08.08.20 Cae Clofar Bach (SJ 069 007), Pen y Gaer (SJ 067 014), Cae Top (SJ 061 016), Square Field (SJ 070 031), Pastures (SJ 080 032) and Pt.
243.8m (SJ 084 023)
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| Square Field (SJ 070 031) |
Prior to today’s walk I
examined a number of Ordnance Survey 1:25,000 Explorer maps looking at hills
close to where I live that I had not yet visited, and a group close to
Llanwyddelan looked promising. After
further examination I devised an eight mile circuit taking in two P30s and four
subs, and if LIDAR was to be believed one of the subs was about to be deleted
and one of the P30s change 100m height bands.
With a forecast of high
humidity and warm temperatures an early start was needed and therefore I was
walking by 6.30am, having parked close to a bridge crossing the River Rhiw to
the east of Llanwyddelan.
Flecks of early morning
drizzle fell during the first half an hour, falling from a murked sky that hung
across the higher hills. I stopped and
chatted with a woman who was out watering her plants before the heat of the day
struck, this provided a welcome rest from the uphill leading toward the first
hill of the day which is positioned about one mile west of the small community
of Llanwyddelan.
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| Pen y Gaer from the approach to Cae Clofar Bach |
A gate gave access to a
field and a large gap for a vehicle gave further access in to the field where
the summit of this sub is situated. The
ten figure grid co-ordinates produced by LIDAR analysis soon led me to the
natural high point and the Trimble was duly set up and gathering its allotted
data.
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| Gathering data at the summit of Cae Clofar Bach |
The field where the
summit of this Sub-Twmpau is situated is named Cae Clofar Bach on the Tithe map;
this translates as small clover field
in English, and as the equipment beeped away gathering its individual data I
stood back and peered through the grey murk toward my next hill and the route
to it on the map.
A gate at the lower part
of the field gave access back on to the lane and I continued following this
down to a right hand turn on to a narrow lane that led me toward the lower
slopes of my second hill of the day.
This has the remains of an ancient hill fort encircling its summit and
today it had a herd of lazily munching cows scattered across the upper part of
the hill. Although my encounters with
cows have in the main been friendly, I am aware, both from walkers and also
from farmers, that these beautiful creatures are to be respected whilst on the
hill; and especially so if calves are also present. Leaving the narrow lane I walked up a field
and decided on a direct summit approach as the herd of cows had grazed their
way across the upper hill and were now out of sight.
During Trimble
collection the cows kept their eye on me as I did on them, but we both behaved
ourselves and kept our distance. Once
data were gathered and stored I closed the equipment down, packed it away and
headed west to a gate giving access down a field to another gate and the
continuation of the narrow lane leading up toward a vehicle track that led to a
barn which was my access to the next hill.
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| Gathering data at the summit of Pen y Gaer |
I’ve found in recent
years that although I still gain an inordinate amount of pleasure from visiting
the higher tops, it is these lower hills that now give me the greatest pleasure. Part of this is the thrill of visiting new
ground, but another is the prospect of visiting farms en route and making
place-name enquiries, something that on the higher tops seldom happens.
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| Cae Top from Pen y Gaer |
The track led to a gate
which again led across a field to another gate and the field where the summit
of this next sub was situated. The Tithe
map gives the name Cae Top to this field, which is an obvious but also apt
name; top field. The grid co-ordinates from LIDAR analysis led
me to the high point and soon the Trimble was set-up gathering its allotted
data.
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| Gathering data at the summit of Cae Top |
From this hill I had a
number of options for my descent and continuation toward the fourth hill of the
day which was to be the high point of the walk.
I decided to descend to Llwyncopa which is immediately below the summit
to the south. I was soon chatting with
James Thomas who had lived in this area all his life and I asked about the hill
with the ancient hill fort encircling the summit, this hill is prominent behind
where James lives. He said its name is
Pen y Gaer, which makes sense as many such fortifications are known by this
name in Wales. Thanking James I asked
permission to use his access track to get back on the lane.
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| Pen y Gaer from the descent to Llwyncopa |
Leaving Llwyncopa I
wandered down the access track without a care in the world waving at a couple
of vehicles as they headed up it. After
five minutes or so I checked the map as I thought I should be on the narrow
lane by now, but knowing that I was on the right track and the lane must be
just around the next corner, I continued.
I ended up by a number of house which was wrong, looking at the map
again I realised I’d descended in to Adfa which was in the opposite direction
to where I wanted to go! This was
confirmed when I stopped a car and the driver kindly told me so, we both
smiled.
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| Cae Top from the narrow lane leading toward Llanllugan |
More narrow lanes led
from Adfa down to the small community of Llanllugan where I came across the
pulpit stone where Hywel Harries used to preach. The stone has now been embedded in its
rightful place with a dedicated slate plaque giving detail.
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| The pulpit stone in Llanllugan |
By now the murk of the
morning had risen and the warmth of the day started to take its toll. Conditions were still greyish but blue sky
glimmered through it and would continue to do so as morning turned to
afternoon.
From Llanllugan I walked
down a lane leading to Fron Green and then gained a public footpath gaining
height through the Fron Green Larch Plantation.
This gave respite from the direct sun, but it was warm and the uphill
slowly took its toll. The initial stages
of this footpath are a delight on a greened track leading up on the edge of the
plantation, however summer nettles soon appeared and in places in copious
amounts, these necessitated a slight diversion above the path. As I neared a fence I decided to gain height
toward a gate where I rested and swept more sweat from my brow.
The field on the other
side of the gate led me to the track that follows the upper ridge of the fourth
hill of the day and which was the high point of the walk. As I stood on the track I looked down at Pendwyrhiew
farm and thought about calling to make further enquiries as no one I had asked
knew an individual name for this hill, and the Tithe doesn’t document a field
name for where the summit is situated, and if anyone knew it would be the local
farmer. However, the farm was in a dip
and the thought of reclaiming the lost height in the heat that was now all
pervading, back to the point I was now at, did not enthuse me, so I pressed on
to the summit and took the customary data set with the Trimble.
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| Gathering data at the summit of Square Field |
During data collection I
hoped a farm vehicle would appear so I could flag it down to make enquiries,
sadly none did, so I left with the Trimble packed away and without an
appropriate name for either the hill or the field where the summit of it is
situated.
The bulk of the uphill on
the walk was now over, and when I left the track for the next narrow lane I
rested and had a boiled egg to replenish my energy. The conditions were extremely muggy with an
oppressive heat, but a breeze occasionally wafted over the tops which proved welcome.
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| Pastures from the descent toward Llawnt Isaf |
My next hill, the fifth
of the day rose above the farm of Llawnt Isaf and I was soon at its front door
hoping to find the farmer. All was quiet
except for the friendly tethered dog wagging its tail as I approached. As the farmer wasn’t there I continued
through the farmyard and headed up the first field toward the summit, as I did
so a vehicle appeared coming down from the summit area. I waved and was soon talking with Ruth Davies,
who proved friendly and helpful. We
chatted for quite some time and she told me that the hill doesn’t have an
individual name, with the two fields taking in the high ground being known as
the Pastures, a name passed down to her by her father.
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| Ruth Davies of Llawnt Isaf |
Before leaving Ruth I
asked permission to visit the summit and waving our goodbyes I was soon
plodding my way toward the high point. I
assessed the ground around the summit from either side of the boundary fence
and decided that the high point was at its base and set the Trimble up on a
fence post and waited until data were gathered and stored.
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| Gathering data at the summit of Pastures |
Only one hill remained
and this is the one that LIDAR indicates will be deleted from the sub list, but
as its summit was next to the narrow lane which was the descent route back to
my car I wanted to survey it. On my way
I called at Tybrith farm but no one was in, so as the Tithe doesn’t document a
field name for where the summit of this hill is situated, it remains having
been listed by the point notation, although in all probability the Trimble
result will confirm LIDAR and it will be deleted from the sub list.
The last data set of the
day was taken on ground beside a pile of debris with nettles and a large tree
trunk adding variety to the scene.
During data collection I sat, rested, had another boiled egg, took on
water, checked the map and started thinking of having a large mug of tea when back
home.
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| Gathering data at the summit of Pr. 243.8m (SJ 084 023) |
It was only a mile or so
downhill from this last hill, passing the Gwernydd Caravan Park on the
way. This looked immaculately cared for
and a number of people were out in the early afternoon heat with young children
on bikes and people visiting the café. I
said my hello’s to a group sitting on decking outside in the warmth as I
continued down the lane.
I got back to my car at
12.50pm, the walk had taken 6 hours 20 minutes, I’d visited and surveyed six
hills and found appropriate names for two via enquiries en route, with a
further two names via the Tithe. A very
fulfilling way to spend a day, all that remained was that large mug of tea!
Survey Result:
Summit Height: 246.1m (converted to OSGM15, Trimble GeoXH
6000)
Bwlch Height: 224.3m (LIDAR)
Bwlch Grid Reference: SJ 06767 00923 (LIDAR)
Dominance: 8.86% (Trimble GeoXH 6000 summit and LIDAR
bwlch)
Summit Height: 270.0m (converted to OSGM15, Trimble GeoXH
6000)
Summit Grid Reference: SJ 06728 01430 (Trimble GeoXH 6000)
Bwlch Height: 238.4m (LIDAR)
Bwlch Grid Reference: SJ 05925 01449 (LIDAR)
Drop: 31.7m (Trimble GeoXH 6000 summit and LIDAR
bwlch)
Dominance: 11.72% (Trimble GeoXH 6000 summit and LIDAR
bwlch)
Summit Height: 268.8m (converted to OSGM15, Trimble GeoXH
6000)
Bwlch Height: 243.0m (LIDAR)
Bwlch Grid Reference: SJ 06613 01642 (LIDAR)
Dominance: 9.62% (Trimble GeoXH 6000 summit and LIDAR
bwlch)
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)
Dominance: 15.29% (Trimble GeoXH 6000 summit and LIDAR
bwlch)
Summit Height: 288.5m (converted to OSGM15, Trimble GeoXH
6000)
Summit Grid Reference: SJ 08047 03297 (Trimble GeoXH 6000)
Bwlch Height: 260.5m (LIDAR)
Bwlch Grid Reference: SJ 07733 03319 (LIDAR)
Dominance: 9.69% (Trimble GeoXH 6000 summit and LIDAR
bwlch)
Pt. 243.8m
Summit Height: 243.8m (converted to OSGM15, Trimble GeoXH
6000)
Summit Grid Reference: SJ 08450 02373 (Trimble GeoXH 6000)
Bwlch Height: 224.8m (LIDAR)
Bwlch Grid Reference: SJ 08279 02691 (LIDAR)
Dominance: 7.79% (Trimble GeoXH 6000 summit and LIDAR
bwlch)
