Gyrn Ddu facts for kids

Gyrn Ddu is a cool hill located in North Wales. It's found in the county of Gwynedd, near the Llŷn Peninsula. This hill is part of a larger area of high ground. Its name, "Gyrn Ddu," means "black horns" in Welsh. It stands tall at 522 meters (about 1,713 feet) above sea level. This makes it a significant spot in the Welsh landscape.

Gyrn Ddu has a few interesting neighbors. To the east, you'll find Bwlch Mawr, another peak that reaches 510 meters high. To the north, there's Gyrn Goch, which is 492 meters tall. An eastern part of Gyrn Ddu, reaching 491 meters, even has an ancient stone pile called a cairn on its top.

The Rocks of Gyrn Ddu

Gyrn Ddu is made of special rocks called igneous rock. These rocks are formed when hot, melted rock from deep inside the Earth cools down and hardens. This happened a very long time ago, during a period called the Paleozoic Era.

The hill was created by an "intrusion." This means the melted rock pushed its way up into older rocks. Then, it cooled and became solid. Over millions of years, the softer rocks around it wore away. This left Gyrn Ddu standing tall and proud.

In the past, people used to dig for rocks on the northwestern slopes of Gyrn Ddu. There are still signs of these old quarries. You can see paths or "inclines" that go down the steep sides of the hill. These were likely used to move the quarried rocks.

Exploring Gyrn Ddu

If you love hiking and exploring, Gyrn Ddu is a great place to visit. There is a special path, called a public footpath, that crosses the southern part of the hill. This path is open for everyone to use.

Even better, most of Gyrn Ddu is considered "open country." This is thanks to a law called the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000. This means you can freely walk and explore a large part of the hill. You don't have to stick to just the marked paths. Another public footpath starts from a small village called Gyrn Goch. It leads you right to the edge of this open country on the northern side of the hill.