Making a
Difference on Twmbarlwm The unmistakable profile of the “Tump” on Twmbarlwm dominates the skyline of south-east Wales
WELCOME TO THE FIRST of what is to be a regular Torfaen County Borough Councils, Heddlu Gwent feature within these pages - a bi-monthly round up of Police, CADW and the area landowners Llanarth the work of the Cymdeithas Twmbarlwm Society (CTS). Estates, have enabled some very good progress to be And what better way to start what is hopefully going to made in the relatively short space of time that the be a long series than with a bit of a potted history. The society has existed. The last 18 months has seen some Society is now over 2 years old, having grown out of the major improvements being carried out in the area by Save Twmbarlwm Campaign which started in April Caerphilly County Borough Council through the 2010. The campaign was a direct response to the sad lobbying and support of CTS. The creation of a public decline of the landscape (of what is something of an car park on the south approach to Twmbarlwm; the iconic mountain) over many years as a result of erosion, installation of new fencing and restoration work on the public carelessness and the illegal intrusions by off road steps of the “Tump”; and the installation of some allvehicles, especially motor bikes. Following the important signage, which will serve to welcome and enthusiastic and passionate direct visitors, in addition to warning response of local people, the society Dedicated to research, those who engage in illegal activity was launched in October the same such as off-road activity and fly restore and protect year. From the outset it was clear that tipping, have been very welcome the mountain with the distinctive Mynydd Twmbarlwm ~ improvements to the area. “Tump” on the top, that dominates The society currently has in excess of Gwent’s most iconic the South East Wales skyline holds 60 members. Membership, which landmark an affinity with many people costs only £10 per calendar year, is throughout the area. The founding very good value for money when you society members demonstrated that they meant consider the opportunity that it provides to actually business by very quickly agreeing, and then actively “make a difference” about something that you are pursuing, the following objectives: interested in, or as is the case with many CTS members, •
To protect and preserve the ancient monument on the summit of Twmbarlwm and its immediate environment
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To ensure that there is secure and robust fencing in place to prevent access by off road vehicles – especially scrambling motor bikes
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To ensure that fencing and stiles are properly maintained
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To seek to improve the quality of footpaths on the mountain and to work to ensure that pedestrian access is not the cause of further erosion
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To raise the public perception of the importance of Twmbarlwm in historical, environmental and community terms
Action… not just talk! The premise that actions do indeed speak louder than words has always been at the heart of how CTS operates. From the outset the development of action plans and very importantly, the development of effective partnership working with the likes of Caerphilly and 24
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that you feel very passionate about. In its drive to raise the profile of both Twmbarlwm and the society, a full programme of events has been delivered since its inception. These events have ranged from local (and not so local) walks; free entry to historical and environmental talks on the local landscape; practical events such as litter picks and the organised monitoring of illegal off road activity in the area; to the launch of a real ale called Twmbarlwm Brew, produced by Newman`s Brewery of Caerphilly. The society also held a Royal Jubilee Beacon event in June of 2012, which was attended by over 250 people, and acted as the trigger for the lighting of other Beacons in the area. The production of a number of informative and professionally produced society newsletters is also indicative of a vibrant society. During the first couple of years of its existence the society members met every month at Cross Keys Rugby Club. These meetings were usually attended by 20 or so of the more active members. Attending meetings is not everyone’s cup of tea, and attendance has never been a prerequisite to joining the society. The society is very grateful for the rugby club`s support in May/June 2013
society event. On a grey and cold allowing the use of its facilities. The March Sunday afternoon up on Society is always on the look out for Twmbarlwm, the scene was brightened people who have a love or interest in by the heartening sight of over twenty Twmbarlwm, and who support the CTS members busily conducting a litter society’s aims, especially those who pick on the mountain and surrounding have experience, knowledge or skills area. The clear-up was undertaken as that will assist in helping the cause! part the wider Caerphilly Spring Clean Whilst CTS achieved much success event, supported by Caerphilly County during the first 18 months of their Borough Council. existence, members had no intention of The Keep Wales Tidy campaign kindly resting on their laurels. The advent of supplied litter picking equipment and t2012 witnessed a growing desire to shirts. Over 25 bags of rubbish were move the society forward and to collected on the day. In addition, a large develop new objectives. amount of rubbish, being the remnants Becoming a Small Charity of old fly tipped material, was also The summer months saw the cleared from the area, including car exploration of various avenues of wheels, tyres, building materials, funding for the society and projects that household waste and scrap metal. The newly installed path on the Pegwyncould be realistically undertaken. It y-Bwlch approach to “The Tump” was as The litter pick turned into a real became clear that becoming a charity a result of CTS’s campaigning. community event, with a number of would enable the society to access the visitors to the area spontaneously many funding opportunities available. At the AGM in joining in and collecting what litter they could during their October, 2012, a new constitution was adopted and a time in the area. These unexpected volunteers included team of Trustees was appointed. As a result, CTS is local visitors, members of a Cardiff based Walking Club, now a “Small Charity”. and even a visitor from as far away as Derby! The Also agreed at the AGM was a list of priorities and welcome involvement of these unexpected volunteers objectives for the society to achieve over the coming contributed to a great atmosphere on the day. years. The ultimate aim is to have a landscape that we It is fair to say that these are exciting times for can all be proud of to hand on to future generations. It Twmbarlwm and CTS, with several exciting projects in is hoped that the ability to secure regular funding will the pipeline. We plan to have a stand at local fetes and enable new projects to protect and maintain carnivals throughout the summer, where you will be able Twmbarlwm, especially the need for more academic to find out more about the Society, so look out for us, research to be carried out at the site. we’re really a friendly bunch. But if you want to know The previously mentioned groundwork improvements more about CTS, please visit our website at being undertaken by Caerphilly County Borough Council www.twmbarlwm.co.uk where you can find out more are nearing completion, and in the future it is hoped that information, download a membership form or even join CTS will be more actively involved in the management or donate online. of the area, with its members being involved in voluntary We look forward to telling you more about the hands on maintenance work. work and plans of the Cymdeithas Twmbarlwm A Spring Clean on Twmbarlwm Society in future editions. Until next time. An excellent example of how members get involved in practical hands on work was well illustrated in a recent Terry Evans, Chairman, Cymdeithas Twmbarlwm Society A few of the CTS volunteers who braved a cold March afternoon to clear two huge piles of rubbish and litter from Twmbarlwm.
May/June 2013
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In Defence of Twmbarlwm Volunteers toiled all day to manhandle logs and trees into position to form a hopefully impenetrable barrier to help defend Twmbarlwm.
Our task was to build a fence between Mynydd Maen Common and the ancient monument of Twmbarlwm, which will help to keep sheep and cows off the tump. The site we chose was where illegal off-road vehicles and scrambler bikes have worn two trenches, causing massive erosion to the hillside. This is one of our Society’s key objectives for the year in pursuit of our aim to protect this special historical landscape. Our countryside is continually under pressure and we have to value our green spaces. The Twmbarlwm Society put out a call for volunteers via email and Facebook. One sunny Sunday morning we met at the tump to see who would turn up. So that is why a few teachers, a taxi driver, a civil servant, a graphic designer, a college lecturer, charity worker a school boy and many others could be found working as a team under the expert guidance of Dave, a Society member who handily runs a fencing company, and Howard the farmer who grazes his animals on the Common. Our plan was to plant 50 yards of parallel fence posts, stretch wire along the outside and to fill the gaps with logs and pine trees. We also installed a kissing gate to allow walkers access to the Common. The next stage will be to plant hawthorn bushes on either side forming an impenetrable barrier which will look entirely natural and attract wildlife. At Blaen Bran Community Woodland in Cwmbran similar fences are very effective and look like they have been there for decades. It’s surprising how much fencing and pine trees a group of enthusiastic volunteers can deal with using a few garden tools and brute force. It’s even more impressive how much progress can be made when the team includes a farmer and his strapping sons with a 24
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Photo: Mike West
THERE IS SOMETHING very rewarding about hard physical work. It becomes even more rewarding on a bright sunny day when you are a volunteer doing something for a good cause.
View of the the first 50 yards of fence, affectionately dubbed “The Alamo” by CTS and their hard working band of volunteers.
great big tractor for banging in the fence posts and two volunteers who have brought their own (licensed) chainsaws. This freed up the rest of the team for industrial-scale “snedding” which I now know to be stripping the side shoots and limbs from the trunk of a tree. Maggie and Sue kept us well refreshed with food and drink. After a full day’s work in the sun I crawled through the front door, able only to croak in a weak and parched voice “cold beer, I need cold beer”. My dear partner looked up and muttered something about some work needing doing in the garden. Voluntary work can be unappreciated sometimes. Why don’t you join us next time? You will get the satisfaction that you are doing your bit to preserve the landscape and heritage of a unique site. You’ll also have a lot of fun with plenty of banter, repartee and awful jokes. To see what CTS are up to next check out the website www.twmbarlwm.co.uk or join our FaceBook group for some lively discussion.
Dedicated to research, restore and protect Mynydd Twmbarlwm ~ Gwent’s most iconic landmark July/August 2013
Roll-up, Roll-up, Learn About Twmbarlwm! PICTURE THE SCENE. Bronzed smiling young people strolling in the unbroken sunshine wearing shorts and sunglasses. Young mothers applying sun screen to impatient small children, eager to break away and explore the attractions. The gentle sounds of a singer crooning wartime dance hall favourites wafting on the breeze. Could this be San Tropez or Villefranche? No, it was the Famous 40s Summer Fayre in Risca on a very fine Saturday in early July and another opportunity for the Twmbarlwm Society to spread the word about our work to research, restore and protect the mountain and its unique landscape. Now I don’t know about you but I think that there is nothing worse at these events than seeing people sitting passively behind tables with a few leaflets. Our aims were to raise awareness of the mountain and our Society, to build support for our activities and, who knows, attract a few more members. To achieve these aims we would need to talk to as many people as possible. We needed a gimmick to draw the crowds. Now I didn’t know this, but there are lots of activities that groups can do to stand out from the crowd and raise money at these events. We considered and rejected the human fruit machine (too many people required), plate smashing (health and safety) and a baked bean bath (nobody wanted to show too much enthusiasm for this one in case they were invited to be the bather).
converting a large piece of plywood into a low-tech but intriguing board game. Players had to roll a coin down a chute to reach the summit of Twmbarlwm. If you successfully evaded the obstacles of sheep and pot holes you won a prize of a bag of sweets. If you landed in a cloud you won an even bigger prize i.e. two bags of sweets. At 2p a go it wasn’t a huge earner but it provided a fascinating and addictive challenge to some and, most importantly, made people pause long enough for us to engage them in conversation. Next time we might charge to watch the highly entertaining spectacle of Martin, our Treasurer, attempting to erect a gazebo single-handedly in a light breeze before realising that he didn’t have all the pieces. A good time was had by all and the event was an enormous success both for Risca and for the Society. Our team of enthusiastic volunteers spoke to a huge number of people and gained quite a few new supporters for our efforts to preserve the landscape and heritage of our iconic mountain, Twmbarlwm. We are compiling a list of events for the Autumn so to see what CTS are up to next please check out the website www.twmbarlwm.co.uk or join our Facebook group at Cymdeithas Twmbarlwm Society for some lively discussion.
The greasy pole pillow fight was rejected on almost every possible ground, not least being too undignified for a serious organisation with charitable purposes. Sounded like fun though! We decided to go for coin rolling. Terry, Chair of the Society and creative genius, performed miracles in
Photos: Mike West
The latest CTS newsletter is now available from local visitor centres, libraries and other public places. It’s full of news and interesting articles – pick up one now or visit our website to request a copy.
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www.twmbarlwm.co.uk swdirectories.com
August/September 2013
THE TRUSTEES AND MEMBERS of the Cymdeithas Twmbarlwm Society (CTS) are a very enthusiastic and optimistic bunch. They only have to sense the slightest inkling of what may be good news, to loudly declare to anyone who is willing to listen, that there are “exciting The Tidy Towns funding will go a long way totimes ahead for the society”! Well, we wards stopping this sort of abuse to our beautiful are delighted to report that following a landscape and help us create a tidy environment successful application for funding from the for all the community to visit and enjoy. Welsh Government’s Tidy Towns initiative caused by off-road vehicles; and to effectively tackle (TTI), there are indeed very exciting times ahead! occurrences of fly tipping. The TTI was launched in April 2008 with the aim of • To improve access to the area for all legitimate users “supporting the people of Wales to take responsibility through repairing existing paths and developing new for the quality of their local environment so that they can routes, and providing new seating areas. contribute towards a Clean, Safe and Tidy Wales”. • To install a variety of information and warning signs During the early years, TTI was delivered through a to reinforce the work completed to improve the partnership between the Welsh Government, the 22 defence of, and access to the area. Welsh Local Authorities, and Keep Wales Tidy (KWT). • To plant native tree and plant species to improve the Significant funding supported a wide range of appearance area around the car parking area. collaborative projects and activities across Wales which all served to benefit Local Environmental Quality. • To purchase much needed equipment for use during the society’s litter clearance exercises. Following an evaluation of the scheme in 2009, TTI was widened to allow community groups to bid for The project has been dubbed, “Towards a Tidy funding, in addition to local authorities and KWT. So, Twmp”, and the work activities which aim to have the earlier this year CTS Trustees decided to submit an project completed by the end of March 2014 have been application for funding which would enable the society agreed. Whilst the advice of Caerphilly County Borough to undertake a number of projects during 2013-14 that (with whom the society has an excellent working would improve the environment on Twmbarlwm. relationship) has been sought and gratefully received, it is anticipated that the vast majority of the proposed With nearly £1 million being up for grabs for work will be carried out by CTS members and other community led projects, and with a maximum project volunteers, in collaboration with members of the value of £30,000 being set to enable as many Commoners Association. This promises to be a organisations as possible to benefit from the funding, challenging but very rewarding time for all concerned. competition was intense. A total of 134 applications were received by the Welsh Government, and all were We are always looking for new members interested carefully considered by an independent assessment in protecting our iconic mountain, and now is a great panel. 75 projects across Wales were eventually time to get involved. If you are interested in joining us or awarded funding towards a wide variety of initiatives. simply finding out more about our activities then please visit the society web-site at www.twmbarlwm.co.uk. So what did CTS manage to secure? The excellent Go on, you could be just a couple of mouse clicks away news is that the WG awarded the society the grand total from becoming part of the exciting times that are ahead! of £24,000 to help continue the sterling work of recent years which has sought to improve the environment on Twmbarlwm and its immediate area – a landscape which over many years has been subjected to much abuse, resulting in the significant damage that is visible today. The funding will enable the following work to be undertaken: • To introduce new defence measures and strengthen existing fences in order to prevent the unlawful access and subsequent damage and nuisance 24
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October/November 2013
Photos: Terry Evans
“Exciting Times Ahead!” for a Tidy Twmp
“A Special Place” I Will Always Cherish surrounding landscape. Woe betide if they ask “Do you know the area, what exactly is the Tump?” – I then start to drone on … “…always lived in Risca – most of my youth playing up here – before Ty-Sign was built – camping with the Cubs – Iron Age Hill Fort, Romans, Normans, blah, blah…” I apologise if I’ve caught any of you and prattled on about Twmbarlwm - but it is a place I am proud to have on my doorstep and I will never tire of its mystery or those magnificent views. But a great opportunity for me to spout on about Twmbarlwm came in September, when John Griffiths AM, Minister for Culture and Sport answered our invitation to visit the mountain. He was accompanied by Jocelyn Davies AM and Gwyn Price AM. It was not a great day for taking in the glorious views – it was a cold, wet, misty, autumnal day but they all donned their waterproofs and braved the elements for members of CTS to guide them up the steep slopes to show them the work being done to repair fences and put in barriers to deter illegal off-roading. Photos: Terry Evans
The western approach to Twmbarlwm at Pegwyn y Bwlch
WHY OH WHY DO I DO THIS? – that is getting involved in a society dedicated to saving and protecting the local landscape of Mynydd Twmbarlwm. It’s not for the committee work, that’s for sure. I get fed up with the sound of my own voice at the trustees’ and members’ meetings – yes, I can hear the resounding “Here! Here!” to that comment. And there’s even more work for the trustees at the moment with the Welsh Government funded “Tidy Twmp” project underway. Meetings with councils, landowners, contractors and suchlike and a seemingly never-ending stream of emails and form filling. We all volunteer for this organisation for our own personal reasons, but the common, underlying fact is that we do it because Twmbarlwm means so much to us. My story is simply that I am Risca born and bred, Twmbarlwm has always featured in my life – from being taken up there regularly by my mam and dad when I was a kid, cycling and camping there in my early teens, and I even dragged my art college friends up there. It’s always been the first place I’ve walked any new puppy or “acquaintance” and of course the place to take my grand daughters on their first outdoor excursion. Nowadays, when I walk up to the Tump and across the ridgeway (at least twice a week) the stresses of everyday life get put on hold – whatever the weather. I invariably have my ‘pack’ of Welsh Springer Spaniels with me and I love to see them bounding about in the bracken and heather – they certainly know how to enjoy life to full – we could learn a lesson or two from them. When I sit in one of my favourite spots to contemplate the view they too settle down alongside me and I’m sure they enjoy the solitude and views as much as I do. Often, I meet other walkers – I can never resist asking “Have you come far?” and am often surprised at the answer – the past few months I’ve spoken to visitors from around the UK (Devon, Kent, Leicester, Glasgow, Norwich), Ireland, Canada, USA (Florida, Carolina, Memphis), Armenia, Africa, New Zealand, Japan – most have some sort of family link to the area or are visiting friends, but all are impressed with the mountain and 24
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John Griffiths AM, Minister for Culture and Sport (right), Jocelyn Davies AM and Gwyn Price AM were shown around Twmbarlwm by CTS members.
The VIPs were impressed with the wide scope of operations already done and proposed by the society – from replanting of hedgerows to in-depth archaeological research of the area. The AMs were no strangers to the area though – each had happy recollections and stories of previous visits there with family and friends – all agreed that Twmbarlwm is an important community and tourist resource for south-east Wales to cherish and promote. If you agree with that sentiment and would like to help preserve your environment for future generations then please consider joining CTS – go to www.twmbarlwm.co.uk for more information or link up to the Facebook group. December 2013