for the summit, this proved a simple affair across a field, through a gate and up the adjacent field to the summit.  Today the higher Eryri hills were cloud encrusted as grey skies were pushed inland from the west, but the feel of openness was still present even with the gathering banks of cloud.

The summit of this hill comprises a raised circular mound with its high point toward the south-west periphery of this.  Once the Trimble was set up gathering data I stood back and savoured the view and looked out on to the grey skies as seasonal change brought a slight cooling of air and the first signs of autumnal colour change.

Gathering data at the summit of Boncan Fawr

I collected a ten minute data set from the summit, and once the Trimble had done its stuff and was packed away I retraced my inward route back to my car and drove the short distance to Fachell.  Although there was a car parked outside there was no reply after I knocked on the front door.  I wondered about calling back after visiting my brother, and did so a couple of hours later.

The Trimble set-up position at the summit of Boncan Fawr

I was met by Llinos who invited me in, and the next half hour proved delightful.  I’m indebted to the kindness and hospitality shown me over the years by the farming community and this visit is just one of many where this was shown.

Llinos’ daughter; Elan phoned her father; Aled, who soon arrived and we sat and chatted about the hill and its name.  Aled explained that they know it as Boncan Fawr (pronounced Boncan and not Boncyn), with Aled being the fourth generation of his family to have farmed from Fachell.

(L-R) Elan, Llinos, Aled, Elis and Bedwyr

By the time I left the farm, rain had set in, my visit to the hill and afterward to Fachell to meet Llinos and Aled and their family proved just in time.  And with another summit Trimbled and another hill’s name documented it had been a god day all round.

Survey Result:

Boncan Fawr (significant name change)

Summit Height:  153.6m (converted to OSGM15, Trimble GeoXH 6000)

Summit Grid Reference:  SH 55099 66613 (Trimble GeoXH 6000)

Bwlch Height:  110.1m (LIDAR)

Bwlch Grid Reference:  SH 55523 66111 (LIDAR)

Drop:  43.5m (Trimble GeoXH 6000 summit and LIDAR bwlch)

Dominance:  28.31% (Trimble GeoXH 6000 summit and LIDAR bwlch)

For further details please consult the Trimble Survey Spreadsheet