Re-seeding & Re-growth of Twmbarlwm Another year has gone by and it was another busy year for the Society and probably an unforgettable one for Twmbarlwm and the surrounding area. You all know that I’m referring to the wildfires that devastated vast areas of the Cwmcarn Forest and spread over the summit of Twmbarlwm causing extensive damage to the undergrowth and compromising the underlying archaeology. The fires raged around Twmbarlwm for nearly two weeks and once it was over, CTS met on the mountain with field officers from Cadw to examine the damage. Then with advice from CCBC’s ecologist and a Cadw appointed landscape engineer it was decided that in the short term it was vital to attempt to stabilise the surface by re-seeding as much of the damaged area as possible before severe winter weather did further damage to the landscape. Therefore the society set about raising the necessary money, primarily from Cadw and Trustees of the Llanarth Estates, to pay for a specialised mix of native species grass seed. With just three days before the proposed day to sow the seed we put a call out on the internet for volunteers to help with the sowing - so it was a marvellous surprise on 7th October when over 40 people turned up to help. It was a glorious sunny day with just a small breeze perfect sowing weather - and we had the whole top of the mountain covered within three hours - it was a marvellous day and illustrates how the Twmp holds a unique place in the hearts of the local community. We have kept our eye on the Twmp to check on progress since the re-seeding. Unfortunately, storm Callum whipped through the area just a couple of days after re-seeding, this did us no favours in giving the seed a chance to germinate. The burnt areas had a real battering from the heavy rain and strong winds, and areas that were fine ash and dust hardened into a solid clay consistency - not a good base for the grass seed. Much of the seed was also swept off the crest of the surrounding ditch leaving a few bare patches. So for the first few weeks our efforts seemed to be futile.
Some of the re-seeding volunteers show great sowing technique on Twmbarlwm
Despite some horrendous autumn weather some areas are showing signs of regrowth
However, a month further on, I visited the mountain in early December and I could see more promising signs. Now I’m no botanist, but even I could tell that there was plenty of evidence that our newly sown grass was starting to show through as well as some original, surviving grass stock – there are also new shoots of heather and wimberry coming up. I await the experts’ verdict but I believe we did a satisfactory rescue job and expect more re-seeding will be necessary in the spring – so watch our website for announcements and come and join us next time.• CTS meet at the car park below Twmbarlwm’s summit for a litter pick and volunteer workday on the last Sunday of every month to which everyone is invited, it’s not all hard work and it’s a great opportunity to find your way around up there. We organise walks and other events up the mountain and at Crosskeys RFC throughout the year so watch our website and Facebook page for details.
w w w. t w m b a r l w m . c o . u k
Over 40 volunteers helped sow grass seed over the scorched areas of the mountain top.
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January 2019
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Optimism for the Future of Twmbarlwm FROM THE FIRST DAY that the Twmbarlwm Society was formed our motto has been “Dedicated to Research, Restore and Protect Mynydd Twmbarlwm” and here nearly 10 years on, that sentiment is as relevant as ever – and we are hopeful to push forward with that mantra even more this coming year. Five years ago the Society took part in a survey (along with other local societies) that had been commissioned by Torfaen and Caerphilly County councils to help identify ways in which the area could be developed in the future. Since the publication of that survey, known as the ‘Twmbarlwm and Mynydd Maen Scoping Study’, funding has been put in place and CTS are now hopeful that some of the proposals we put forward to the survey will be implemented over the next few years. The overall project is referred to as ‘The Adventure Triangle’, it takes in the mountain ridge running from the A467 Hafodyrynys - Pontypool road to Twmbarwlm and along the Monmouthshire Brecon Canal. Proposals in this project include the development of ‘physical links and key connections between Cwmcarn over Mynydd Maen and Twmbarlwm’ to Torfaen. To put it simply the idea is to encourage more people to make use of the mountain ridge for recreation by linking the common and Twmbarwlm to the Cwmcarn Visitor Centre and Forest Drive and to Blaen Bran in Cwmbran. There will be improved signage and track repairs done to aid cross-common cycling, horse riding and walking routes to link Blaen Bran and Cwmcarn. As far as the Society is concerned, we are now more optimistic that some plans that we have had in place for years will now come to fruition. Indeed some projects have already been put in place. Projects include everything from landscape repair and erecting new signs to addressing illegal off-roading and anti-social behaviour. To help achieve these aims we will be calling for a great deal of volunteer help in the months ahead. So please watch this space for further information and regularly check out our website and Facebook page.
Improved paths and signs can only encourage more events like the St David’s Hospice Twmbarlwm Trek.
If you are interested in volunteering, come along and meet us - there’s plenty of opportunity to do so at the other events we hold. For instance, just around the corner it’s the annual tradition of tramping up to Twmbarlwm on Good Friday (April 19th) – what we now call our Hot-Cross-Bun Walk. Again this year there will be organised walks from the Stony Bridge in Pontymister, Cwmcarn Visitor Centre and Cwmbran. We also have a couple of our popular historical talks planned.There will be a talk at Crosskeys RFC on the History of Newport Castle (TBC) and later in March there will be a fascinating talk on the famous Bowmen of Gwent and the part they played at the Battle of Agincourt. There are also walks planned - one around the Forest Drive, one to Pwll Tra and another to Llanderfel Chapel. Each of these walks is always very popular so please keep an eye on our website for announcements. Many members come along to these events, it’s always a good time to catch up with news of what the society is up to, and with all the work we anticipate in the future we need all the help we can get. Terry Evans (Chairman CTS)
Over 40 volunteers helped out with the re-seeding of the Tump last October
Photos: Terry C. Evans ©
Some much needed repair work will need to be done to the Scheduled Ancient Monument after the wild fires of last year
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CTS meet at the car park below Twmbarlwm’s summit for a litter pick and volunteer workday on the last Sunday of every month to which everyone is invited, it’s not all hard work and it’s a great opportunity to find your way around up there. We organise walks and other events up the mountain and at Crosskeys RFC throughout the year so watch our website and Facebook page for details.
www.twmbarlwm.co.uk February/March 2019
Be Aware When You Visit Historic Twmbarlwm AFTER THE LONG WINTER most people are desperate for some sunshine and outdoor activity. So pack a picnic and get the family out into our beautiful countryside – and if you want somewhere local and FREE, there’s nowhere better than the historic mountain of Twmbarlwm. Note that I said ‘historic’ – it’s amazing how many people don’t realise its historical significance. So this year CTS has arranged to erect signs to remind people that the hillfort at the summit of Twmbarlwm is, in fact, a Scheduled Ancient Monument (SAM). As the signs say, Twmbarlwm is considered to be of National Importance and is protected by the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act of 1979 and updated by the Historic Environment (Wales) Act 2016. But what exactly is “Scheduling”? “Scheduling” is the UK’s oldest form of heritage protection. It began in 1913, although its roots go as far back as 1882 when through the Ancient Monuments Protection Act, a ‘Schedule’ of mainly prehistoric monuments deserving of state protection was first compiled. Twmbarlwm first got added to the list in 1939. In Wales, “Scheduling” is the responsibility of Cadw (the Welsh word for ‘keep’) an Executive Agency within the Welsh Government. The term “Ancient Monument” is applied to a wide variety of archaeological sites. From ancient burial sites and standing stones to the far more prominent and well known medieval castles and abbeys. At the other end of the spectrum, there are industrial remains which continued in use into the twentieth century. Indeed the eastern edge of the Mynydd Maen ridgeway at Penyrheol and Cwm Lickey is also classified as a SAM because of its rich industrial heritage. The aim of scheduling is to ensure the long-term preservation of a site. Any proposal to carry out works at a SAM which might have the effect of damaging it must be approved by Cadw. Even if the works are beneficial to the monument, Scheduled Monument Consent must be applied for – a thorough process that CTS has been involved with several times. The full extent of SAM designation cannot be explained in such a short article and I would advise you to visit the Cadw website (www.cadw.gov.wales) for more details. For the casual visitor to the site you should remember the basic rules such as: Take all litter home with you; Do not light fires or barbecues; Do not damage undergrowth or structures; Do not dig into the ground surface. 4
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Aerial photo of Twmbarlwm Hillfort taken after the wildfires of 2018 © Mark Walters / Cadw
Motorised vehicles are forbidden and the riding of horses and bicycles is not allowed. Also, metal detectorists should note that it is an offence to use a metal detector on a SAM without prior consent from Cadw and the landowner. However, a general rule of thumb might be – if you wouldn’t do it at Cardiff Castle, Stonehenge or Tintern Abbey, then don’t do it to Twmbarlwm. Finally, please remember that at the moment the ground surface on Twmbarlwm is still extremely fragile after last year’s wildfires, so please respect the landscape and give the area time to recover naturally. Terry C. Evans, Chairman CTS
CTS meet at the car park below Twmbarlwm’s summit for a litter pick and volunteer workday on the last Sunday of every month to which everyone is invited, it’s not all hard work and it’s a great opportunity to find your way around up there. We organise walks and other events up the mountain and at Crosskeys RFC throughout the year so watch our website and Facebook page for details.
www.twmbarlwm.co.uk
May 2019
The Twmbarlwm Glass Collection
Postive proof that the iconic mountain-top has been a popular destination for picnickers since Victorian times Our litterpick at the end of April was very well attended, which allowed us the opportunity to split the group of volunteers and get a gang to the top of the mountain to do a job we have been planning on doing for the past few months. That task was to pick up the vast amount of broken glass that was uncovered by the wildfires of last summer. Clearing away the glass was needed for both public safety and the fact that it presents the potential of starting more fires with its magnifying effect in the summer sun. Half a dozen of us spent a couple of hours up there and each of us collected half a bucket of glass shards. I must stress here that we all used pick-up sticks and thick gloves – picking up broken glass can be an extremely hazardous task if not tackled with care and it’s not an exercise for small children. When we got the glass back down the hill I just couldn’t bring myself to simply dump it all in the recycling for collection, so we sifted through it and found that each shard must reveal a part of our social history. To our inexpert eyes much of the glass was quite thick and with a green hue to it, suggesting it is of considerable age and giving us further proof that people have been climbing Twmbarlwm with their picnics for many generations. The bottles were all shapes and sizes – there were some flagons with vulcanite screw-in tops and there was also some examples of Codd-Neck bottles – a type of bottle that used a glass-marble as a stopper. On many pieces you can make out parts of words such as:- “..aber…”, “…rtons…”, “…ercar…”, “… BRO…”, “…miner…” – and we spent a while guessing what some of these could be. The most common wording we could decipher on the shards were “Newport and Merthyr Bottle Co.” and Gang of CTS volunteers clearing away decades of broken glass from the top of Twmbarlwm
A few examples from the “Twmbarlwm hoard”
a quick Google search reveal that many of those could date from the early part of the 20th century. One of our group later identified the piece with “…ERCAR…” on it. It was probably a bottle from the Gwyddon Vale Mineral Water Company that operated in Abercarn from 1880-1920. The bottle itself would have been a Codd bottle made by Cannington & Shaw in St. Helens, Lancashire. None of us is an expert on the history of glass, so Cadw put us in touch with an expert in this field. We have since met with him and he has already identified much of the glass, and confirmed that some could date back to Victorian times. We have also had a second foray onto the hill with him and found a great deal more. Together we will be compiling a more thorough report on our findings and will publish it on our website in due course. I can promise you we won’t be pursuing the person who dumped any of these bottles, or their descendants, for littering – and I wonder, if we find a complete bottle, will we still be able to claim back the deposit? Terry C. Evans, Chairman CTS
CTS meet at the car park below Twmbarlwm’s summit for a litter pick and volunteer workday on the last Sunday of every month to which everyone is invited, it’s not all hard work and it’s a great opportunity to find your way around up there. We organise walks and other events up the mountain and at Crosskeys RFC throughout the year so watch our website and Facebook page for details.
www.twmbarlwm.co.uk 4
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June 2019
I know this is going to be a sensitive subject and many out there will castigate me for these views – but ask yourself, would your dearly departed really want his or her favourite location treated in this way? I am, of course, talking about the increasingly common practice of displaying floral tributes and other memorabilia in public places. You see a lot of this on local beauty spots and Twmbarlwm is no exception. I have no problem at all with the occasional bunch of flowers which are going to rot down to nothing – but when it’s a six foot long wreath spelling out “Grandad” I start to question the sentiment. Some of these wreaths are works of art and one has to admire the skills of the florist who created them and when they are displayed on that emotionsapping day of the dearly departed’s funeral they look splendid atop the casket – there’s no finer indication of the family’s love for their beloved relation. Later, the family decide they need to mark the loss of their loved one in one last commemoration by displaying the wonderful, expensive, floral tributes in the place he/she loved the most. Never mind that it’s everybody else’s favourite place too. But that doesn’t matter because the flowers will rot away naturally and be returned to the earth’s bounty in the same symbolic way of the one who is now pushing up the daisies. But wait a minute – how has the talented florist managed to sculpt the flowers into a meaningful symbol of the expired person’s life? As one who has cleared away much of this type of detritus I can tell you – there is half a mile of 16 gauge wire, several kilos of phenolic foam, a ton of plastic and enough polyester ribbon to encircle around the world – none of which is going to melt into the environment any time soon. Bearing that in mind, I believe that if the site of the tribute was truly the favourite spot of the one who is now at peace, I strongly suspect he/she is considering moving on to a less cluttered location to spend eternity. As if the floral tributes weren’t enough to irk my 4
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Photo: Ann Woosnam
Photo: Terry C. Evans
Dying to Get Up Twmbarlwm
After only two weeks the beautiful floral tributes are reduced to just so much plastic, ribbon and metal.
ire, don’t get me started on balloons, inflated with hydrogen and released in their hundreds to interfere with air-traffic control and land miles away across the country where they can be potentially gobbled up by all sorts of wildlife and farm animals. To top it all, the distribution of such tributes is often preceded by the bizarre practice of scattering poor old Grandma or Grandad to the four winds. Now I must admit, I don’t object to that too much – indeed, I also intend having the lead role in such a ceremony one day (in the distant future). Hopefully, those that I leave behind to perform the ceremony will have the sense not to leave me in an untidy pile where visitors to the site are going to want to sit with their egg sandwiches and thermos of tea. I also hope that they check the direction of the wind – I don’t fancy being inhaled by my grieving family or faithful hound. Although this article takes a light hearted view at this subject there is a real message – the passing of somebody close to you is a traumatic, personal time and we in the Twmbarlwm Society who tend the landscape for the sake of the community do not want to impinge on anyone’s time of grief. However, please do not be offended when your well-meant tributes are removed after a suitable period – or why not retrieve them yourself before they’re past their best? Terry C. Evans, Chairman CTS
CTS meet at the car park below Twmbarlwm’s summit for a litter pick and volunteer workday on the last Sunday of every month to which everyone is invited, it’s not all hard work and it’s a great opportunity to find your way around up there. We organise walks and other events up the mountain and at Crosskeys RFC throughout the year so watch our website and Facebook page for details.
www.twmbarlwm.co.uk
September 2019
Twmbarlwm devastated – but hey! – every cloud… Have the fires done us a great favour and revealed some vital clues to the archaeological history of the iconic mountain?
You probably do not need reminding of the terrible wildfires that affected Twmbarlwm mountain in the summer of 2018 when much of the grass, heather and whim covering the scheduled monument was burnt away to quite a depth. Cymdeithas Twmbarlwm Society, like everyone else, were very concerned about the devastation and within days of the fire, after sending a series of photos showing the the damage, CTS were guiding officers from Cadw around the site. Together with the ecologist from Caerphilly CBC they were shocked to see the extent of the damage. Although it was a very sad sight, we were able to see that without the cover of the undergrowth, there appeared to be some archaeological features that we and Cadw were not previously aware of. Not being slow on the uptake CTS saw an opportunity developing. We had already had dealings with Cadw and knew how difficult it can be to get permission to stick a spade in a scheduled monument without their say-so. After all, Twmbarlwm and its supposed hill-fort has had very little serious research done on it and certainly no official archaeological excavations – indeed there are many conflicting opinions on its history and possible origins, so wouldn’t it be a great idea to try to get some answers. As it turned out, our friends from Cadw were way ahead of us, and were thinking of ways they could persuade their bosses that a serious archaeological investigation of Twmbarlwm was long overdue and this window of opportunity provided by the fires was too good to miss. So a team from CTS worked with Cadw to explore the possibility of an archaeological dig and after many months of planning and negotiations the Society managed to get the go ahead for an in-depth archaeological investigation of the ancient monument at the summit of Twmbarlwm. Cadw provided the funding with which CTS engaged the professional services of Clwyd-Powys
Archaeological Trust to perform the investigation. Lead archaeologist, Richard Hankinson, from CPAT was shown around the site by CTS members for an initial assessment and designed a schedule for the project’s four to five week duration. Preliminary work started early October, so much of it will be complete by the time this article hits the press. The investigation kicked off with various surveys including magnetometry geo-physics, auger and borehole sampling. Using the data supplied by those surveys a series of trenches were dug to help uncover some clues to the origins and nature of some of the features this fascinating area. Results of the surveys and trench work are all available in the public domain and can be accessed through the Twmbarlwm website. CTS gathered a list of volunteers who were invited to a briefing meeting with Richard and Cadw officers – nearly 30 people turned up for the meeting at Risca Museum and many more applied via email. Without volunteers and the support of the community an operation like this would be unviable, we are therefore very grateful to all those who help out. The end of the dig is not the end of the project, our research into the history of Twmbarlwm goes on and there will be other opportunities to get involved – so please keep visiting our website for news. At the end of the excavation period there will be an open day on the mountain to show people the work done, there will eventually be a printed report published and an audio visual talk on our findings. Terry C. Evans, Chairman CTS
CTS meet at the car park below Twmbarlwm’s summit for a litter pick and volunteer workday on the last Sunday of every month to which everyone is invited, it’s not all hard work and it’s a great opportunity to find your way around up there. We organise walks and other events up the mountain and at Crosskeys RFC throughout the year so watch our website and Facebook page for details.
www.twmbarlwm.co.uk
Officers from Cadw and the Caerphilly CBC ecologist examine the devastation on Twmbarlwm. Photo: Terry C. Evans
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November 2019
Twmbarlwm – iconic and as popular as ever Photo showing some of the hundreds of visitors who climb to the top of Twmbarlwm every Good Friday – but how many recognise the work of CTS who watch over the landscape for the benefit of all Photo: Terry C. Evans
I’m writing this just after the Society’s AGM and I must admit, when I started to compile my annual report on the past year I was definitely a “glass half empty” person as I began to wonder “…what have we done this year”. Then as I look at all my photos and go through the records of projects we have been involved with – I gradually became a “glass half full” type of guy. Cymdeithas Twmbarlwm Society is going into its tenth year since we formed and so far we have achieved quite a lot on the mountain and I am pleased to say that we are recognised by the local authorities and other official bodies as a major influencer in environmental, community and historical issues of the area. My “glass half-empty” persona says that to continue being effective we need to encourage more people to become members and get involved with the Society’s work to make Twmbarlwm and surrounding area a place to be proud of and secure for future generations. My “glass half-full” persona looks at how popular the mountain is, not just on Good Friday, as the above photo shows, but also on our litter pick days when visitors stop to chat to us and thank us for looking after the area. I would like to convince a few more to come and help us out, just look at the following stuff we get involved with, wouldn’t you like to be part of it? Our mantra, “… dedicated to research, restore and protect Twmbarlwm”, remains as pertinent now as when we were founded. Each of these criteria is inextricably linked and Society members work on various projects to help fulfil our aims for Twmbarlwm. The “research” part of that statement is well underway (as described in this column last month). It has already started with drone, geophysics and paleoenvironmental surveys. Following on from these surveys, 2020 will see an archaeological dig take place on the mountain. This will be the first time that such research has been officially endorsed and it has come about by the persistence of the society and the co-operation of some sympathetic Cadw officers. I’m very optimistic that some interesting results will come out of the research and I hope that some light will be shed upon the mysteries of “the Twmp”. 4
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The “restore” element of our slogan is also tied in to the archaeological research because part of the programme will be looking at how the wildfires of 2018 have affected the underlying archaeology. It will look at how best to re-seed or treat the burnt areas to give mother-nature a helping hand in restoring the heath land to its former glory. CTS did a great deal of restoration work in our early years when we erected fences, planted trees and installed and repaired paths and steps to the Twmp. Such projects were in conjunction with the Commoners Association and Caerphilly County Borough Council – together we continue to pursue similar landscape management projects. For instance we are looking forward to more of that sort of work in 2020 working with CCBC on their implementation of the “Adventure Triangle” funding. This funding was announced a year ago and CTS was asked to submit a list of works to be done such as path repairs, way marking, signage, wall and fence repairs. Planning for this work is almost complete and we hope work will be underway in 2020. Another major project that CTS has been involved with comes under the heading of “protection”. Along with our sister organisation, Friends of Cwmcarn Forest Drive, we have helped campaign for the re-opening of the Drive. I’m sure that everyone is pleased to know that the Drive will re-open to vehicles in the Spring of 2020. Our involvement includes some members being part of the focus groups who advise and comment on the various requirements to re-open the drive. Twmbarlwm is at the centre of the Forest Drive and the nature of the facilities will greatly influence the Drive’s success and the Society’s work on the mountain will undoubtedly help improve and protect the natural landscape for future generations. Terry C. Evans, Chairman CTS
CTS meet at the car park below Twmbarlwm’s summit for a litter pick and volunteer workday on the last Sunday of every month to which everyone is invited, it’s not all hard work and it’s a great opportunity to find your way around up there. We organise walks and other events up the mountain and at Crosskeys RFC throughout the year so watch our website and Facebook page for details.
www.twmbarlwm.co.uk
January 2020