Twmbarlwm | |
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Twmbarlwm
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Highest point | |
Elevation | 419 m (1,375 ft) |
Prominence | 48 m (157 ft) |
Coordinates | 51°37′38″N 3°05′47″W / 51.62722°N 3.09639°WCoordinates: 51°37′38″N 3°05′47″W / 51.62722°N 3.09639°W |
Geography | |
OS grid | ST242926 |
Topo map | OS Landranger 171 |
Twmbarlwm also known as Twm Barlwm, Twyn Barlwm, or locally known as "The twmp" (translation: hump) or the Pimple because of the mound that lies at its summit, is a hill situated 2 km (1.2 mi) to the northeast of Risca in South Wales. It is often mistakenly referred to as a mountain but is actually a hill due to being under 600m. It is 419 m (1,375 ft) high and is a well-known landmark throughout the region. It commands extensive views across what is now the M4 corridor, over Newport and Cwmbran and out over the Bristol Channel.
At the top of the hill, near its summit, are the remains of what is presumed to be an Iron Age hillfort, believed to have been built by the Silures, the Celtic tribe that inhabited the area before and during Roman times. These remains have led the local people of Risca and Cwmcarn to call it "The tump". There was also thereafter possibly a Roman signal point and a substantial Norman motte-and-bailey castle which is incorporated into the eastern end of the fort, probably of early Norman construction. The area is a scheduled monument.
The hill itself is a well-known local landmark visible on the skyline for many miles and is indeed seen as a symbol of Monmouthshire/Gwent. It is very popular for hillwalking and mountain biking and with tourists who visit Cwmcarn Forest Drive or walk the Gwent Ridgeway. It features heavily in local folk legends with tales of a giant buried here, and treasure, supposedly guarded by swarms of bees. Local legend says that the druids regarded it as a sacred site and a place of judgement.