Mapping Mountains – Trimble Surveys – Cilfaesty

 

31.05.22  Trehafren Hill (SO 100 910, previously Trimbled) 

LIDAR image of Trehafren Hill (SO 100 910)

It was turning dusk when Charles and I left the cinema in Newtown, we had boosted Charles’ P30 total with a quick visit to Beddau (SO 185 977) before the film and now Charles wanted another quick tick and Trehafren Hill was perfect to do this.

This hill is positioned close to the centre of Newtown and having last visited in July of 2021, I knew a way up.  However, Charles had come well prepared and with mobile phone in hand directed us toward the hill and proceeded to point us in the direction of a parking area which according to whatever he was looking at on his phone screen indicated the best way up the hill.  His phone was correct!

I parked and soon joined Charles who had walked through a gap between houses and was close to where a narrow gravelled path started up the hill.  We followed this as it snaked its way up, only leaving it to head up grassed paths which conveniently cut corners. 

On the summit of Trehafren Hill

It felt good to be visiting a hill at this time of day.  I am much more a morning person when hill walking and enjoy that cooling air of early morning when height can be gained before the heat of the day builds.  For such a hill as this that has little ascent, that need to set off early is not necessary, but the routine is now set firmly in place and has been for many years.

Considering that the weather had not been at all welcoming for the majority of the day with prolonged heavy rain, the evening was proving delightful.  It was not dramatic on top with illuminated cloudscapes, but there was a distinct sense of height having been gained as the flickering lights of Newtown began to cast their spell below.

We stayed on top for a few minutes before heading down following our inward route back to the awaiting car and then drove home to Welshpool for a well-earned mug of tea. 

 

Survey Result: 

 

Trehafren Hill (significant name change)

Summit Height:  152.8m (converted to OSGM15, from previous Trimble GeoXH 6000 survey)

Summit Grid Reference:  SO 10020 91073 (from previous Trimble GeoXH 6000 survey)  

Bwlch Height:  115.4m (LIDAR)

Bwlch Grid Reference:  SO 10146 90923 (LIDAR)

Drop:  37.4m (Trimble GeoXH 6000 summit and LIDAR bwlch)

Dominance:  24.50% (Trimble GeoXH 6000 summit and LIDAR bwlch)

 

 

For details on the survey of this hill

For further details please consult the Trimble Survey Spreadsheet

 

 

Mapping Mountains – Significant Name Changes – 100m Twmpau

Trehafren Hill (SO 100 910) 

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 confirmed by LIDAR analysis and a subsequent Trimble GeoXH 6000 survey conducted by Myrddyn Phillips. 

The summit of Trehafren Hill (SO 100 910)

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, with the word Twmpau being an acronym standing for thirty welsh metre prominences and upward. 

The 100m Twmpau by Myrddyn Phillips

The hill is adjoined to the Cilfaesty group of hills, which are situated in Mid and West Wales (Region B, Sub-Region B1), and it is positioned with a minor road to its immediate north, the Afon Hafren (River Severn) and the B4568 road farther to its north and the A4811 road to its south, and has the town of Y Drenewydd (Newtown) surrounding it. 

The hill appeared in the original 100m Welsh P30 list on Geoff Crowder’s v-g.me website under the invented and transposed name of Moel Trehafren, with an accompanying note stating; Name from surrounding estate.

Moel Trehafren

152m

SO100911

136

214/215

Name from surrounding estate

 

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 the name of a housing estate and prefix it with the word Moel.  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

For the name of this hill I sought advice from a hill walking friend; Edward Humphreys, who is the Town Clerk of Newtown and Llanllwchaiarn.  He told me that Newtown and Llanllwchaiarn Town Council now have the tenancy of the land under a 99 year lease community asset transfer incorporating this hill, with the tenancy having been transferred from that of Powys County Council.  Ed also told me that the hill is known locally as Trehafren Hill.

Edward Humphreys

Since publication of these P30 lists on Geoff Crowder’s v-g.me website, research in to appropriate names of hills has been made easier by the availability of the Internet.  An online search brings up a number of references to the name of Trehafren Hill, including its own Facebook page!  Many of these are centred on the Mountain Bike Trail and BMX Pump Track that are now situated on this hill. 

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

 

The full details for the hill are: 

Group:  Cilfaesty 

Name:  Trehafren Hill

Previously Listed Name:  Moel Trehafren 

OS 1:50,000 map:  136

Summit Height:  152.8m (converted to OSGM15, Trimble GeoXH 6000)

Summit Grid Reference:  SO 10020 91073 (Trimble GeoXH 6000)

Bwlch Height:  115.4m (LIDAR)

Bwlch Grid Reference:  SO 10146 90923 (LIDAR)

Drop:  37.4m (Trimble GeoXH 6000 summit and LIDAR bwlch) 

 

Myrddyn Phillips (October 2021)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

Mapping Mountains – Trimble Surveys – Cilfaesty

14.07.21  Trehafren Hill (SO 100 910) 

Trehafren Hill (SO 100 910)

Many years ago I lived in Trehafren; a housing estate in Newtown.  Then I never realised this hill existed, although I’m sure I noticed it as I drove in and out of the estate to go to work each day.  It is a fine small hill, one that in the main consists of grass with the usual stunted trees and brambles dependent upon one’s approach. 

I only realised its existence when I started compiling the Welsh P30 lists that where published on Geof Crowder’s v-g.me website and Mike Grant’s Evergreen website.  When I first came upon it on the map I was surprised; a P30 in the middle of Newtown.  It is hills like this that make the P30s so wonderful to visit; they consist of an abundance of variety from grandiose 3,00oft’s to grassy hills in housing estates. 

Having driven in to the housing estate I stopped my car, wound down the window and enquired with a man whether he was local, and if so whether he knew where a path started to visit the hill.  He had a push chair and baby with him and was suffering in the heat which was rapidly building up compared to the cooler climes of 6.30am when I stood on top of Pen y Gelli (SO 180 909); my first hill of the day. 

He directed me to the second turning on the right where a car park was situated, and asked me to wait for him there until he scouted out the route.  By the time I had got all necessary equipment and locked my car, he had come back around the corner and told me to turn left just beyond a green fence where a small gate then gave access to the hill. 

I was thankful of his help as on my previous visit to this hill in January 2004 I approached from the north through undergrowth, and that was in the winter, today in high summer the path I was directed toward was a great help.  But even this was overgrown in its initial part.  Once past the long grass, brambles and a rogue nettle or two, I followed a path through the long grass to the gravelled section which now forms a part of a BMX circuit on the hill. 

Just through the initial brambles and the narrow path leads toward the summit of the hill

Following the BMX circuit for a while I then joined a path through grass leading to the hill’s high point.  The summit is a marvellous viewpoint with the northern section of the Pegwn Mawr hills away to the west and the ridge with the two summits each known as Top Field (SO 114 890 and SO 110 879) that I had just visited and surveyed away to the south.  I stopped to savour the view for a while before assessing the lay of land.  Having decided the high point the Trimble was soon set up and gathering data. 

Gathering data at the summit of Trehafren Hill

Prior to visiting this hill I had analysed it with LIDAR and produced a height and position for both summit and bwlch.  The summit position produced by LIDAR although useful for my purpose on the hill was not necessarily all-important as even without its aid the high point of the hill was not difficult to pinpoint. 

LIDAR image of Trehafren Hill (SO 100 910)

I found the high point a metre or so from the narrow path that crosses this hill’s summit ridge in a west to east direction.  During data collection I stood to the east of the equipment and waited for allotted data to be gathered and stored. 

The Trimble GeoXH 6000 set-up position at the summit of Trehafren Hill

After closing the equipment down I took a number of photographs with the Trimble on top of my rucksack and breeze blown long grass surrounding it.  It proved a good summit to end the day’s hill bagging and surveying on. 

The Trimble GeoXH 6000 set-up position at the summit of Trehafren Hill

I arrived back at my car at 1.20pm, with in all seven hills visited and surveyed, six being P30s and one a P20 sub.  Six of the seven were new hills for me and all relatively local to where I live.  By the time I arrived home the temperature was soaring and I was glad of that early morning start! 

 

Survey Result: 

 

Trehafren Hill (significant name change)

Summit Height:  152.8m (converted to OSGM15, Trimble GeoXH 6000)

Summit Grid Reference:  SO 10020 91073 (Trimble GeoXH 6000)  

Bwlch Height:  115.4m (LIDAR)

Bwlch Grid Reference:  SO 10146 90923 (LIDAR)

Drop:  37.4m (Trimble GeoXH 6000 summit and LIDAR bwlch)

Dominance:  24.50% (Trimble GeoXH 6000 summit and LIDAR bwlch)

 

For details on the 2nd visit to this hill 

For further details please consult the Trimble Survey Spreadsheet