Kilvey Hill (

Welsh Welsh may refer to: Related to Wales * Welsh, referring or related to Wales * Welsh language, a Brittonic Celtic language spoken in Wales * Welsh people People * Welsh (surname) * Sometimes used as a synonym for the ancient Britons (Celtic peop ...

: ''Mynydd Cilfái'' or ''Y Bigwrn'') is a

hill A hill is a landform that extends above the surrounding terrain. It often has a distinct Summit (topography), summit. Terminology The distinction between a hill and a mountain is unclear and largely subjective, but a hill is universally con ...

South Wales South Wales ( cy, De Cymru) is a loosely defined region of Wales bordered by England to the east and mid Wales to the north. Generally considered to include the historic counties of Glamorgan and Monmouthshire, south Wales extends westwards ...

, to the east of

Swansea Swansea (; cy, Abertawe ) is a coastal city and the second-largest city of Wales. It forms a principal area, officially known as the City and County of Swansea ( cy, links=no, Dinas a Sir Abertawe). The city is the twenty-fifth largest in ...

. Kilvey Hill is high and is classed as a Sub Marilyn. The top of Kilvey Hill enjoys panoramic views of

Swansea city centre Swansea city centre in Swansea, Wales, contains the main shopping, leisure and nightlife district in Swansea. The city centre covers much of the Castle ward including the area around Oxford Street, Castle Square, and the Quadrant Shopping Centr ...

, Swansea Docks,

Swansea Bay Swansea Bay ( cy, Bae Abertawe) is a bay on the southern coast of Wales. The River Neath, River Tawe, River Afan, River Kenfig and Clyne River flow into the bay. Swansea Bay and the upper reaches of the Bristol Channel experience a large tidal ...

, the

Lower Swansea Valley The Lower Swansea valley ( cy, Cwm Tawe Isaf) is the lower half of the valley of the River Tawe in south Wales. It runs from approximately the level of Clydach down to Swansea docks, where it opens into Swansea Bay and the Bristol Channel. This r ...

Bon-y-maen Bon-y-maen, sometimes spelt ''Bonymaen'', ( cy, Bôn-y-maen) is a community in Swansea, Wales located about north east of Swansea city centre. It falls within the coterminous Bonymaen ward for elections to Swansea Council. Bôn-y-maen is We ...

Neath Neath (; cy, Castell-nedd) is a market town and Community (Wales), community situated in the Neath Port Talbot, Neath Port Talbot County Borough, Wales. The town had a population of 50,658 in 2011. The community of the parish of Neath had a po ...

and

Port Talbot Port Talbot (, ) is a town and community in the county borough of Neath Port Talbot, Wales, situated on the east side of Swansea Bay, approximately from Swansea. The Port Talbot Steelworks covers a large area of land which dominates the south ...

. Cilfái was a

commote A commote (Welsh ''cwmwd'', sometimes spelt in older documents as ''cymwd'', plural ''cymydau'', less frequently ''cymydoedd'')''Geiriadur Prifysgol Cymru'' (University of Wales Dictionary), p. 643 was a secular division of land in Medieval Wales ...

Gower Gower ( cy, Gŵyr) or the Gower Peninsula () in southwest Wales, projects towards the Bristol Channel. It is the most westerly part of the historic county of Glamorgan. In 1956, the majority of Gower became the first area in the United Kingdom ...

. The historic name of the hill in Welsh is ''Y Bigwrn'', with its summit known as ''Pen y Bigwrn''. Currently, however, it is generally known in Welsh as ''Mynydd Cilfái'', a translation of the English name.Talnant,
Melin Wynt Cilfai'
''Y Darian'', 5 August 1915, p. 4; accessed 31 December 2018. There are a number of residential areas dotted around the base of the hill. To the north are

and

Pentrechwyth Pentrechwyth ( en, village on the left) is a village in Swansea, Wales falling within the Bon-y-maen ward. The village approximates to the built up area around Jersey Road just uphill from the junction with the A4217 road and most recently the ...

. To the south are

Dan-y-graig St Thomas is a suburban district and community in Swansea, Wales. It is a mainly residential area which lies east of Swansea city centre across the River Tawe and falls within the St Thomas ward. Fabian Way divides the traditional residential ...

Port Tennant Port Tennant is a suburban district of Swansea, Wales, falling within the St. Thomas ward. Port Tennant lies at the southern foot of Kilvey Hill just east of St. Thomas and is bounded by the Fabian Way to the south. It is a mostly residential ...

and St. Thomas. At the top of the hill is the TV and radio transmitter station and a telecommunications mast. The central belt of the hill consists of woodland and open grassland, which forms part of the

Kilvey Community Woodland The Kilvey Community Woodland is a designated nature reserve located on the fringes of the city of Swansea, Wales. The area covers the slopes of Kilvey Hill and some of the flatter land to the northwest. Geography Kilvey Community Woodland is ...

. The hill is used to host a number of mountain biking events. Access to the top of the hill by motor vehicles is only via a steep concrete road that leads up to the summit from the village of

Kilvey Killer

The Kilvey Killer is an annual charity endurance race, usually held in August, which involves running up and down Kilvey Hill carrying a sack of cement. The race was established in 1989 by the former amateur boxing champion and trainer Nigel Page to raise money for a special baby unit for

Singleton Hospital Singleton Hospital ( cy, Ysbyty Singleton) is a general hospital in Sketty Lane, Swansea, Wales. It is managed by Swansea Bay University Health Board. History The first stage of the hospital, which included outpatients' facilities, was complete ...

, Swansea, which had saved his daughter Kirsty's life after she was born prematurely.
This Is South Wales web site "Sammy crosses The Line of Kilvey Killer" URL referred 12 March 2012

References

External links

BBC South West Wales – Kilvey Community Woodland
{{Coord, 51, 37, 45, N, 3, 55, 13, W, type:landmark_region:GB, display=title Mountains and hills of Swansea Mountain running competitions