Tuesday 22 August 2017

Mapping Mountains – Hill Reclassifications – Humps


Llechwedd Melyn (SN 616 987) – Subhump reclassified to Hump

This is the third in a series of Hill Reclassification posts that detail hills whose status has been altered in the listing of the Humps (HUndred Metre Prominences) through map study and / or surveys that I have instigated.

The hill name used in this and forthcoming posts is that used in the listing of Humps, therefore individual names may not match those that are used in listings I am directly associated with.  However, I am of firm belief that listed hill names used by other authors should be respected when giving detail within other people’s lists, however inappropriate some hill names may be considered.

This and forthcoming posts are retrospective as many of these hill reclassifications were initiated from studying the Ordnance Survey enlarged mapping that is hosted on the Geograph website, and for the reclassifications that affected the Humps the third email I posted on the RHB Yahoo Group forum was dated 09.04.12.

The listing of Humps was published in book format by Lulu in 2009 and entitled More Relative Hills of Britain, its author; Mark Jackson gives credit to a number of people who contributed toward the formation of this list, these include; Eric Yeaman, Alan Dawson, Clem Clements, Rob Woodall, Bernie Hughes, Pete Ridges and others.  When the list was published in book format there were 2987 Humps listed with their criteria being any British hill that has 100m or more of drop, accompanying the main list is a sub category entitled the Subhumps, with the criteria being any British hill that has 90m or more and below 100m of drop.


More Relative Hills of Britain by Mark Jackson


The details for the reclassification appear below:

There has been a reclassification to the listing of the Humps (HUndred Metre Prominences) due to consulting the Ordnance Survey enlarged mapping that is hosted on the Geograph website, with these details being posted on the RHB Yahoo Group forum on 09.04.12.

Prior to this notification Mark Jackson had listed this hill as a Subhump with c 98m of drop, however with a 196m summit spot height on the Ordnance Survey 1:25,000 Explorer map and a 96m spot height appearing on the area of this hill’s bwlch on the Ordnance Survey enlarged mapping hosted on the Geograph website, these values give this hill 100m of drop, which is sufficient for it to be reclassified to Hump status.

Extract from the Ordnance Survey enlarged mapping hosted on the Geograph website showing the 96m spot height on the area of this hill's bwlch and its 196m summit spot height

The hill appears under the name of Llechwedd Melyn in the Humps, with this name having appeared in the original 100m Welsh P30 list published on Geoff Crowder’s v-g.me website and which was derived from Ordnance Survey maps.  As this hill comprises bounded land its details were examined on the Tithe map to the parish of Tywyn, and the enclosed land at the summit of the hill is named Ffridd y Garw on this map, with the enclosed land to the east of the summit named Llechwedd and the enclosed land to the south-east named Gribin.  The latter name matches that used on the Ordnance Survey enlarged mapping on the Geograph website, whilst the name Llechwedd is complimentary to the name Llechwedd Melyn and is applicable to the eastern lower slopes of this hill, whilst the enclosed land taking in the summit of this hill is named Ffridd y Garw.

The hill is adjoined to the Tarennydd range of hills and is situated overlooking the Happy Valley which is to its north-east and the A493 road and the coast which is to its west, with the town of Tywyn positioned to the north-west of the hill.

The addition of this hill to Hump status was accepted by Mark Jackson and its new classification augmented in to the listing of the Humps on the 18.04.12.


The full details for the hill are:


Name:  Llechwedd Melyn (as listed in the Humps)

Summit Height:  196m

OS 1:50,000 map:  135

OS 1:25,000 map:  23

Summit Grid Reference:  SN 61632 98767

Drop:  100m



Myrddyn Phillips (August 2017)



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