Mid Wales and the Welsh Marches
This hill, with its hill fort lies right on Offa's Dyke Path so we had climbed it long before
the publication of Dawson's tables.
This striking hill, close to those of Shropshire, we had climbed many years ago. It was to
feature often in the view as we now collected the less prominent hills of the Welsh Marches.
Unfortunately I did not write up our earliest ascents of the Welsh Marilyns and some of
them are now vague in my memory, this one especially so. Despite careful study of the map
I can bring to mind only a country lane, a barbed wire fence, a trig point in a brilliantly
green field .... Are these memories of Stingwern Hill .... or somewhere in Scotland? No way
to be sure except to go back and do it again ....
The whole vast area of Mynydd Eppynt is an artillery range plastered with DANGER
notices and swarming with soldiers. It is therefore lucky perhaps, although not very
satisfying, that the summit lies less than half a kilometre from the road. We sneaked up to it
quite late in the evening and did not linger long to admire the view.
Good parking, good tracks and good views make this a pleasant little hill although not a
particularly memorable one.
Mynydd Troed 609m & Mynydd Llangorse 515m 12/3/93
Mynydd Troed is the highest hill in Wales which is not over two thousand feet. It has a long
and lovely ridge and so makes a splendid circuit with Mynydd Llangorse. We parked on the
col between them, psychologically wrong because one has a substantial drop and reascent in
the middle of the walk. It was a very windy day but with excellent views to the nearby
Black Mountains.
The open common to the east of the summit is crossed by a minor road. We slept in the
motor caravan up there and went up to the summit for sunset.
Aberedw Hill 451m & Carneddau 445m 13/3/93
These are two splendid hills and we had a splendid day for our circuit, ascending Aberedw
hill by the zigzag track at its north-western corner. Very easy going took us across to the trig
point on a grassy mound. Then it was back to the north top, down to the main road and up
the other side to the multi-topped Carneddau. The bridleway which leads down to
Llanelwedd gave a quite delightful descent.
This is a pleasant hill, very steep on the west and giving bird's eye views of this part of the
Wye valley. We traversed its south ridge quite late in the day, the evening light making the
prospect particularly fine.
The picnic site at Llyn Clywedog dam was the obvious starting point for this hill, giving a
simple, short but pleasant climb up and down the grassy west ridge.
A good track runs up the eastern side of this hill to a very flat plateau where the trig point
saves any argument as to which tussock should be selected as the summit. Although not an
exciting hill it is one of those which has stuck in my memory on account of the dramatic
weather we enjoyed on the summit, a combination of brilliant sunshine and threatening
black clouds.
We went up the bridleway from Cwm Llinau. The roar of windfarms on Mynydd y Cemais
dominated the ascent. It was the first time we had walked close to any of these monsters.
We turned north though where only a small wood, not shown on the map, broke the smooth
grassiness of the hill.
This hill is made extra awkward by being split up onto three non-overlapping maps. It is
also in the midst of private woodland with no right of way to the top. There is a path along
the northern side and we found a route up from this direction, utilising forest tracks not
shown on the map. The summit is amongst ancient beeches and the edge of the wood
hereabouts gives a pleasing vista eastwards to Moel y Golfa and the Shropshire hills.
We went onto this hill from the south but found no sign of the right of way which should
emerge from the forest close to the trig point. We continued on a clear track through the
forest until well past the summit where we found a ride and gate giving access not to open
fell but to an area of grassy fields. The trig point is just in the middle of one such field, a
spot of little significance. Since no reasonable route could be found into the trees, despite
what was shown on the map, we circumvented the forest on the east to get down.
Our second hill of the day was of very different character with a purpose built lay-by and a
signposted path, which has escaped the notice of the Welsh nationalists it seems, for it points
to Skirrid Hill, leading us to wonder, momentarily, if we had come to the right place! No
wonder it is popular for it has a lovely ridge, quite narrow and rocky towards the top, and
superb views all round.
Sugar Loaf 596m & Bryn Arw 381m 10/1/95
Sugar Loaf was a hill which I had wanted to climb for a long time. Many years ago I was a
regular visitor to South Wales but this one always seemed to be a bit too far away from
everything else I wanted to do. Now that Alan Dawson had finally forced us here it seemed
obvious to make it into a circuit with Bryn Arw, a ridge which we had seen from Ysgyryd
Fawr and which looked too good to be peak-bagged from one end. Once again there was a
car park provided and good clear paths to the summit of Sugar Loaf. The final cone is very
steep and encouraged a little circuit as indicated on the map. After a certain amount of
confusion on the descent we eventually attained the very steep south end of Bryn Arw and
were soon on the listed south top. The ridge is pleasant, broad and grassy and crosses three
tops of virtually equal elevation with very little drop between. We could afford to feel
smug when we learnt later that the north top is now listed as the summit!
Myarth 292m 10/1/95
When I had walked by this hill on my traverse of Wales I had noticed that the trees at the
top seemed to be fairly ancient pines which gave some hope that a way could be found
through them. Lower down the forest is standard massed conifers. Forest is not the only
barrier however for the whole hill is surrounded by hostile fencing and the gate bears a
conspicuous 'PRIVATE ESTATE. KEEP OUT' notice. Well anybody who wants to do all
the Marilyns has got to trespass so we simply ignored it and walked in past bird breeding
pens, keeping both eyes and ears alert for trouble. There were more tracks than the map
shows and a lucky selection thereof brought us very close to the top amongst pleasantly open
pines as I had predicted. It must be admitted however that the absolutely highest spot
seemed to lie in the midst of a small plantation of new trees which looked none too healthy
for they were being completely choked by gorse. Any attempt to penetrate this torturous
tangle without machete or flame thrower seemed doomed so we contented ourselves with a
circumnavigation amongst the pines and returned the way we had come.
We parked in the forest north of Ponterwyd, our plans to get closer to the hill being
thwarted by sheet ice on the road. The river was a bit awkward too but once that hazard
was behind us we made straight for the summit which gave a good view of Pumlumon. We
came down eastwards and kept out of the bog by traversing the south-east ridge with its
curious ventilation shaft.
Town Hill stands above the attractive little town of Montgomery, is reached by a good path
and has a pleasant summit with a newly whitewashed trig point and two small plantations
of decaying pines, now accompanied by freshly planted saplings. Unfortunately it is not the
highest hill in the vicinity and to acquire one's tick it is necessary to continue more than two
kilometres southwards. Here a track leads up towards the top of Caeliber Isaf which lies in
the middle of a crop field beyond a barbed wire fence. We came down eastwards which had
the advantage of climbable gates and a pleasant view towards Corndon Hill with the
Shropshire hills beyond.
After devoting the morning to the rather unsatisfactory ascent of Caeliber Isaf it was good to
find ourselves in the afternoon tackling a really worthwhile hill. Glyndwr's Way traverses
its slopes but we joined it only briefly, taking the easiest approach from the western side
where one is on open fell from the start. The tracks are good, altough rather boggy in places,
and the wide ranging views exhilarating, with the hills of the Radnor Forest being the most
conspicuous feature.
Unfortunately the brilliant clear weather was replaced next morning by low mist which was
a pity because this is probably another pleasant hill. We went up from the west to Giants
Grave which, despite its fancy name, seemed indistinguishable from any other boring
tumulus. Then we followed the ridge past Llyn-y-waun, looking rather mysterious through
the mist, and so up to the double topped summit with the trig point at the northern end. We
descended more directly with one moment of doubt at the junction of bridleways. The
many rights of way on this hill make it easy to plan a satisfactory circuit.
This whole ridge has been covered with an enormous wind farm with the summit in
amongst the windmills. We approached it from the south and by the time we reached
Pegwn Bach were in thick mist. We heard the windmills before we saw them, each massive
mast looming in turn mysteriously out of the gloom. There was a maze of tracks and fences
but no obvious hostility and two workers completely ignored us as we made our way to the
trig point, standing on a small cone of clear ground. We got very confused on the way down.
The tracks on the ground did not seem to coincide with those on the map and there was no
sign at all of the right of way which should cross the ridge in this vicinity. Eventually we
dropped out of the mist and found it lower down. Rowland found the windmills rather
attractive, especially as mysterious monsters growling unseen or half seen in the mist. I was
not convinced and still favoured the formation of a protest group for which I had devised
the clever acronym AWFUL, Against Wind Farms in Upland Landscapes!
The weather was still bad next morning but I could not refuse this 'birthday present', an
offer to catch up one tick in the tables. Rowland simply sat in the car by the gateway while
I hurtled up the track and then several fields to this very undistinguished grassy summit.
This hill has a rocky summit ridge which is rather attractive but unfortunately we only saw
a few yards of it at a time as we traversed it in thick mist, going out and back on the
bridleway past Llyn Mawr.
This hill lies isolated from the rest of Wales on the east side of the Severn. Geographically it
seems that it should belong to Shropshire, though no doubt I shall invoke the ire of every
Welsh nationalist by such a suggestion. Its isolation makes it very conspicuous for miles
around while its unique triple top and the monument on its most northerly summit make it
instantly recognisable. I felt that we had climbed it many years ago when we lived near
Wolverhampton but this visit did not provoke any glimmer of recognition. I parked in
Middletown, a village who's apparently unchallenged appellation augments the English
theme, and followed the right of way along the south side of Moel y Golfa until it swung
round onto the south-west ridge. This finishes quite rockily above the trees with superb
views back westwards towards the heart of Wales. The summit carries a radio mast and a
memorial. The walker wishing to make a circuit of all three hills now faces frustration since
there are no rights of way on the north side of Moel y Golfa. A waymark indicates a very
sharp right turn. The fence here had been broken so I stepped over and followed a clear
continuation of the track which petered out in a sheep pasture. I just went down the field
and climbed the gate onto the road, feeling pleasure rather than guilt that it carried a
'PRIVATE NO ADMITTANCE' sign. It was an exceedingly hot day. On the ridge of
Breidden Hill a man dressed in fluorescent jacket and crash helmet was sleeping in the
sunshine. I sat down at the top in the small shadow cast by Rodney's Pillar and started my
lunch, soon to be interrupted by an enormous explosion. The watchman had failed to notice
my passing. I scampered off down the hill as dust rose from the quarry and settled on my
sandwiches. Middleton Fell, the lowest of the trio, completed the circuit. It is free of trees
and has an excellent track along its grassy ridge.
Although this looks a very straightforward hill from the map it caused us a lot of trouble.
Rowland had attempted it before from the south and been told by the farmer at Clegyrnant
that access to the hill was completely forbidden. We planned to approach via Llyn Coch-
hwyad but we could find nowhere to park. Moreover we could see that the north side of the
hill was covered in new forestry not shown on our map. We decided on a longer approach
from Pont Twrch where there was good parking. All went well at first. After an awkward
crossing of the gorge we made our way outside the forest on the ridge of Ffridd Goch, which
was reasonably good going Ahead we could see though that new forest blocked the way.
We made our way south, through appalling territory to link up with the track in the forest.
Then, unwilling to make the massive diversion south, we bashed up through a forest ride to
the summit. The trees now go right across the top, although they are as yet quite small. We
returned on the track, rather oddly going down through a gate bearing a 'no access' notice.
Then we made what was probably an error of judgement, electing to risk the left fork rather
than try to follow the right of way. The track stopped exactly where the map showed, now
in thick forest, and some more awful going was endured before we escaped, coming down
this time by Maes-llymystyn practically in the dark.
The bridleway over this hill starts along a nature trail in the RSPB reserve. It also coincides
with a farm trail for a short distance. It does not visit the summit which can only be
attained by a gate into impenetrable gorse or by crossing sheep pasture and climbing a
barbed wire fence. The north top on the other hand is more easily accessible, gives a better
view and carries a very solidly built cairn constructed in 1977 to mark the Queen's jubilee.
No doubt all except those with Dawson's book look on this as the true summit of the hill.
Drosgol 550m & Banc Llechwedd-mawr 560m 30/8/95
Rowland had done these two hills before and wanted to spend the time cycling which gave
me the opportunity of making a traverse. We slept beside Nant-y-moch Reservoir so it was
quite early when I set out on the track along its north side. The water level was
exceptionally low after the long dry summer. It lies more than a thousand feet above sea-
level so it was a very easy ascent to my first summit. There was little temptation to linger.
The view was hazy with the Pumlumon tops swathed in mist and with no wind a cloud of
midges hung around the cairn awaiting a tasty snack. The Afon Llechwedd-mawr could
sometimes be a barrier to progress but today it carried only a trickle. On the descent it had
appeared that the slopes of the next hill were covered in bracken but closer acquaintance
found it to be dark green tussocky grass. Once on the ridge however the going was easy and
I was soon at the two big cairns which mark the highest top. The really awful going of the
day was found in the valley of the Afon Hyddgen. I might have avoided these ghastly
tussocks by going north and getting onto the bridleway. The right of way cuts the zigzags of
the forest road and is well worth finding.
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