Just-A-Quick-Note - 25/02/2022

Just-A-Quick-Note – 25/02/2022

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Just a Quick Note

23rd February 2022

The e-newsletter of the Twmbarlwm Society

Hello Folks

Hope you all survived storms Eunice and Franklin – now that they’ve passed us by I think it’s safe enough to get back up the Twmp…

First of all let me remind you:–

The Last-Sunday-Of-The-Month Litter Pick will be – Sunday 27th February 2022

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.

Please make your own way to the car park at the end of Mountain Road, below the Twmp. We will provide tea and bikkies to all helpers after the pick and there will be soft drinks on offer too – or 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 litter 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.

ARCHAEOLOGY

There’s a little bit of good news on the archaeology front and that is that we have received the results of the radiocarbon dating of the charcoal deposits that were found in the last trench we excavated on the NE corner of the bailey.

One sample was dated to between 175 and 26 BC and contains remnants of hazel stemwood and other short lived species whilst the other was dated to between 3105 and 2916 BC (Neolithic) and contains evidence of Hazel and Oak.

I’m not going to comment on the likely theories that these dates suggest because it is now up to the archaeologists to make their professional assessments in their report. So we hope to get that report in a month or so and then we will hopefully arrange a public talk by the archaeologists and publish all the results online.

The results seem to be very encouraging and we are hoping to be able to continue with further investigations later this year and we are continuing discussions with Cadw and CPAT to arrange future funding and plans.

Adventure Triangle Work

In the last e-newsletter I described the work of the Adventure Triangle features that had just started, much of which is now complete – if you missed the e-newsletter catch up with it on our website click here.

One feature that has perplexed some is the new corral near the car park at the entrance to the mountain track. What people must realise (and particularly those off-roaders who use the track illegally) is that those gates are there not just to annoy people but they are there to stop the livestock wandering off the mountain and down onto the lower common and maybe even down into Henllys and Risca. Those gates must be kept closed!

There’s more work going on and will be for a couple more months so please be careful if you come across workers and heavy machinery when you go walking up there.

Mynydd Maen Wind Farm

I’m sure this will become a major talking point before too long – but the Society has been contacted for comment and made aware of plans to develop a wind farm on the Penyrheol side of the Mynydd Maen Common. I attach a Newsletter from the company proposing this project. They will be providing an online exhibition from March 8th at http://www.mynyddmaen-windfarm.co.uk/ and inviting comments from interested parties – so if you want to have your say make sure you visit that website before April 1st.

OTHER EVENTS

The Hot-Cross-Bun Walk – Good Friday 15th April 2022

The past couple of years have been a bit of a disaster for our traditional walk up Twmbarlwm on Good Friday but we intend to celebrate it good and proper this year so make sure you keep your walking boots handy and mark the date down for

The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee 5th June 2022

The Society lit a Beacon on top of Twmbarlwm for the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee in 2012 and again for her 90th Birthday Celebrations in 2016 – and we intend doing the same again for her Platinum Jubilee on 2nd June 2022. We have only just started finalising our plans – so please keep in touch to learn up-to-date details or if you feel you can help in any way.

KNOW ANYONE WHO WOULD LIKE TO BECOME A MEMBER?

We are always looking for new members to help us further the aims of the society which are “…to research, restore and protect Gwent’s most iconic landmark, Twmbarlwm” – and in particular we are looking for members who really want to get involved and help with our work – and to bring new ideas to the table.

The Twmbarlwm Society has existed for over 10 years and so far have achieved quite a lot on the mountain and we are recognised by local councils, Cadw and other official bodies as a major influencer in environmental, and historical issues of the area.

Next year promises to be another exciting year with CTS being heavily involved in major local projects and we need people with the skills to help move these project forward including:

  • the on-going progress of the Archaeological Investigation of Twmbarlwm that we started earlier this year – this is a major project managed by CTS, funded by Cadw and implemented by Clwyd Powys Archaeological Trust
  • work on the Adventure Triangle Project has started as described above and more aspects that involve CTS will continue over the next year.
  • and with the re-opening of the Cwmcarn Forest Drive in the spring, the Twmbarlwm Society will feature strongly in influencing how the tourist attraction will develop – together with Friends of Cwmcarn Forest Drive, CTS campaigned for the re-opening of the drive and will continue to be involved with the development of the drive.

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.