Plynlimon
mountain (752m) in Ceredigion, Wales
Plynlimon, or Pumlumon in Welsh (also historically anglicised as Plinlimon, Plynlymmon or Plinlimmon), is the highest point of the Cambrian Mountains in Wales (taking a restricted definition of the Cambrian Mountains, excluding Snowdonia, the Berwyns and the Brecon Beacons), and the highest point in Mid Wales. It is a massif that dominates the surrounding countryside and is the highest point of Ceredigion.
The highest point of the massif itself is Pen Pumlumon Fawr, which is 752 metres (2,467 ft) above ordnance datum. Its other important peaks are Pen Pumlumon Arwystli, Y Garn, Pen Pumlumon Llygad-bychan and Pumlumon Fach. Bryn yr Ŵyn, or 'hill of the lambs', is a former Dewey in the foothills.
The longest river in Britain, the River Severn, has its source on the mountain, as do the rivers Wye and Rheidol.
Folklore says there is a sleeping giant in Plynlimon.
Etymology
Plynlimon is anglicised from the Welsh name Pumlumon, which is thought to mean "five tops" or "five beacons". The first element is Old Welsh pimp, meaning "five" (Modern Welsh pump), and the second is llumon, "beacon", an element whose Brittonic equivalent underlies the Scottish hill-names Lomond Hills and Ben Lomond.
Habitat and restoration
The Plynlimon area is the source of the rivers Wye, Severn and Rheidol.
Begin with the source’s own compact description: “Plynlimon” is mountain (752m) in Ceredigion, Wales. The dossier treats that line as a proposition to test through Plynlimon, mountain and 752m, not as a finished interpretation.
Why this record matters
The phrase “mountain (752m) in Ceredigion, Wales” supplies a clear boundary for inquiry. It also exposes the unanswered questions: who defined that boundary, when it became stable and which sources sit outside it.
Maps, plans, fabric surveys and administrative records can establish how the site’s name, extent and function changed over time. The source revision retrieved here is dated May 24, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q7205900. VIAF identifies the subject as 315137590. The Library of Congress control number is sh97006786. Authority coordinates are 52.468, -3.783. 1 of 3 selected statements include explicit references; 0 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank.
A single description cannot reconcile every naming convention, rebuilding phase or administrative transfer associated with a place. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Treat names, boundaries and functions as historically changeable. Maps, plans, inventories and administrative records can clarify what the place meant at different dates.
- Historic place names
- Jurisdictional context
- Routes into maps and plans
Contemporary maps, plans, listed-building records, estate papers and the responsible local or national archive.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “Plynlimon”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow Plynlimon primary sources, Plynlimon archive and Plynlimon research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Plynlimon”?
- What physical evidence or contemporary plan supports the description?
- Which authority defined the place, boundary or structure at the relevant date?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “Plynlimon” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.