Black Mountain (hill)
| Twyn Llech (Black Mountain) | |
|---|---|
 The summit, crossed by the Offa's Dyke Path | |
| Highest point | |
| Elevation | 703 m (2,306 ft) |
| Prominence | 154 m (505 ft) |
| Parent peak | Waun Fach |
| Listing | Marilyn, Hewitt, County Top, Nuttall |
| Geography | |
  Twyn Llech (Black Mountain) Herefordshire, England / Powys, Wales | |
| Parent range | Black Mountains |
| OS grid | SO255350 |
| Topo map | OS Landranger 161 |
| Climbing | |
| Easiest route | The Cat's Back |
| Name | Grid ref | Height | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Black Mountain South Top | SO267323 | 637 metres (2,090 ft) | Nuttall |
Twyn Llech, also known as Black Mountain, is a mountain in the Black Mountains (not to be confused with the Black Mountain range of hills some 45 km (30 miles) to the west, or the Black Hill about 2 km (1 mile) to the east). It is the only Marilyn to fall exactly on the Welsh–English border, straddling Powys and Herefordshire. Its parent peak, Waun Fach, lies to the west.
Access
The Black Mountain is the highest point on Hatterrall Ridge. Offa's Dyke Path passes along the ridge, more or less from south to north. A steeper path leads to the summit from near the former youth hostel in the Vale of Ewyas to the west. The summit is unmarked and, because of the very shallow gradients along the summit ridge, virtually impossible to determine in situ. Open access to all the moorland here means that deviation from the paths is allowed, although not recommended in bad weather when it is easy to become lost in the featureless landscape. The ground is peaty and normally very wet even in good weather, especially on the highest ground.
It is the highest ground in England south of Great Whernside in the Yorkshire Dales,[1][failed verification] even though higher neighbours are very close by in Wales. However, some mountain lists, such as the Nuttalls, consider the mountain belongs only to Wales, due to the Black Mountains range being principally a Welsh massif.[2]
Geology
The mountain is composed of sandstones and mudstones of the Senni Formation of the Old Red Sandstone which is of Devonian age. The shape of the Vale of Ewyas to the south and west of the Hatterall ridge strongly suggests that it was occupied by a glacier during at least one ice age, though not perhaps during the last ice age.[3] The plateau was probably ice-free.
References
- ^ "England's Highest Mountains". walkingenglishman.com. Retrieved 20 March 2016.
- ^ Nuttall, John; Nuttall, Ann (1999). The Mountains of England & Wales – Volume 1: Wales (2nd ed.). Milnthorpe, Cumbria: Cicerone. ISBN 1-85284-304-7.
- ^ Humpage, J. A.; Thomas, G. S. P. (2007). Carr, S. J. (ed.). Quaternary of the Brecon Beacons: a field guide. Quaternary Research Association. p. 184.
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