| Gwaunceste Hill | |
|---|---|
| Bryn Gwaun-cest | |
 | |
| Highest point | |
| Elevation | 542 m (1,778 ft) |
| Prominence | 161 m (528 ft) |
| Parent peak | Great Rhos |
| Listing | Marilyn |
| Coordinates | 52°11′30″N3°13′58″W / 52.1917°N 3.2329°W /52.1917; -3.2329 |
| Naming | |
| Language of name | Welsh |
| Geography | |
| Location | Powys,Wales |
| OS grid | SO 158555 |
| Topo map | OSLandranger 148 /Explorer 200 |
Gwaunceste Hill (Welsh:Bryn Gwaun-cest) is a 542-metre-highhill in the county ofPowys in eastWales. It falls within thecommunities ofGladestry andGlascwm around 4 km east of the village ofHundred House and about 2 km north of the hamlet of Glascwm. The headwaters of theRiver Arrow gather on the eastern slopes of the hill. Drainage of its western slopes is into theRiver Edw, a tributary of theRiver Wye. Two subsidiary tops to the southeast and southwest are both known as ‘Little Hill’.
The hill is formed frommudstones,siltstones andsandstones ofSilurian age. To its southeast theChurch Stretton Fault Zone runs NE-SW past Gwaunceste Hill. Surrounding valleys and some of the hill’s slopes are mantled withglacial till from the last ice age whilstalluvium is found in the valley floors andpeat deposits occupy hollows as at Beilibedw Mawn Pool and Llyn-y-waun to the north and west of the summit respectively.[1][2][3]
The entire hill is criss-crossed bypublic bridleways. Much of the hill is mapped asopen country under theCountryside and Rights of Way Act 2000 and thereby available to walkers.[4]