Black Mixen facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Black Mixen |
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Black Mixen and the communications mast from the Rhos Fawr plateau
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| Highest point | |
| Elevation | 650 m (2,130 ft) |
| Prominence | 45 m (148 ft) |
| Parent peak | Rhos Fawr |
| Listing | Hewitt, Nuttall, |
| Geography | |
| Location | Powys, Wales |
| Parent range | Cambrian Mountains |
| OS grid | SO182639 |
| Topo map | OS Landranger 148 |
Black Mixen (Welsh: Y Domen Ddu) is a special hill in the Radnor Forest area of Wales. It's considered a "subsidiary summit" of a larger hill called Rhos Fawr, or Great Rhos. This means it's a smaller peak that is part of a bigger mountain group. Black Mixen is known for its unique flat, boggy top and a tall radio mast.
What is Black Mixen?
Black Mixen stands at 650 meters (about 2,133 feet) high. Its top is a large, flat area covered in a "peat bog." A peat bog is a type of wetland where dead plants build up over thousands of years, forming a spongy, wet ground.
The very top of Black Mixen has a pile of stones called a cairn. Cairns are often used to mark the highest point of a hill or mountain. Right next to this cairn, you'll see a building and a tall radio transmitter mast. This mast sends out radio signals, helping people communicate across long distances.
The Unique Radio Mast
Black Mixen is quite special because it's the only "Nuttall" hill in England and Wales that has a communications mast right on its summit. A Nuttall is a specific type of hill in England and Wales that is at least 2,000 feet (610 meters) high and has a certain amount of drop (prominence) on all sides.
The radio mast on Black Mixen is a key landmark. It helps with various types of communication, like broadcasting radio or TV signals, or even helping mobile phones work. It's a reminder that even in wild, natural places, technology plays a part in our lives.
Exploring the Area
From the top of Black Mixen, you can see many other interesting places.
- To the east, you can spot Bache Hill.
- To the south, the Black Mountains stretch out.
- To the west, you'll see the wide plateau of the Great Rhos.
The views from Black Mixen are wide and open, showing off the beautiful Welsh countryside.
A Glimpse into History
The stone cairn on Black Mixen's summit is very old. Experts believe it might date back to the Bronze Age. The Bronze Age was a period in history, roughly from 3300 BC to 1200 BC, when people started using bronze to make tools and weapons.
Many peaks in this area have similar ancient structures, often called barrows. Barrows are ancient burial mounds, which are hills or piles of earth and stones built over graves. This suggests that people lived and used these hills thousands of years ago.
