The Berwyn range (Welsh: Y Berwyn or Mynydd y Berwyn) is an isolated and sparsely populated area of moorland in the northeast of Wales, roughly bounded by Llangollen in the northeast, Corwen in the northwest, Bala in the southwest, and Oswestry in the southeast.
The area is wild and largely vegetated by heather about one metre thick, with some acidic grassland and bracken. It is not very popular for hill-walking or scrambling since the peaks are lower than those in nearby Snowdonia. However, the topmost peaks are rugged and have a distinctive character. Nearby towns include Llangollen and Corwen, which are popular tourist destinations.
The main summits are Cadair Berwyn at 832 metres (2,730 ft) above sea level, Moel Sych at 827 metres (2,713 ft) and Cadair Bronwen at 783 metres (2,569 ft) above sea level. The Berwyn range is crossed to the southwest by the B4391 Milltir Cerrig mountain pass at an elevation of 486 metres (1,594 ft).
Cadair Berwyn is the highest point in the Berwyn range, and the highest point in Wales outside the National Parks. Cadair Bronwen and Foel Cedig to the west are the two Marilyns that form the Berwyn range.
The mountain lies on main ridge of the Berwyn range which runs north–south. The eastern side of the ridge is characterised by steep drops and crags including Craig Berwyn north of the summit and Craig y Llyn to the south. Craig y Llyn forms the headwall of a cwm, and it is to this that the word cadair (chair in Welsh) presumably refers. Further north along the ridge is Cadair Bronwen, whilst to south the ridge continues to Moel Sych (Welsh pronunciation: [ˈmɔil ˈsɨːx], meaning "dry hill").
It is often reported that Moel Sych, 1 kilometre (5⁄8 mi) along the ridge, is of equal height, but Cadair Berwyn's spot height on the Ordnance Survey maps, where the trig point stands, is not the true summit. Cadair Berwyn's summit, 200 metres (220 yd) south of the trig point, is three metres taller than Moel Sych. This summit is listed as Cadair Berwyn New Top on the Nuttall list.
Several other summits in the area are listed as Hewitts or Nuttalls, including Foel Wen ([ˈvɔil ˈwɛn], Welsh for white hill) and Mynydd Tarw ([ˈmɐnɨð ˈtæɾu], bull mountain).
The summit lies on the border between Powys and Denbighshire, and is the highest point in Denbighshire. The northern end of Craig Berwyn is the highest point in Wrexham County Borough.
There is a standing stone at SJ080337 near the summit between Cadair Berwyn and Tomle. It was re-erected in June 2008 by High Sports.
The Berwyn range also played its part in causing King Henry II of England to turn back during his invasion of Gwynedd in 1165. Rather than taking the usual route along the northern coastal plain, his army invaded from Oswestry and took a route over the Berwyns. The English invasion faced an alliance of Welsh princes led by King Owain Gwynedd, but there was little fighting – endless days of heavy rain forced the English to retreat.
At 8.38 pm on 23 January 1974, an earthquake of magnitude 3.5 was felt over a wide area of north Wales and as far as Liverpool. Since earthquakes are uncommon in the UK,[ dubious ] it was not generally recognized for what it was, and since a number of unusual lights in the sky had been observed the same evening, it was considered possible that an aircraft had crashed, or a meteorite had impacted. Further confusion was caused by lights seen on the Berwyn Mountains, which subsequently turned out to have belonged to poachers. [1]
The area supports substantial populations of upland birds including raptors, such as the hen harrier (Circus cyaneus), merlin (Falco columbarius), and peregrine (Falco peregrinus) (about 14–18 breeding pairs of each species, 1%–2% of the total British population), [2] and for this reason it is a Special Protection Area classified in accordance with the European Union's Birds Directive. Much of the area is also designated a national nature reserve and a Site of Special Scientific Interest and forms part of the Berwyn and South Clwyd Mountains Special Area of Conservation. [3] Other wildlife include short-eared owl, raven, buzzard, polecat and golden plover.
The scholar T. Gwynn Jones suggested that a possible origin of the term "Berwyn" was "Bryn(iau) Gwyn (ap Nudd)", where the Middle Welsh word "bre" (hill) had mutated to Ber + Gwyn, Gwyn ap Nudd being the mythological King of the Tylwyth Teg (Fair Folk, or fairies). [4] A more likely etymology is "bar" (summit, crest) + "gwyn" (white), [5] with the "a" in "bar" showing i-affection as a result of the "y" in "gwyn", therefore changing from "a" to "e"; the word also shows soft mutation of the letter "g" (which is deleted under soft mutation).
Between Bala, Gwynedd and Welshpool | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Name of Peak | OS coordinates | Geographical coordinates | |
| Allt y Gader | SJ149176 | 52.749°N, 3.262°W | |
| Allt y Main | SJ162151 | 52.727°N, 3.242°W | |
| Bryn Du | SJ145360 | 52.914°N, 3.272°W | |
| Bryn Gwyn | SJ042295 | 52.854°N, 3.424°W | |
| Bryn-llus | SJ085408 | 52.956°N, 3.363°W | |
| Cadair Berwyn | SJ071323 | 52.880°N, 3.381°W | |
| Cadair Berwyn (N top) | SJ072327 | 52.883°N, 3.380°W | |
| Cadair Bronwen | SJ077346 | 52.900°N, 3.373°W | |
| Cadair Bronwen (NE top) | SJ087352 | 52.906°N, 3.358°W | |
| Carnedd Das Eithin | SJ051238 | 52.803°N, 3.409°W | |
| Cefn Coch | SH923266 | 52.826°N, 3.599°W | |
| Cefn Gwyntog | SH976265 | 52.826°N, 3.521°W | |
| Cefn Gwyntog (N top) | SH975274 | 52.834°N, 3.522°W | |
| Cerrig Coediog | SJ113386 | 52.937°N, 3.321°W | |
| Craig Berwyn | SJ077335 | 52.891°N, 3.373°W | |
| Craig Rhiwarth | SJ054271 | 52.833°N, 3.405°W | |
| Croes y Forwyn | SJ029210 | 52.777°N, 3.440°W | |
| Cyrniau | SJ062251 | 52.815°N, 3.393°W | |
| Cyrniau Nod | SH988279 | 52.839°N, 3.503°W | |
| Cyrniau y Llyn | SJ000244 | 52.807°N, 3.484°W | |
| Ffordd Gefn (Bryn Gwyn) | SJ033240 | 52.804°N, 3.435°W | |
| Foel Cwm Siân Llwyd | SH995313 | 52.869°N, 3.494°W | |
| Foel Dugoed | SH893131 | 52.704°N, 3.639°W | |
| Foel Figenau | SH916284 | 52.842°N, 3.610°W | |
| Foel Goch (Berwyn) | SH943290 | 52.848°N, 3.570°W | |
| Foel Tyn-y-fron | SH918257 | 52.817°N, 3.606°W | |
| Foel Wen | SJ099333 | 52.889°N, 3.340°W | |
| Foel Wen (S peak) | SJ102330 | 52.886°N, 3.336°W | |
| Foel y Geifr | SH937275 | 52.834°N, 3.579°W | |
| Gallt y Goedhwch | SJ137159 | 52.733°N, 3.279°W | |
| Glan Hafon | SJ080272 | 52.834°N, 3.367°W | |
| Godor | SJ094307 | 52.866°N, 3.347°W | |
| Godor (N top) | SJ089311 | 52.869°N, 3.354°W | |
| Gyrn Moelfre | SJ184293 | 52.854°N, 3.213°W | |
| Jericho Hill | SJ162202 | 52.772°N, 3.243°W | |
| Llanymynech Hill | SJ263221 | 52.791°N, 3.094°W | |
| Lledwyn Mawr | SH905287 | 52.844°N, 3.627°W | |
| Moel Bentyrch | SJ055095 | 52.674°N, 3.399°W | |
| Moel Cae-howel | SH978330 | 52.884°N, 3.520°W | |
| Moel Fferna | SJ116397 | 52.947°N, 3.317°W | |
| Moel Hen-fache | SJ109281 | 52.843°N, 3.324°W | |
| Moel Poethion | SJ082306 | 52.865°N, 3.365°W | |
| Moel Sych | SJ066318 | 52.875°N, 3.389°W | |
| Moel y Fronllwyd | SJ121176 | 52.748°N, 3.303°W | |
| Moel y Gwelltyn | SJ170277 | 52.840°N, 3.233°W | |
| Moel yr Ewig | SJ080317 | 52.874°N, 3.368°W | |
| Moel yr Henfaes | SJ077385 | 52.935°N, 3.374°W | |
| Moel yr Henfaes (Pen Bwlch Llandrillo peak) | SJ089369 | 52.921°N, 3.356°W | |
| Moel yr Henfaes (W peak) | SJ099374 | 52.926°N, 3.341°W | |
| Mynydd Feifod | SJ169400 | 52.950°N, 3.238°W | |
| Mynydd Mawr | SJ132286 | 52.847°N, 3.290°W | |
| Mynydd Mynyllod | SJ002395 | 52.943°N, 3.486°W | |
| Mynydd Tarw | SJ112324 | 52.881°N, 3.321°W | |
| Mynydd y Bryn | SJ217268 | 52.833°N, 3.163°W | |
| Mynydd y Glyn | SJ153222 | 52.790°N, 3.257°W | |
| Mynydd-y-briw | SJ174260 | 52.825°N, 3.227°W | |
| Pen y Berth | SJ081127 | 52.704°N, 3.361°W | |
| Pen y Boncyn Trefeilw | SH962283 | 52.842°N, 3.542°W | |
| Pen y Cerrig Duon | SH953281 | 52.840°N, 3.555°W | |
| Pen-y-coed | SJ226414 | 52.964°N, 3.153°W | |
| Post Gwyn | SJ048293 | 52.852°N, 3.415°W | |
| Rhialgwm | SJ055211 | 52.779°N, 3.402°W | |
| Rhiwaedog-uwch-afon | SH938313 | 52.868°N, 3.579°W | |
| Rhos | SJ125323 | 52.881°N, 3.301°W | |
| Rhwng y Ddwynant | SH978248 | 52.811°N, 3.517°W | |
| Stac Rhos | SH969279 | 52.838°N, 3.532°W | |
| Tir Rhiwiog | SH929162 | 52.732°N, 3.587°W | |
| Tomle | SJ085335 | 52.891°N, 3.361°W | |
| Trum y Gwrgedd | SH941284 | 52.842°N, 3.573°W | |
| Y Golfa | SJ182070 | 52.654°N, 3.210°W | |
| Y Groes Fagl | SH988290 | 52.848°N, 3.504°W | |
| Yr Allt | SJ242102 | 52.684°N, 3.122°W | |
Cadair Idris or Cader Idris is a mountain in the Meirionnydd area of Gwynedd, Wales. It lies at the southern end of the Snowdonia National Park near the town of Dolgellau. The peak, which is one of the most popular in Wales for walkers and hikers, is composed largely of Ordovician igneous rocks, with classic glacial erosion features such as cwms, moraines, striated rocks, and roches moutonnées.
Moel Siabod is a mountain in Snowdonia, Wales, which sits isolated above the village of Dolwyddelan. At 872 metres (2,861 ft), it is the highest peak in the Moelwynion mountain range. The UK National Mountain Centre, Plas-y-Brenin, is located at the foot of Moel Siabod. From the top of the mountain, it is reputedly possible to see 13 of the 14 highest peaks in Wales on a clear day without turning one's head.
Cadair Berwyn or Cader Berwyn is a mountain summit in north-east Wales with a height of 832 metres (2,730 ft) above sea level. It is the highest point in the Berwyn range, the highest in North East Wales and the highest significant summit in Wales outside the National Parks. Cadair Berwyn and Foel Cedig to the west are the two Marilyns that form the Berwyn range. The undulating plateau of the range also includes a large number of other summits above 2,000 feet (610 m), including satellite summits of Cadair Berwyn and many which are classed as Nuttalls.
Arenig Fawr is a mountain in Snowdonia, North Wales, close to Llyn Celyn reservoir, alongside the A4212 between Trawsfynydd and Bala.
Moel Sych with a height of 826.7 metres (2,712 ft) is a subsidiary summit of Cadair Berwyn in north east Wales. It is the third highest summit in the Berwyn range after Cadair Berwyn and Cadair Berwyn North Top.
Foel Wen is a subsidiary summit of Cadair Berwyn in north east Wales. It is one of the summits found on the most easterly of Cadair Berwyn's long south ridges.
Cadair Bronwen is a mountain in North Wales and forms part of the Berwyn range. To the south are the higher Berwyn summits, including Cadair Berwyn. To the north lies Moel yr Henfaes and Moel Fferna, which top the north end of the Berwyn range. Cadair Bronwen used to be accompanied by a Nuttall top, Cadair Bronwen North-East Top, 700 m (2297 ft). This top was deleted in 2007 after re-surveying.
Mynydd Tarw is a subsidiary summit of Cadair Berwyn in north east Wales. It used to have a top: Rhos which has now been deleted as a Nuttall.
Tomle is a top of Cadair Berwyn in north east Wales. It is the highest of the summits found on the most easterly of Cadair Berwyn's long south ridges.
The Milltir Cerrig is a mountain pass in Wales, on the B4391 between Bala and Llangynog (Powys), briefly passing through Denbighshire.
Denbigh Moors is an upland region in Conwy and Denbighshire in north-east Wales, between Snowdonia and the Clwydian Range. It includes the large reservoirs Llyn Brenig and Llyn Alwen, and the Clocaenog Forest, which has one of Wales's last populations of red squirrels. It also contains the open heath Hafod Elwy Moor National Nature Reserve.
Moel Fferna is a mountain in Denbighshire, Wales and forms part of the Berwyn range. It is the most northern outpost of the range. The summit is covered in deep heather and has a shelter cairn.
Foel Goch is a mountain in north-east Wales, and forms part of the Arenig mountain range. It is the only member of the Arenig group that lies outside of the Snowdonia National Park.
Cadair Berwyn North Top or Cadair Berwyn (Old Top) (height 827 metres (2,713 ft) is a top of Cadair Berwyn in north east Wales. It is jointly the second highest summit in the Berwyn range along with Moel Sych (though an accurate survey in 2014 does suggest Moel Sych may be slightly lower at 826.7 metres (2,712 ft)).
Foel Wen South Top is a top of Foel Wen in north east Wales. It is one of the summits found on the most easterly of Cadair Berwyn's long south ridges.
Moel Emoel is a hill within the Snowdonia National Park in Gwynedd, North Wales.
Moel y Garnedd is a hill within the Snowdonia National Park in Gwynedd, North Wales.
Pen Ty-Nant is a hill within the Snowdonia National Park in Gwynedd, North Wales.
The Clwydian Range and Dee Valley is a designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) located in north-east Wales, covering the Clwydian Range, and the valley of the River Dee.
