Wales
Cefn Chwarelmelyn
556M
1824FT
About Cefn Chwarelmelyn
Tucked into the wild northern reaches of the Pumlumon range, this 555-metre ridge offers a quintessential Mid-Wales experience. It is a place of deep peat hags and expansive moorland, overlooking the vast Nant y Moch reservoir. Though trackless and often boggy, the summit provides a profound sense of isolation and raw Cambrian character.
Key Statistics
Rank
40th Highest in Wales
Parent Range
Central Wales
Prominence
?
25m
Nearest Town
Ceredigion
Geology
You are walking on the Devil’s Bridge Formation, where alternating layers of hardened mud and sand have been pressed into solid rock.
Classifications
Find It
Latitude
52.4139°N
Longitude
3.7613°W
Did You Know?
- •The name translates from Welsh as 'Yellow Quarry Ridge' (Cefn meaning ridge, chwarel meaning quarry, and melyn meaning yellow), likely referring to mineral-stained rocks or spoil heaps from the historic lead and silver mines found in these valleys.
- •The summit overlooks the historic site of Mynydd Hyddgen to the north, where Owain Glyndŵr led a small force to a significant victory against a much larger Flemish and English army in 1401.
- •It forms part of the high ground between the Rheidol and Dyfi catchments, offering clear views across the Nant y Moch reservoir towards the distant coastal flats of the Dyfi Estuary.
- •Navigating the ridge requires a keen eye for terrain, as the ground consists largely of 'Mid-Wales pavement'—a local euphemism for a treacherous mosaic of tufted grass and hidden black bog.