Black Mountain (hill) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Black Mountain |
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| Twyn Llech (Welsh) | |
The top of Black Mountain, where the Offa's Dyke Path crosses.
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| Highest point | |
| Elevation | 703.6 m (2,308 ft) |
| Prominence | 155 m (509 ft) |
| Parent peak | Waun Fach |
| Listing | Marilyn, Hewitt, County Top, Nuttall |
| Geography | |
 Black Mountain
Location in Wales
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| Parent range | Black Mountains |
| OS grid | SO255350 |
| Topo map | OS Landranger 161 |
| Climbing | |
| Easiest route | The Cat's Back |
The Black Mountain (called Twyn Llech in Welsh) is a cool mountain located in the Black Mountains. What makes it special is that it's the only Marilyn (that's a type of hill with a certain height) that sits exactly on the border between Wales and England. This means it's partly in Powys, Wales, and partly in Herefordshire, England. Its taller neighbour, Waun Fach, is found to the west.
Exploring Black Mountain
Black Mountain is the highest point on a long ridge called Hatterrall Ridge. A famous walking trail, the Offa's Dyke Path, follows this ridge from south to north. You can also find a steeper path that leads to the top from a valley called the Vale of Ewyas on the west side.
The very top of the mountain doesn't have a marker, and because the ground is quite flat up there, it's really hard to tell exactly where the highest point is! Luckily, this area is open for everyone to explore, so you can walk off the main paths. Just be aware that the ground can be quite boggy and wet, even when the weather is nice.
This mountain is actually the highest point in England south of a place called Great Whernside in the Yorkshire Dales. Even though there are taller mountains nearby in Wales, Black Mountain holds this record for England. Some lists of mountains, like the Nuttalls, count Black Mountain as part of Wales because the Black Mountains range is mostly in Wales.
What is Black Mountain Made Of?
Black Mountain is made up of different types of rock, mainly sandstones and mudstones. These rocks are part of something called the Senni Formation, which comes from the Old Red Sandstone period. This period was a very long time ago, during the Devonian age.
The shape of the Vale of Ewyas, which is a valley to the south and west of the Hatterrall ridge, suggests that a glacier was once there. This means that during at least one ice age, a huge sheet of ice probably carved out the valley. However, the very top of the mountain likely stayed free of ice.
