Mynydd Mallaen
| Mynydd Mallaen/Crugiau Merched | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Highest point | |
| Elevation | 462 m (1,516 ft) |
| Prominence | 205 m (673 ft) |
| Listing | Marilyn |
| Geography | |
| Location | Carmarthenshire |
| Parent range | Cambrian Mountains |
Mynydd Mallaen is an expansive hill to the northwest of Cilycwm in northeast Carmarthenshire, Wales. It takes the form of an undulating plateau with steep slopes dropping away to the Towy valley to the east and those of the Gwenffrwd, Nant Melyn and Afon Cothi to the north and west. Its highest point of 462m at OS grid reference SN 723455 is surmounted by two Bronze Age cairns known as Crugiau Merched (which translates from Welsh as ladies barrows). Caeo Forest covers much of the southern flanks of the hill and smaller forests also decorate its eastern slopes. Much of the native woodland consists of sessile oak groves, especially on the valley sides.[1]
Geology
The geology of Mynydd Mallaen is complex, comprising mudstones of the Claerwen Group together with sandstones of the Doethie and Glanyrafon Formations and the Caerau Mudstones Formation. Each of these Silurian rock formations is folded and faulted. Indeed it is an outcrop of conglomerate turbidite rock on the western limb of the Cothi Anticline which forms the summit of the hill. Glacial till and boulder clay from the last ice age occupies some of the hollows on the plateau, and there are many stones and boulders of white quartz scattered across the plateau, perhaps the remains of mineral veins eroded away. [2]
Archaeology
In addition to several round barrows, there are many standing stones on the plateau, two being very near to Cregiau Ladies; one is named as Maen Bach.
Gold mining occurs on the south-eastern flank of the plateau, and was pioneered in the Roman period as soon as the area had been conquered ca 75 AD. The remains are visible at Dolaucothi and traces of the Roman aqueducts can be seen on the neighbouring parts of the mountain. They tap both the River Cothi and Afon Twrch, Carmarthenshire. The earlier earthen aqueduct shows several channels above the minehead, and tapped local springs. A larger one tapped the Twrch higher up the valley. The Cothi aqueduct tapped the larger river about 7 miles upstream, and fed a large reservoir at the minehead. Such tanks were used in hushing, a method of removing surface debris to find gold veins in the bedrock.
Access
The entire hill is mapped as open country under the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000 so is freely available to those on foot. Additionally there is a bridleway which crosses the hill in an east-west direction and a further one approaching from the south.