Ladyurd Hill

Ladyurd Hill belongs to an obscure category of hills called Donald Deweys. The Deweys were originally drawn up by a Mr Dewey for England and Wales only, then subsequently adopted in Scotland by various hill-list compilers in the early 2000s. The Donald Deweys are Lowland hills lower than Donalds (which are Lowland hills starting at 610 metres, or 2000 feet, and follow no other real criteria other than being deemed important enough to be on his list by Percy Donald back in 1935) but at least 500 metres high, with a minimum prominence of 30 metres. There are 247 in total - I have yet to hear of anybody having done a 'round' of them. Where the actual summit is, is a matter of some debate. The OS map at the 1:25k scale puts it at the Southern end of the fairly long summit plateau, but confuse matters by showing it as being towards the Northern edge of the plateau on their 1:50k scale map. Near to the Southern 'summit' are two shallow depressions; an 1850s OS map shows these as being at the site of an old whinstone quarry. Whether the hill takes its name from the old farm below, or vice-versa is unclear. As is the meaning of 'urd', which also appears in other nearby placenames: Netherurd, Kirkurd and Lochurd. Wikipedia references an 1840s book which suggests it might mean quarter, which presumably would be as in 'living quarters', but other than that there is nothing to go on.

A quirk of the classification of Britain's lesser hills - fun for those who, like me, like these kind of things, but bewildering for most - is that there is a category of hills referred to as Dodds, which actually get their name due to a fairly boring acronym, and refers to British hills with a height of 500-599 metres with a 30 metre drop, and has absolutely nothing to to do with the words 'Dod' or 'Dodd' which occasionally appear in hill names. Since my name is Ian Dodds I should probably step up my research into these things. It is generally accepted that'Dodd' and 'Dod' refer to smallish round hills. Thankfully the internet has become slightly more forgiving about my surname etymology over the last few years. It used to be commonplace to find my family name described online as having derived from the hill name to mean 'small round man', or simply a 'stupid fellow'! All family tree records on the male side lead to and stay in and around Durham, which is reported as being historically the place where most variations of the Dodds surname came from. I have not done much walking round there, so am not sure how many Dodd/Dod hill-names there are in the Durham area; I just know them from Southern Scotland and the Lake District. Irrespective of this, I think it is fair to say that my surname is based on ancestors having lived close to hilly areas, and has nothing whatsoever with us being dim-witted people!

Penvalla is a distinctively shaped hill above Harrow Hope.

A remote sheep farm high on the moor between Broughton and Stobo.

Looking towards a distant Pykestone Hill.

Snow cover is still extensive in the cold spring weather.

One of four sheepfolds marked in this square, there is nothing remaining except a circular grassy area.

A tractor route over the snowy hillside towards the farm in the distance.

The octagonal sheepfold shown in NT1340 : Another unusual fank with Penvalla beyond and the isolated farmhouse of Stobo Hopehead to the right.

An old wall, an old fence and a newer fence cross the heathery top.

The view to Tinto in the distance across the col between Penvalla and Ladyurd Hill with Broomy Side straight ahead.

Cat Hill is a minor top (437m) on the ridge running NW from Riding Hill. Penvalla is the prominent summit to the left with Hammer Head in view straight ahead.

Wainwright's maxim 'Watch where you are putting your feet' applies here on a heathery slope with concealed bumps and hollows and the occasional piece of old fence wire. NT1540 : Pass beneath Ladyurd Hill shows this spot in a hard winter frost.

The stones of the drystane dyke are covered in lichen.

Walkers just across the Hopehead Burn on the climb to Hammer Rig.

View from the flanks of Penvalla.

Wooded on the northeast side. This is part of a fine ridgewalk around the watershed of Stobo Hope over Penvalla, Ladyurd Hill, Pyked Stane Hill and Trahenna Hill.

A view from Penvalla of a broad pass between The Hope and Harrow Hope.