CYMDEITHAS SOCIETY EWSSUMMER 2012 OS Grid ref: ST 24394 92627 Height: 419m (1,374ft) Welcome… I am delighted to welcome you to the third N issue of Twmbarlwm News - the first of 2012 sees some 2012. It has been an extremely busy and eventful few months for the society since our last Newsletter in Autumn 2011. major changes First of all I am very pleased to have been elected the society’s new chairman and I hope that with the enthusiastic support of the membership, we will develop the society into an organisation with a powerful voice and positive aims for the protection of our beloved mountain, Twmbarlwm. Our former chairman and founder, Rob Southall, brought us a great way down the road of progress, in just two years, with his boundless enthusiasm and dedication. But, don’t worry, we have not lost him - Rob is now acting as society secretary which means he is probably working harder than ever before to make the society stronger for its future work. PC Tump (Simon James) plays a major role in helping Twmbarlwm become a We have started down the route of no-go area for anti-social behaviour making the society into a Company Limited by Guarantee which will pave the way for the police force to patrol the area more We continued our programme of talks us to achieve charitable status - this will, in effectively to alleviate the problems of off-road and events - these included Geoff Morris turn, give the society a higher profile and vehicles and fly-tipping. from the National Museum of Wales giving enable us to raise money for the future PC Simon James was duly appointed to us an insight into the history of Welsh management of the area. the position under the mentorship of PC Longhouses; and Professor Raymond Howell entertained us with a discussion on The main project with which we kicked Rob Maddox of the Forgotten Landscapes the Silures and iron age settlements of off the year was Tump Watch (see the Project in Blaenavon. So far he has had a south Wales. detailed story inside) when, for two months, great effect in reducting anti-social volunteers spent their weekends up behaviour in the area - to such an extent Hopefully this introduction and the Twmbarlwm recording visitors and reporting that, at the time of writing, his temporary further content of this newsletter shows illegal activities. posting has been further extended. how active the society has been in the past few months – but I feel we could be doing Also at this time, committee members met PC James was in position just in time for so much more. We need more people to get up with the leaders of Caerphilly and Torfaen our first major event of the year which was involved and we need current members to Borough Councils and Heddlu Gwent Police the Hot-Cross-Bun Walk. This was the contribute more – not necessarily in - we were able to present the meeting with second year we asked people to help us monetary terms but in offering their time interim figures from our Tump Watch survey. revive the local tradition of walking up “The and technical expertise. At the meeting it was suggested that the Tump” on Good Friday and again we were councils should jointly fund an operation for blessed with good weather and had a great There were hundreds of people up the turn out. The Tesco Extra store at Risca tump on Good Friday and at the Jubilee CONTENTS donated a huge box of hot-cross-buns which Beacon Event – I personally speak to 1 Chairman’s Welcome we gave to all-comers in return for a donation dozens of visitors there most weekends, 2 Controversial Works - we raised over £75. Thank you Tesco. and to a man they express their fondness Another major occurrence has been the for the area, the beauty of the scenery, the Lord Touhig becomes Patron significance of the history and their 3 Tump Watch start of the work by CCBC to construct a car-park on the common and effect repair regret for the apparent neglect and abuse of 4/5 Lost Farmsteads - Hafod Owen works to the tump itself. This has been met much of the area. 6 William Brace • Risca Quiz with various responses, not all favourable, So I know there are many like minded Jubilee Beacon but in general the society believes that the people out there who should search their 7 Pool of Avarice work is a positive move for the future well- conscience and come and join us in doing 8 Memory Lane • Events being of the mountain - again this is more for our environment and Gwent’s You’ll find more information and photos on discussed in detail inside. iconic mountain. our website - so please visit it regularly to keep up to date. www.twmbarlwm.co.uk SUMMER 2012 1 Cymdeithas TWMBARLWM Society Work starts amidst controversy In our last Newsletter we announced that the proposed work on Twmbarlwm by CCBC was about to start – it has been discussed at length in various CTS public meetings, and yet when the work commenced in April the voices of dissent were heard immediately… FROM THE SOCIETY’S earliest contacts with Caerphilly Borough Council we sought action from them to help us improve the landscape of Twmbarlwm and make it more attractive to visitors. We found that CCBC were already in talks with Torfaen Borough council and the idea of a formal car park had been mooted. The partnership had applied for a grant from The Valleys Regional Park which was approved and plans were subsequently drawn up. The Car Park When the idea of the car-park was first discussed at CTS committee Above: The car park during meetings, there were a few dissenters (myself included) but eventually, construction. consensus agreed on the theory that a more formal car parking area would Right: Finished? attract visitors who were NOT intent on abusing the area and thus Below: The new floating dissuade those who go to the area with anti-social behaviour in mind. path and repaired steps on the west side of the tump. The mindset of the abusers seems to be “It looks like a dump - so we’ll treat it like a dump!” We’ve got to try and break that cycle of abuse, so it was decided that the society would support the project. The original plans presented by the council showed the car park lower down the common and when CTS members met on-site with the councils, the land owners, local farmers and CADW to discuss the plans it was decided, for various reasons, to move it to where you now find it. One of the main reasons for its current position is to give the best views possible, of both the tump itself and over the Bristol Channel, for those less able to get out of their cars. During the construction work there were many discussions online about the lack of an archaeological watch. CADW had declared the site was outside the boundary of the scheduled ancient monument and therefore a watching brief was not necessary - some might say a poor excuse, I’ll leave you to draw your own conclusions. There was, The Society Gets a however, a natural history watch to ensure the safety for the snake and lizard population. Lordly Patron Tumulus Repairs The repair work to the tumulus itself was self evident – society members had done their own survey some months before council plans were drawn up and our suggested repairs generally matched those of the council’s plans. When we had the on-site meeting with CADW, apart from some archaeological and technical specifications that CADW advised, the council’s plans were accepted. The stone paths you now see on the approach from Pegwyn Y Bwlch are there to prevent further erosion by excessive footfall and are built without damaging the original surface below. The new fence and steps around the tumulus are constructed with locally sourced green oak which should last for many years to come. The holes in the side of the tumulus were repaired and filled in according to directions from CADW in such a way so as to retain the Pictured on the top of the Tump are, left to right, Terry Evans (Chair), Lord integrity of any underlying archaeology. Don Touhig, Sam Southall, Rob Southall, Grace Lloyd and Chris Evans MP. Lord Touhig, MP for Islwyn for 15 years before entering the house of Altogether it has been an exercise filled with anxiety and controversy, Lords, has always shown a great interest in the work of the Society. but whatever you think about what’s been done, the area is starting to So when he was approached to become our Patron he was only too look like someone cares. In any project like this, involving several happy to agree. agencies, there’s always going to be compromises but as far as I’m Current Islwyn MP, Chris Evans, also offered his support and concerned I believe the work carried out so far is a good start. accepted the position honorary president of the Society This gives us something to build on and I want to encourage those moaners and groaners online and in letters to the press to join us, voice So when we invited Lord Touhig and Chris to come and visit the their opinions and together we can make Twmbarlwm and Mynydd Maen mountain they were keen to hike to the top to take in the views and into the landscape we want for our future generations.