On Carnedd Uchaf or Gwenllian, looking towards Carnedd Llewlyn. Photo: erwlas ![[CC-2.0]](/lib/img/layout/cc-attr.gif)
A Welsh peak will join a family circle this weekend, following a concerted campaign to have it renamed.
The 3,000-footer currently called either Carnedd Uchaf or Garnedd Uchaf, depending on your view of soft mutation, will become officially Carnedd Gwenllian, in honour of Wales’s ‘lost princess’. The Ordnance Survey, Britain’s national cartographic agency, says its maps will be changed to reflect the change.
The peak, a 926m (3,038ft) rise between Foel-fras and Foel Grach, will join a royal group of mountains when it is rechristened this Saturday, 26 September.
Gwenllian was the daughter of Llywelyn, the last prince of Wales. Born in he was 1282, the year her father was killed, she was snatched from her home and held at the abbey at Sempringham, Lincolnshire, living the rest of her life there as a nun and dying at the age of 54.
With the death of her father Llewelyn ap Gruffydd in battle and Princess Gwenllian locked away Edward I was able to take over the principality, the princess’ mother having died in childbirth.
Carnedd Gwenllian will join other carneddau in the royal circle: Carnedd Llewelyn, named after her father and lying less than 3km (2 miles) to the south, and Carnedd Dafydd, which bears the name of the princess’ uncle, whom Edward I had hanged, drawn and quartered. The mountain bearing Dafydd’s name lies a further 3km away, and Yr Elen, named after Gwenllian’s mother, completes the family group of peaks.
The renaming is the culmination of a campaign by the Princess Gwenllian Society, but is not without controversy, many walkers arguing against arbitrary changes in mountain names. In 2005, Margaret Fernleigh from Talybont told the BBC said opposed the change. “I feel strongly about changing these old names. I hate it when they do it to houses in the area too,” she said.
“In my opinion these names have a connection with the area they’re in, and the way people used to live in those areas. Carnedd Uchaf has been used for generations, and I see no point in changing that.”
Carnedd Uchaf means highest cairn in Welsh, even though it is surrounded by higher peaks.
The Ordnance Survey said, while it does not have the authority to alter place names itself, it has agreed to put Gwenllian on the map following consultation with all the parties involved, including the Snowdonia National Park Authority, the National Trust, local authorities and emergency services.
Spokesman Paul Beauchamp said: “Any changes to the map need to be carefully considered because they are relied on by the emergency services and mountain rescue teams to help find stranded climbers.
“As agreement has been reached, we are delighted to reflect the name change and to be playing a role in reuniting Princess Gwenllian with her father, mother and uncle among the mountain peaks of her homeland.”
The renaming ceremony will be carried out by heritage minister Alun Ffred Jones AM, Dafydd Elis-Thomas AM, Lord Nantconwy, presiding officer of the Welsh Assembly, at Beaumaris.
The soon-to-be-launched grough route system will have automatic updates on its mapping of all Ordnance Survey revisions.
dougie
22 September 2009Prince Charles is currently Prince of Wales, so Llywelyn should properly be described as the last ruling prince of Wales.
More seriously, although it in nice to see Princess Gwenllian honoured in this way, it should be remembered that many walkers will continue to use older, but geographically correct, maps. I'm sure the MRT will be aware of what's what, but I do have a concern that if the local authority emergency services (police, ambulance, etc.) use the new name, and walkers use the old name, this could cause confusion in life threatening emergencies.
James
23 September 2009I'm not sure that Carnedd Uchaf as "highest cairn" is a great translation, it'd normally be "upper cairn" and you'd normally expect it to be paired with a Carnedd Isaf or "lower cairn".
Bernard (Byn or Bun) Walters
23 September 2009Dafydd III was the last successive native Prince of Wales, executed at Shrewsbury in October 1283; Owain Glyndwr was the last otherwise native Prince of Wales; Charles is English.
Richard
23 September 2009Regarding the objective of the Princess Gwenllian Society to "reunite Princess Gwenllian with her father, mother and uncle among the mountain peaks of her homeland" ...
The etymology of Carnedd Llywelyn, Carnedd Dafydd and Yr Elen is not as clear as the above statement and this article suggests. Llywelyn could easily refer to Llywelyn Fawr rather than Gwenllian's father Llywelyn ap Gruffydd.
Perhaps less relevant but Dafydd could refer to Llywelyn Fawr's successor Dafydd ap Llywelyn rather than Gwenllian's uncle Dafydd ap Gruffydd, who freely switched allegiance between his brother Llywelyn and the English Crown.
If Yr Elen was Carnedd Eleanor or Elinor, I would be more inclined to believe that it refers to Eleanor de Montfort. With the prefix Yr, I'd tend to believe it refers to a "thing" in the same way as Yr Wyddfa, Yr Llethr, etc. Y gelen (the leech) is a possibility that is sometimes referred to.
The fact that Garnedd Uchaf is surrounded by higher peaks is irrelevant to the name. Anyone standing on Foel Grach on a clear day can see why Garnedd Uchaf is an "upper cairn" or "highest cairn". One can imagine the packhorse and drovers routes across the Carneddau regarding Garnedd Uchaf as a welcome marker of the highest part of the bwlch.
Richard Williams-Ellis
23 September 2009To most people, both Welsh and otherwise, the renaming of a mountain in Snowdonia from Carnedd Uchaf to Carnedd Gwenllian is as likely to be seen as some further recognition of Gwenllian ferch Gruffydd, rather than Gwenllian ferch Llewelyn I suggest, and would be as deserved, I venture further? Indeed the former, our heroine leader, who led an army against the Normans at Kidwelly, has excellent claims in her own right for such recognition. She too, like her namesake of some two hundred years later, was a descendant of Gruffydd ap Cynan, last King of North Wales, and hereditary Lord of Snowdon. She was his daughter. Her brother Prince Owain Gwynedd succeeded and likewise became Lord of Snowdon.
Descendants of Owain in the male line, who continue to live in Snowdonia, are raising their eyebrows in question just a little.
The Princess Gwenllian Society have also recently secured a commemorative plaque near the Summit of Snowdon, which is quite a feat as it following a decision by the Snowdonia National Park Authority that no memorials or similar would be allowed there.
Whatever next will be achieved by this enterprising Society?
Bryn
24 September 2009What a ridiculous thing to do - what right has the Princess Gwenllian Society to decide to rename a mountain? If every tiny society started renaming mountains because they felt like it we would have chaos.
I suggest we all stick to the proper name and petition the OS to remove the 'new' name.
Richard
24 September 2009Over the past few weeks I have contacted various agencies to find out how one renames a mountain. It would be inappropriate to quote their private responses in public but I would summarise them as expressing an absence of mandate rather than offering wholehearted support.
In common with the other agencies, the Ordnance Survey told me that they have no authority to rename mountains. They quoted a list of agencies who had been consulted, although at least two of those that I contacted told me that they had no involvement. The OS refer to letters of support from local MPs and residents and they say that they pressed ahead with the change on the basis that there was no major objection.
I am not surprised that there was no major objection because there was very little publicity of the proposals. The first I heard of the name change was when I read on Wikipedia that the Ordnance Survey had already agreed to it. I searched the websites of the Snowdonia NPA, National Trust and local councils, and found nothing.
I fully support the commemoration of Princess Gwenllian in an appropriate way by those that see fit. Nevertheless, three things sadden me:
* I believe the case for the renaming of Garnedd Uchaf is based on a questionable interpretation of the origin of names in the area.
* I am not convinced that people have had a reasonable opportunity to question the change.
* Although the mapping agencies are adopting dual naming, a name with historical and topological relevance may eventually be lost.
Like Bryn, I wonder what precedent the success of this campaign sets?
Richard Williams-Ellis: If you refer to the Princess Gwenllian Society's website, you will see that they are quite clear that their campaign was purely in commemoration of Gwenllian ferch Llywelyn.
Bryn Williams
25 September 2009I like it! Nice to have a name that has a bit of history to it. I never really understood why it was "Uchaf', when it is one of the lowest in the range!
Rob Gregory
26 September 2009Garnedd Uchaf (or close variations thereof) seems to be a name which has existed for centuries, a name with its own meaning and heritage. Many people know and love these mountains. Is it right to change their identity? If more people had had an opportunity to comment or object, would the outcome have been different? Who is the best person to contact, to voice concerns?
Richard
27 September 2009That's a good question Rob. The main article quotes the Ordnance Survey as saying they have no authority to change the names of mountains. The Snowdonia NPA and National Trust told me the same thing.
But there were no major objections, so the renaming has gone ahead. I believe this is without precedent. Other features have had more traditional names restored, or names applied that are in common usage, but this may be the first time that a pressure group has pushed through a name change.
Once again, I would reiterate that I fully support the commemoration of Princess Gwenllian. But not by the renaming of features with established names.