Mynydd Cilfach-yr-encil facts for kids
.jpg)
Mynydd Cilfach-yr-encil is a tall hill in South Wales. It reaches a height of 445 meters (about 1,460 feet). This makes it the highest point on a wide ridge of land. This ridge sits between two valleys: Taff Vale (also called Cwm Taf in Welsh) and Cwm Bargod. Mynydd Cilfach-yr-encil is located in the area of Merthyr Tydfil.
This ridge is also known as Cefn Merthyr. Another important part of the ridge is a flat-topped hill called Mynydd y Capel. It is about 2.5 kilometers (1.5 miles) south of the highest point and is 375 meters (about 1,230 feet) tall. The ridge slopes down to the south, where the Bargod Taf river meets the River Taff near Treharris. To the north, the ridge widens into an area called Merthyr Common. This area has been changed a lot by opencast coalmining, which is a way of digging for coal from the surface.
Contents
What the Hill is Made Of (Geology)
The entire hill of Mynydd Cilfach-yr-encil is made of rocks called sandstones and mudstones. These rocks formed a very long time ago, during the Carboniferous Period. This period was about 359 to 299 million years ago!
Coal and Rock Layers
Inside these rock layers, there are many coal seams. Coal seams are layers of coal, and most of them have been mined here. The top part of the hill, including its flat summit, is made from a type of rock called Pennant Sandstone. This sandstone is part of the younger layers from the Carboniferous Period.
How Glaciers Shaped the Hill
The sides of the hill are quite steep. This is partly because of glacial ice that moved across the land during past ice ages. These ice ages happened during the Quaternary Period. There is also a large landslip on the western side of the hill, above Troedyrhiw. A landslip is when a large mass of earth or rock slides down a slope. The back part of this landslip is called Craig y Pwll. The bottom part of the slide is under the community of Mountpleasant. Over time, many quarries and tunnels have been dug into the hill.
Exploring the Hill (Access)
A big part of Mynydd Cilfach-yr-encil is open moorland. This land has been marked as "open country" under the CRoW Act. This law gives people the right to walk freely across these areas.
Paths and Trails
Even though there are no official public footpaths or other public rights of way recorded on the hill, many paths and tracks already exist on the ground. This means walkers can still find ways to explore the area.
