TACit Tables: The Hewitts and Marilyns of Wales
Frequent local government reorganisation has made things difficult for those who aspire to visit the highest point of all counties. One solution is to ignore the changes introduced in 1974 and 1996 and to stick to the 'traditional' county tops. In England this may be the only feasible approach, as there is a ragbag mixture of unitary and two-tier local authorities. In Wales the position is much simpler as there are now just 22 unitary authorities. A list of their highest points is given below. Some of these authorities could not be described as 'counties' in the traditional sense, so their highpoints are better described as Council Tops. Details given are the same as for the Hewitts and Marilyns. Tops with a drop of 0 metres are not summits but are points on the side of a hill. Some are indeterminate, but the highest point of Merthyr Tydfil is unusual in being marked by a small lake: Pwll Mere. Fourteen Council Tops are Hewitts or Marilyns (or both), and a further six are near the top of one. This leaves just two Council Tops that require a completely separate ascent: Werfa (Bridgend) and Tair Onnen (Vale of Glamorgan).
Sect Council Metres Feet Name Map Grid Ref Drop 30B Gwynedd 1085 3560 Snowdon 115 SH609543 1038 30B Conwy 1064 3491 Carnedd Llewelyn 115 SH683644 750 32A Powys 886 2907 Pen y Fan 160 SO012215 c 671 30E Denbighshire 827 2713 Moel Sych 125 SJ066318 c 32 30E Wrexham 790 2592 Craig Berwyn ° 125 SJ077335 0 32A Carmarthenshire 770 2526 Fan Foel ° 160 SN820223 0 31A Cardiganshire 752 2467 Plynlimon 135 SN789869 524 32A Monmouthshire 679 2228 Chwarel y Fan 161 SO259293 72 32C Neath Port Talbot 600 1968 Craig y Llyn 170 SN906031 392 32C Rhondda, Cynon, Taff 590 1935 Craig y Llyn ° 170 SN909031 0 32C Blaenau Gwent 578 1896 Coety Mountain 161 SO231079 c 231 32C Torfaen 571 1873 Cefn Coch 161 SO221093 35 32C Bridgend 568 1863 Werfa 170 SS912947 c 91 30C Flintshire 555 1821 Moel Famau 116 SJ161626 c 272 32A Caerphilly 552 1811 Twyn Ceilog 161 SO098127 0 31C Pembrokeshire 536 1759 Foel Cwmcerwyn 145 SN094311 344 32A Merthyr Tydfil 530 1739 Merthyr Common ° 160 SO080110 0 32B Swansea 373 1224 Mynydd y Betws 159 SN665095 205 32C Newport 309 1014 Wentwood 171,172 ST411943 240 32C Cardiff 307 1007 Garth Hill 171 ST103835 211 30A Anglesey 220 722 Holyhead Mountain 114 SH218829 220 32C Vale of Glamorgan 137 449 Tair Onnen 170 ST036739 c 64