Beacon Jan 2012
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TheThe BeaconBeacon Cymdeithas Parc Bannau Brycheiniog The Brecon Beacons Park Society Summer 2014 Summer 2014 Issue 41 CONTENTS Editorial 3 A Few words from the Chair 4 AGM Report 7 National Park News 13 The Most Risky Part of a Walk? 15 The Chartist Cave 16 Bronze Age Secret 18 Would you believe it? 22 Letters to the Editor 23 More News 24 Landscape and Geology of the Beacons Way 26 Cover illustrations Front: Keeper’s Pond Chris Barber MBE FRGS Back: Sugar Loaf Sunset - Chris Barber MBE FRGS Design by Chris Barber MBE FRGS Sub Editor Anne Marie Barber Registered Charity No. 1075345 1 THE BRECON BEACONS PARK SOCIETY The Park Society is an independent organisation for anyone who cares about and enjoys this very special landscape and environment. Our ever-growing membership consists of people living both inside and outside the Park who wish to see its essential characteristics conserved or enhanced. They are people who wish to know more about its past, present and future. Every week the Park Society stages at least two events which explore on foot these protected landscapes. The Park Society is simply the best way to learn more about The Brecon Beacons National Park. For more information visit our website which contains any updates on The Beacons Way and application forms for joining the Society. www.breconbeaconsparksociety.org MEMBERSHIP Subscription rates are: £15 Annual Individual £8 Annual under 18 £22 Annual Family £225 Life Individual (under 65) £150 Life (65 and over) £330 Life Family (under 65) £220 Life (Family 65 and over) Annual Membership runs for 12 months from January each year (up to 15 months for members joining after 1st October). THE BEACONS WAY The Beacons Way is a 95 mile walking trail through some of the most varied and beautiful upland landscapes in Great Britain. Designed by members of the Park Society, for experienced walkers, it can be completed over eight consecutive days or explored as a series of linear walks. The route, mainly through open country, has very little lane or road walking. A brand new edition of The Beacons Way guidebook is now available at £9.99 from local bookshops and Tourist Information Centres. Alternatively contact Blorenge Books at : 01873 856114. 2 EDITORIAL ur recent Annual General Meeting has marked the end of yet another year for the Society, and Ceridwen Coulson’s report provides a detailed record of the proceedings. It is unfortunate that so many of our members Onever bother to attend the AGM; but those who do, show loyal support to the Society and their appreciation of the work by the Executive Committee and other volunteers. They also have a very enjoyable day, and it is a good opportunity to renew friendships and visit an interesting location in the Park. We are sorry to hear of the departure of Julie James as Chairman of the Brecon Beacons National Park Authorit;, her term as a Welsh Government appointee having come to an end. She has been an excellent Chairman. We now extend a warm welcome to her successor, Councillor Hopkins; and Melanie Doel, a former BBC presenter as Vice Chairman. As usual, I am grateful to Dilys Harlow for her Part 6 of ‘Landscape and Geology of the Beacons Way’ which has been a fascinating journey across the National Park, and most informative. Dilys has also written an account of a worrying problem that occurred during a walk to the Chartist Cave on a misty day. I have followed her account with a description of the cave and a warning about the need for good navigation ability when venturing across the wilderness of Llangynidr moor. Nigel Mills is a new contributor to The Beacon, and his article on Bronze Age sites also relates to the Llangynidr area. His article is well illustrated, and as Editor, I am always particularly grateful to those who not only write interesting accounts, but also supply colour pictures to go with them. My Chartist Cave article also relates to the novel Rape of the Fair Country by Alexander Cordell; and this year being the centenary of his birth (1914), I am giving a tribute talk relating to this popular author. It will not only be about his life and literary achievments, but will also feature locations of special interest within the Blaenavon Industrial Landscape World Heritage Site. I look forward to seeing some of you at the Bear Hotel in Crickhowell on Tuesday 16 September at 7.30pm. Chris Barber Editor 3 A FEW WORDS FROM THE CHAIR Firstly I would like to thank you all for re-electing me as Chair of the Society at our AGM on the 14th of June. I will do my best to forward the aims of the Society and secure its ongoing wellbeing. The AGM We had a good turnout for the AGM and filled the meeting room at the Penderyn Village Hall. It was an excellent event which went very smoothly, allowing business to be conducted efficiently and the whole day to be enjoyed by all. Many thanks to our outgoing Secretary David Thomas. I will not reiterate the contents of the Annual Report here in the Beacon other than to say that the Society has had yet another busy and successful year. Details can be found in the Annual Report at the entry on May 25th of the News section of our web site. So what has been happening recently? The Circuit of Wales There are issues on the proposed diversion route for the footpath through the site. Society and Ramblers members will be walking the route and meeting with the developers on the 17th July. The headline news re this development is, of course, the sacking of the Government Minister Alun Davies. He was the Minister responsible for Natural Resources Wales (NRW) who are supposed to act as an independent body advising the Government on environmental matters. He was found guilty of breaking the Ministerial Code by urging them to change their position of recommending that this development application should be decided by the Welsh Government rather than the Local Council. As well as inappropriate pressure on an independent body, this was a clear conflict of interest as he was also the AM for the area where the development is to take place. NRW duly did an about face and recommended that the application be decided by the Local Council where it was subsequently approved. Mr Davies escaped punishment for this misconduct by the skin of his teeth, primarily due to senior NRW management stating that his intervention did not influence their decision. The Society has never been convinced by the evidence from NRW that they claim was the reason for this change of view, and we wrote to them last year pointing out the weakness of their evidence. We have shared this with 4 Kirsty Williams and William Powell of the Liberal Democrats and with Antoinette Sandbach of the Conservatives who were taking the lead in protesting about Alun Davies' behaviour. He was eventually sacked from his Ministerial post for repeatedly seeking private information on these AMs and others politicians who were asking questions in the Assembly about his actions. The obvious conclusion would be that he hoped to find information that could be used to discredit his opponents - you may think so, I couldn't possibly comment. The Society is in continuing communications with AMs re the credibility of NRW's performance as an independent body with respect to the Circuit of Wales development. The Alliance for National Parks Wales/Welsh Government In the aftermath of the Alun Davies fiasco, responsibility for the Environment (including NRW) has been added to the portfolio of John Griffiths the former Minister for the Environment, who is also responsible for National Parks. This hopefully will prove a good thing for the environment and the National Parks. The Planning Bill is still to be introduced so we do not yet know if NPAs will retain the planning power which is so key to the management of our National Parks. A Review of National Park Governance has been announced, to commence at a date to be determined. The Society, in collaboration with our partners in the Alliance, has been preparing input to this review. The BBPS is taking the lead on researching alternative National Park models and assessing how appropriate they may be to Wales. To help with this I have had multiple conversations with Chief Executives and other senior staff at both the Cairngorms and the Loch Lomond NPAs to understand how the successful Scottish model works. The Alliance continues to operate very successfully and our lobbying of politicians and their staff might just be beginning to bear fruit (well at least they are listening to us). Alliance members have also been meeting with leaders in the farming and landowner communities to try to help build bridges to the National Park movement. Guided Walks and Events We continue to deliver our excellent walks and events programme for the enjoyment of all, and to run our walk leader training sessions to ensure they are well prepared for their responsibilities. Our fellow Society member David Dickson has taken up the role of Rights of Way officer. The definition of this role is in the 1st Feb 2014 item in the News section of our web site. In essence it is to be the liaison between the Society and the Park on all matters to do with rights of way. 5 Dark Skies The astronomical observatory is currently under construction at the Mountain Centre with the help of the NPTC group of colleges (the former Coleg Powys here in Brecon is part of this group).