Mynydd Llangeinwyr facts for kids

Mynydd Llangeinwyr is the tallest hill in the Bridgend area of South Wales. It's part of the South Wales Coalfield, a region known for its coal mining history. This hill forms a long ridge that stretches from north to south.

On one side, to the west, is the Cwm Garw valley. On the other side, to the east, is the Cwm Ogwr Fawr valley. The very top of the ridge is a flat area called Werfa. It stands 568 metres (about 1,864 feet) high. At the summit, you'll find a trig point (a special marker for mapping) and tall communication masts. There's also another trig point nearby, at 530 metres, close to an old stone pile called Carn-yr-hyrddod. The hill gets its name from the village of Llangeinor, which is located at its southern end.

How Mynydd Llangeinwyr Was Formed

This hill is made mostly of a type of rock called Pennant Sandstone. This sandstone sits on top of much older rocks known as South Wales Coal Measures. These "coal measures" are layers of rock that contain coal.

In the past, people dug deep into these rocks to mine for coal. The area also has many natural cracks in the ground called faults. These faults run in a northwest to southeast direction. You might also notice small landslides on the steeper parts of the hill. Landslides happen when soil and rocks slide down a slope.

Exploring the Hill: Access and Paths

Good news for hikers! Most of the upper parts of Mynydd Llangeinwyr are considered "open country". This means you can walk freely across them. This right is protected by a law called the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000.

Besides the open areas, there are also many public footpaths. These paths let you walk onto the hill from the towns and villages in the valleys below. There's even a public bridleway (a path for walkers, horse riders, and cyclists) that starts from the A4107 road. It crosses the top of the hill and then goes steeply down to Blaengarw.

Mynydd Llangeinwyr and Map Making

Did you know that Mynydd Llangeinwyr played an important role in making maps? The summit, Werfa (also known as Llangeinor), was used as a special starting point for maps. It was the "origin" or "meridian" for the 6-inch and 1:2500 scale maps made by the Ordnance Survey.

This included maps for many old Welsh counties like Anglesey, Carnarvon, Merioneth, Montgomery, Cardigan, Radnor, Carmarthen, Brecknock, Glamorgan, and Monmouth. It was also the starting point for maps of Shropshire and Hereford in England.