Mynydd Tywi [Pen y Maen North Top]

About Mynydd Tywi [Pen y Maen North Top]

Hidden within the trackless Elenydd, this summit is a masterclass in damp solitude. It marks the high ground above the Tywi valley, where the views are expansive, the peat hags are hungry, and the nearest coffee shop is a distant, taunting memory.

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Did You Know?

• •The fell marks a significant point in the Cambrian Mountains, sitting near the birthplace of the River Tywi. This river eventually travels 75 miles to become the longest to flow entirely within Welsh borders.
• •It lies within the historic lands of Strata Florida Abbey, a 12th-century Cistercian site known as the 'Westminster Abbey of Wales.' The monks once used these high moors for extensive sheep farming and spiritual seclusion.
• •The plateau is part of the Elenydd, a region so notoriously empty of roads and settlements it is often called the 'Green Desert.' It is one of the few places in Britain where you can truly feel like the last person on Earth.
• •At an elevation of 548 meters, it falls into the 'Dewey' category of hills. While it lacks the jagged drama of the north, it makes up for it with a relentless, undulating tenacity that tests even the most patient knees.
• •Trying to find the exact 'North Top' involves a high-stakes game of 'guess which tuft of grass is highest.' Most hikers eventually give up and declare any dry-ish patch of ground a moral victory.