Mapping Mountains – Significant Name Changes – Y Trichant – The 300m Hills of Wales

 

Waun Fawr (SJ 227 537) 

There has been a Significant Name Change to a hill that is listed in the 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 and a Trimble GeoXH 6000 survey conducted by Myrddyn Phillips. 

Waun Fawr (SJ 227 537)

The criteria for the list that this name change 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. 

Y Trichant - The 300m Hills of Wales by Myrddyn Phillips

The hill is adjoined to the Moel y Gamelin group of hills, which are situated in the north-eastern part of North Wales (Region A, Sub-Region A2), and it is positioned with the A5104 road to its north-west, the A525 road to its south-east and the B5430 road to its east, and has the village of Rhydtalog towards the north north-east. 

The hill appeared in the original Welsh 300m P30 list on Geoff Crowder’s v-g.me website, under the invented and transposed name of Moel Rhydtalog, with an accompanying note stating; Name from hamlet to the North-East.

Moel Rhydtalog

385m

SJ227537

117

256

Name from hamlet to the North-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 or as in this instance transpose the name of a small village 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

Since publication of these P30 lists on Geoff Crowder’s v-g.me website there have been a number of Ordnance Survey maps made available online, some of these are historic such as the series of Six-Inch maps on the National Library of Scotland website, whilst others are current and digitally updated such as the old Vector Map Local hosted on the Geograph website and which was named the Interactive Coverage Map and the interactive mapping available on the Magic Maps and WalkLakes websites.  One of the historic maps now available is the Ordnance Survey Draft Surveyors map which formed the basis for the first publicly available Ordnance Survey One-Inch ‘Old Series’ map, and it is the Draft Surveyors map that formed the basis for the change in the listed name of this hill. 

Extract from the Ordnance Survey Draft Surveyors map

The Draft Surveyors maps consist of the preliminary drawings made by the Ordnance Survey surveyors between the 1780s and 1840 and formed the basis for the first publicly available One-Inch map.  They were drawn at scales of six inches to the mile for areas considered of particular military significance and down to two inches to the mile for other areas.  Fair copies were then produced from these preliminary drawings to one inch to the mile and then copper plates were prepared for printing.  The Draft Surveyors maps for the whole of Wales are now available online and they form an important part in the study of Welsh upland place-names as they bridge the time frame between the late 18^th century and the mid-19^th century when the Ordnance Survey produced their first One-Inch maps, and importantly for this hill and its listed name, it is this map that shows the name of Waun Fawr positioned on this hill close to its summit. 

Therefore, the name this hill is now listed by in the Y Trichant – The 300m Hills of Wales is Waun Fawr, and this was derived from the Ordnance Survey Draft Surveyors map. 

 

The full details for the hill are: 

Group:  Moel y Gamelin 

Name:  Waun Fawr 

Previously Listed Name:  Moel Rhydtalog 

OS 1:50,000 map:  117

Summit Height:  385.4m (converted to OSGM15, Trimble GeoXH 6000)

Summit Grid Reference:  SJ 22715 53774 (Trimble GeoXH 6000) 

Bwlch Height:  348.9m (LIDAR) 

Bwlch Grid Reference:  SJ 22115 52838 (LIDAR) 

Drop:  36.5m (Trimble GeoXH 6000 summit and LIDAR bwlch) 

 

Myrddyn Phillips (November 2021)

 

 

Mapping Mountains – Trimble Surveys – Moel y Gamelin

 

16.09.21  Waun Fawr (SJ 227 537) 

Waun Fawr (SJ 227 537)

To the south-west of the small community of Rhydtalog lies an open and expansive upland of heather moor with its high point named Moel Garegog.  To the north of this moorland hills are scattered between numerous narrow lanes, whilst to the south the Llandegla Forest rises upward to higher 500m peaks. 

The summit of Moel Garegog; a 413.1m high hill surveyed with the Trimble GeoXH 6000 in August 2014, joins with Waun Fawr; a 385m map heighted heather clad hill to its north-east.  These two summits are positioned to the south of the A5104 road and between each hill is a shooting range, so although combining these hills is feasible, one would have to be careful as the shooting range is popular and today firing was continuous for a number of hours. 

Prior to visiting this hill I had examined it via LIDAR.  The summit is not yet covered, but the bwlch is.  Having built up contours using LIDAR I noted the height and position of the bwlch and this can now be used in conjunction with the summit height and position that I was about to obtain with the Trimble from this hill’s high point. 

LIDAR bwlch image of Waun Fawr

I approached from Rhydtalog having parked my car at the start of a minor road heading north-eastward out of the village.  By now the day’s heat was building and I found it a slow plod up the A5104 road, standing on the grass verge as cars whizzed past.  Thankfully the road section was not long and soon the gate giving access to a good track heading up the hill over the moor appeared.  This track leads almost to the top of the hill. 

The start of the track

When listing the original Welsh P30s I acquired the newly published Ordnance Survey 1:25,000 Explorer maps.  The map taking in this hill is number 256 and on my map the track leading almost to the summit of this hill is not marked, it only appears on later editions and now it can also be followed toward the summit via online aerial maps. 

In places the track was water logged, but bi-passing any wet ground was always easy.  All around the heather moor shone back purpled with early autumnal colours just making their appearance, with bracken turning a succulent bronze and Rowan trees showcasing their bright red berries with their leafs just starting to turn.  This time of year can be wonderful and especially so on a heather clad hill. 

The track leading toward the summit of Waun Fawr

Away in the distance I could see the chimney adjoined to the old lead mine on the eastern upper flank of the hill.  The track heads toward it, cresting the hill’s easterly facing summit ridge as it does so.  I was tempted to strike out for the summit from here, but aerial maps indicate the track veers northward and almost reaches the high point of the hill, therefore I continued on it. 

The chimney adjoined to the old lead mine

Except for the sound of firing from the shooting range and a hummed call from traffic on the A road, all else was at peace.  This hill felt subdued, a quiet outlier of something higher. 

I followed the track to its high point and left it to head through heather toward the summit.  Today the summit was beautiful with it consisting of a number of large rocks scattered across its upper ridge.  Its heathered realm was interspersed with bracken which added that luxuriant early autumnal colour to the scene.  

The summit of Waun Fawr

I wandered through the heather and bracken and stood on top of four or five rocks, each time looking back and ahead to the next until I reached one that I deemed the highest.  I then continued to the next and looked back, happy with where I judged the summit to be positioned I then wandered back and positioned the Trimble on top of my rucksack aligned over the high point of the rock.  Before setting the equipment to gather data I took the measurement offset between its internal antenna and the ground at its base and waited until the 0.1m accuracy level appeared before data should be logged.  I then activated the equipment and retreated a safe distance so as not to get in the way of satellite reception. 

Gathering data at the summit of Waun Fawr

During data collection I sat below the Trimble on a rock and enjoyed being on the summit.  I’d often looked at this hill on the map and it was proving an enjoyable experience visiting it, just me, a slight breeze, and the sound of rifle shots over my shoulder and beautiful early autumnal colour. 

The way back

Once five minutes of data were gathered and stored I closed the equipment down, packed it away and reversed my inward route, enjoying the track through the heather as I did so. 

 

Survey Result: 

 

Waun Fawr (significant name change)

Summit Height:  385.4m (converted to OSGM15, Trimble GeoXH 6000)

Summit Grid Reference:  SJ 22715 53774 (Trimble GeoXH 6000)

Bwlch Height:  348.9m (LIDAR)

Bwlch Grid Reference:  SJ 22115 52838 (LIDAR)

Drop:  36.5m (Trimble GeoXH 6000 summit and LIDAR bwlch)

Dominance:  9.46% (Trimble GeoXH 6000 summit and LIDAR bwlch)

 

 

For further details please consult the Trimble Survey Spreadsheet