About Moel Hen-fache
Looming just above the village where the Bible was first translated into Welsh, Moel Hen-fache is a modest Berwyn sentinel. It lacks the punishing height of its northern neighbors, offering a civilized perspective of the Rhaeadr valley without requiring a week of recovery for your knees.
Key Statistics
Rank
296th Highest in Wales
Parent Range
Snowdonia
Nearest Town
Cefn Coch
Prominence
?
73m
Geology
The path beneath you is part of the Llangynog Formation, which consists of mudstone formed from layers of fine, hardened mud.
Did You Know?
- •The hill stands as a gateway to the Berwyn range, overlooking the village where Bishop William Morgan translated the first complete Bible into Welsh in 1588.
- •Standing at 521 meters, it qualifies as a 'Dewey', a classification for British hills over 500 meters that makes peak-baggers feel much more accomplished than they actually are.
- •The slopes are primarily composed of Ordovician siltstone, which is effectively a very ancient, very compressed version of the mud currently sticking to your boots.
- •It serves as a local landmark for the nearby Pistyll Rhaeadr, one of the 'Seven Wonders of Wales', though the hill itself is more of a 'local curiosity'.
- •The name Moel Hen-fache translates roughly to 'Bare Small-Old-Hill', which is also coincidentally how most hikers feel after trying to navigate the Berwyn bogs in thick mist.
Find It
OS Grid Reference
SJ109281
Latitude
52.8430°N
Longitude
3.3243°W