Just A Quick Note – 21/07/2021
Just a Quick Note
21st July 2021
The e-newsletter of the Twmbarlwm Society
Hello Folks
I hope you’re all keeping cool and surviving this sweltering weather – and for once I’m hoping it’s not too hot to get up to Twmbarlwm this coming Sunday for a spot of litter picking.
Last month was a fabulous turn out of helpers due to the lovely weather on the day – so if it’s as good this weekend we look forward to seeing the old faces up there – and hopefully some new faces – for a good spring clean.
The Last-Sunday-Of-The-Month Litter Pick will go ahead this weekend – Sunday 25th July 2021
Please make your own way there and we will meet you at the car park below the Twmp at 10:30 am.
We are usually there for a couple of hours and we collect litter from the area immediately around the car park and some of us walk around the wider area to check out fences, paths etc. and effect any repairs if we are able. Tools, Pickers, Bags and Gloves will be supplied.
This is also a great opportunity to meet other members and learn more about the area and the work that the Society gets involved with.
Covid Guidelines are changing rapidly but they still ask us to be cautious – so during our litter pick this coming weekend we expect everyone who comes to help to maintain social distancing. However it will still not be wise to for us to offer people a lift up the mountain or to offer tea and bikkies afterwards. We’ll have soft drinks for anyone who helps out but bring your own picnic if you need to.
Don’t forget – if you are taking a walk up there any day of the week for exercise, why not think about taking a rubbish bag with you to collect any littesr on your way – every little helps. If you do leave any filled bags in the corner of the car park, make sure to let us know so that we can inform the council to collect it.
ARCHAEOLOGICAL NEWS
As I started to write this JQN the report from the Geophysics Survey Team arrived, so I have not had time to read through it just yet. At first glance I don’t think it contains any earth-shattering news about the Twmp but it does reveal anomalies in the data that are worthy of further investigation – and this will help the excavation team decide the best location for their trenches.
We will publish a complete description of the survey on our web site under the Archaeology/Blog in due course.
At the moment the excavation is pencilled in to start on 2nd August and continue for three weeks – we’re still in the process of organising this and I will confirm details as soon as I can. Again we will be looking for volunteers to help with this phase of the project – so if you are interested in getting involved please contact us via email and we will ensure to keep you informed of any developments.
Even if you don’t fancy helping out we hope to be able to offer the opportunity for folk to visit during the excavation period and we’ll have someone on site to describe the nature of the work going on – we certainly hope to have an open day at the end of the dig when the archaeologists will go over the results of their investigation.
If you do visit the site whilst the dig is ongoing – please do not encroach on the areas being worked on without permission from the archaeologist in charge.
Visit our website https://www.twmbarlwm.co.uk and the archaeology blog to see reports and photos of how far we got when this project started in 2019.
CWMCARN FOREST DRIVE
The info below is a repeat of what I told you in the last JQN – but I thought it was worth repeating because some people visiting the archaeology site may wish to walk there from Car Par 2 (now renamed Twmbarlwm View) of the Forest Drive – it’s a 3 mile round walk but it is relatively flat across the ridgeway to the Twmp.
No doubt you are aware that the Forest Drive re-opened for the first time since it was closed over six years ago. This has come about thanks to a campaign run by Friends of Cwmcarn Forest Drive and fully supported by Cymdeithas Twmbarlwm Society – a million thanks to Rob Southall who founded both our societies and led the campaign to get the Drive re-opened and made accessible to all.
What NRW have achieved on the Drive is absolutely fabulous, the quality of the road and the improvements to all the facilities exceed all expectations and I would urge you all to visit.
It costs just £8 per car, (a season ticket is also available at £60) which includes access to numerous picnic areas and accessible walks, various adventure playgrounds and storytelling areas and breath-taking panoramic views of the South Wales Valleys and across the Bristol Channel.
The ticket also enables free parking on the valley floor if you fancied a bite to eat in the popular Raven’s Café, a visit to the gift shop to pick up a souvenir or a gentle stroll around the lake once visiting the drive.
It’s open 1st March – 31st October, 10am – 6pm (Last entry 4pm)
1st November – End of February, Weekends only, 10am – 4pm (Last entry 2pm)
Please be sensible and follow the government’s advice during this pandemic emergency – keep safe and healthy and help us all protect the NHS
Many Regards
TERRY EVANS
Chairman Cymdeithas Twmbarlwm Society
Address general queries to: twmbarlwmsociety@gmail.com
These details are posted on our website and on FaceBook – but if you know of anyone who is interested but don’t get their news through the internet – could you please let them have a copy of this message.
ADVERT
CTS TRUSTEE – Published Author
“Speculative-fiction” fans may be interested to know that one of the Trustees of our Society, Martyn Rhys Vaughan, is a published author with half a dozen acclaimed novels under his belt. His latest novel “Doom of Stars” even bears a dedication to the work of Cymdeithas Twmbarlwm Society – for which we are very grateful.
All Martyn’s books are available on Amazon and are worth checking out – his next book, Devouring Darkness, is a collection of short stories and will be published at the end of August.
DOOM of STARS:– Kalli had been told that her family was to blame for the fact that the world was ending. Yet the sphere she had been given said otherwise. But could it help her to escape the Doom of Stars?
