| Pen Pumlumon Fawr | |
|---|---|
 The northern slopes of Pumlumon Fawr | |
| Highest point | |
| Elevation | 752 m (2,467 ft) |
| Prominence | 526 m (1,726 ft) |
| Listing | Marilyn,Hewitt,Council top,Nuttall |
| Coordinates | 52°28′03″N3°46′58″W / 52.4675°N 3.7828°W /52.4675; -3.7828 |
| Naming | |
| English translation | five tops, five beacons |
| Language of name | Welsh |
| Pronunciation | Welsh:[ˈpɛnpɪmˈlɪmɔnˈvau̯r] |
| Geography | |
 | |
| Location | Ceredigion,Wales |
| Parent range | Cambrian Mountains |
| OS grid | SN789869 |
| Topo map | OSLandranger 135 |
| Name | Grid ref | Height | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pen Pumlumon Arwystli | SN815877 | 741 m | Hewitt,Nuttall |
| Pen Pumlumon Llygad-bychan | SN799871 | 727 m | Hewitt,Nuttall |
| Y Garn | SN775851 | 684 m | Hewitt,Nuttall |
| Pumlumon Fach | SN787874 | 664 m | Nuttall |
| Pumlumon Cwmbiga | SN830899 | 620 m | DeletedNuttall |
| Carnfachbugeilyn | SN826903 | 622 m | Unclassified |
| Bryn yr Ŵyn | SN840927 | 502 m | Dewey |
Plynlimon, orPumlumon inWelsh (also historically anglicised asPlinlimon,Plynlymmon orPlinlimmon), is the highest point of theCambrian Mountains inWales (taking a restricted definition of the Cambrian Mountains, excludingSnowdonia, the Berwyns and theBrecon Beacons), and the highest point inMid Wales. It is amassif that dominates the surrounding countryside and is the highest point (county top) ofCeredigion (both the modern council area, and the historic county, also known asCardiganshire).
The highest point of the massif itself isPen Pumlumon Fawr, which is 752 metres (2,467 ft) aboveordnance datum. Its other important peaks arePen Pumlumon Arwystli,Y Garn,Pen Pumlumon Llygad-bychan andPumlumon Fach.Bryn yr Ŵyn, or 'hill of the lambs', is a former Dewey in the foothills.
The longestriver in Britain, theRiver Severn, hasits source on the mountain, as do the riversWye andRheidol.
Folklore says there is a sleeping giant in Plynlimon.
Plynlimon is anglicised from the Welsh namePumlumon,[1] which is thought to mean "five tops" or "five beacons".[1][2] The first element isOld Welshpimp, meaning "five" (Modern Welshpump),[2] and the second isllumon, "beacon",[2] an element whoseBrittonic equivalent underlies the Scottish hill-namesLomond Hills andBen Lomond.[2][3]
The Plynlimon area is the source of the rivers Wye, Severn and Rheidol.Since 2007 theWildlife Trusts of Wales have been working to improve the habitat as a "living landscape" project. This watershed area has been affected byloss of biodiversity, erosion of the peaty soils' structure, and accelerated drainage.[4]
Like most of theuplands across Wales, intensive land use activities have resulted in many habitats being either lost or degraded. Over-grazing of sheep has induced soil compaction, which has resulted in increased flooding of the lowland areas. The principal land cover within the project area is dominated by a complex mosaic of locally, nationally and internationally important habitats and species, such as dry and wet dwarf-shrubheathland, blanketbog, unimproved acidgrassland and a number ofoligotrophiclakes. Agriculturally improved grassland, broadleavedwoodlands andforestry plantation are also characteristic features of the area.
The Plynlimon area is also important for breeding, wintering and feeding bird fauna particularlyhen harrier,merlin,short-eared owl andred andblack grouse, and a number ofRed Data Book and UKBAP invertebrates.[5] Thered kite also frequents the area.Golden plovers have declined by 92% since 1992.[6]
TheSevern Way runs for 210 miles (337 km) along theRiver Severn between its source at Plynlimon and the mouth of the Severn atBristol, England.
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
