Wales
Y Garnedd
552M
1811FT
About Y Garnedd
Tucked away in the eastern reaches of the Moelwyns near Llan Ffestiniog, this grassy Tump offers a quieter alternative to the rugged slate peaks nearby. The ascent across often-sodden moorland reveals a summit with clear perspectives across the Vale of Ffestiniog toward the bulk of Moelwyn Mawr and the quarried slopes of Manod Mawr.
Key Statistics
Rank
238th Highest in Wales
Parent Range
Snowdonia
Prominence
?
77m
Nearest Town
Bron Goronwy
Geology
You are walking on ancient volcanic rock and compressed siltstone, formed as molten magma pushed through layers of fine mud on the seabed.
Nearby Fells
Find It
OS Grid Reference
SH741431
Latitude
52.9706°N
Longitude
3.8748°W
Did You Know?
- •The name is Welsh, with 'Y' being the definite article and 'Garnedd' the mutated form of 'carnedd', meaning 'the cairn.' This typically refers to a prehistoric burial mound or a significant pile of stones, suggesting the summit has served as a marker for centuries.
- •Standing at the fringes of the Snowdonia slate heartlands, the hill overlooks the sprawling Cwm Teigl to the west, a valley deeply marked by the historical sheep farming and quarrying that defines the Ffestiniog region.
- •Most walkers approach from the south near the hamlet of Bron Goronwy, following old tracks before striking north over pathless, rough grazing land to reach the 552-metre high point.
- •It is classified as a Tump, meaning it has at least thirty metres of prominence; on a typical Welsh afternoon, those thirty metres feel significantly more vertical when your boots are sinking into the saturated peat.