Wales
Pen-rhiw-Ifor
508M
1667FT
About Pen-rhiw-Ifor
Rising above the industrial heritage of the Afon Lwyd valley, this broad, grassy moorland summit offers a quiet vantage point over the Eastern Valleys. Part of the high ground between Blaenavon and Pontypool, its plateau is defined by historic coal workings and wide-reaching views across to the Blorenge and the Usk Valley.
Key Statistics
Rank
90th Highest in Wales
Parent Range
Brecon Beacons
Prominence
?
26m
Nearest Town
Garn-yr-erw
Geology
You are walking on layers of sandstone and hardened mud. These rocks belong to the South Wales Middle Coal Measures that form the foundation of this fell.
Classifications
Find It
OS Grid Reference
SO248106
Latitude
51.7890°N
Longitude
3.0917°W
Did You Know?
- •The name is Welsh for 'the head of Ifor’s slope' (Pen = head, rhiw = slope), likely referring to a historical local figure or landowner from the area’s farming past.
- •The hill is situated within the Blaenavon Industrial Landscape, a UNESCO World Heritage site; the terrain is marked by the remains of 19th-century tramroads and 'scouring' channels used to reveal iron ore.
- •The summit offers an excellent perspective on the whale-backed ridge of the Blorenge to the northeast and the distinctive peak of the Sugar Loaf near Abergavenny.
- •It is a key landmark on the Iron Mountain Trail, a waymarked route that traces the archaeology of the coal and iron industry through the rugged Gwent uplands.
- •Finding the highest point on this broad, undulating plateau often requires more faith in a GPS than the terrain itself, as several identical-looking grassy bumps compete for the title of the summit.