CYMDEITHAS PENFRO YR YMDDIRIEDOLAETH GENEDLAETHOL PEMBROKESHIRE NATIONAL TRUST ASSOCIATION www.pembsnta.org.uk NEWSLETTER No. 42 OCTOBER 2017 FROM YOUR CHAIRMAN Tim Sims-Williams put on two fine Autumn greetings after a very successful summer trips. There were plenty of takers summer. for the excursion to The Mint at Thanks to your support of PNTA events, Llantrissant, with progression to Dyffryn we were able to give a donation of £3000, NT. The second event filled a boat for the at the AGM, to support local National journey from Neyland to Haverfordwest. Trust projects. The upstream travel took time waiting for Our summer evening walks took us where sufficient tide to allow access to the quay that money will be used at Marloes, Colby near the Bristol Trader, but after supper and Stackpole. the return in the twilight was swift. At Marloes, on a glorious sunny evening, Our season of talks got off with a bang as Ranger Matt Thompson showed us the site Bill Cainan fired his musket and gave us a of the former YHA hostel, at Runways taste of the life of the Red Coat Soldier. Kiln, and discussed the development plans. Read on in the newsletter for more detail On another warm evening, Manager and on these activities. There is the option of Head Gardener Steve Whitehead, showed looking back on events, with added us the expanding network of footpaths at pictures, on the “Latest News” page of the Colby and explained the ongoing process website pembsnta.org.uk. of wildflower generation and Both the website and this newsletter give establishment of wildlife corridors around information on what is in store. Arnold Little Craig Y Borion. Williams has set up a varied programme of Although the weather for our Stackpole talks, to see us through the shorter days. visit was less clement, members donned Remember that these are now on the first appropriate clothing as Head Ranger Chris Thursday of the month. Guests are Oliver led us to some tucked away corners welcome, so tell your friends. of the estate to discuss the bronze and iron On the horizon is the tour in May 2018, age settlements. featuring Lancaster and the Lake District. Thanks to Jim Price for co-ordinating I look forward to seeing you at some of those events. our future meetings. The tour to Harrogate, in May, featured a If you want last minute e mail reminders full coach load of members. The Crown about the programme, but are not receiving Hotel served us well providing a good base them, please let me know. for the varied excursions. Although umbrellas were needed at times, our spirits Andrew Weaver were not dampened. 1 REPORT ON 2017 SUMMER settled to a behaviour pattern that was PROGRAMME EVENTS similar from day to day, feeding in the Tuesday April 11th – AGM followed by a steppe and roosting in the agricultural area. talk from Mark Underhill, NT It was not clear why they did this as it Countryside Manager for North involved a circa 50km round trip. A Pembrokeshire , on ‘Tracking the possible reason was that they were more at Sociable Lapwing in Turkmenistan’ – risk of predator raptors in the steppe. The Mark Underhill SLs were indeed social and did not get Mark has just joined the NT as upset by 4x4s driving among them. The Countryside Manager for North expedition saw more SLs than expected, in Pembrokeshire replacing Andrew the region of 6 to 7 thousand which could Tuddenham who has taken on wider well be half the species total. The study responsibilities with the NT in Wales. He did not find any evidence that this part of previously worked for RSPB Cymru and their migration would have caused the in 2015 took a sabbatical break to join a earlier population loss. ‘field study’ looking at the migration Mark can now settle to a less exotic, but routes of Sociable Lapwing (SL for the more comfortable life in Pembrokeshire. rest of this report). He is unlikely to have problems with The study was trying to find the causes of ‘Cardis’ on his new border. the serious population decline of the SL in the early 2000s. Its main breeding ground PNTA SPRING TOUR to SOUTH now is the steppes of Kazakhstan but YORKSHIRE - Sunday 14 th to studies have found no particular problems Thursday 18 th MAY there. More recent studies have looked at 2017 other SL migration routes. There is a We had our largest Tour group this year western flyway to Arabia and Sudan with a with 50 members participating. There staging site in the Caucasus, and a less were some rainy spells to cope with but well known eastern flyway to Pakistan and everyone was equipped for the weather North India with a staging site along the and it did not spoil our enjoyment. border between Turkmenistan and Sunday was spent travelling to Harrogate Uzbekistan. The Amu Dara river (Oxus to but we took a break at Erddig, a NT the ancients) runs through this area. property near Wrexham. It was a fine Mark’s expedition was seeking to house in 18 th and 19 th centuries but the understand what problems the SL might Yorke family wealth declined in the 20 th have in this resting area. The expedition century with the family living in ‘genteel had to be in two groups since poverty’. However there was much to see Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan are hostile both ‘below stairs’ and in the family to each other and it is virtually impossible rooms. The walled gardens have been to cross directly between the two fully restored to their formal 18 th century countries. However, modern electronic design with lakes, pleached lime trees and, communication meant the two groups espaliered apples and pears. They were a could be in constant contact. pleasure on a sunny afternoon. After Satellite maps showed the local terrain was leaving Erddig we travelled directly to arid steppe but with significant areas Harrogate and booked in at the very supporting agriculture made possible by comfortable Crown Hotel. large irrigation channels built in the Soviet Monday morning saw us on the way to era. There was an initial concern that Ripon Cathedral, an imposing sight from migrating SLs, numbered in thousands, the surrounding countryside. The current could fly through the area without being Cathedral was built in the 12 th and 13 th spotted. However birds soon appeared and centuries in the austere Early English style. 2 However our tour guides explained that most eye-catching with many the first stone church on the site was rhododendrons in flower. The House had commissioned by St Wilfrid in 672. Its some splendid State Rooms with valuable crypt is still accessible in the current pictures, furniture and carpets. There was building and may well be oldest site of also a display of costumes from the recent continuous worship (13 ½ centuries) in ‘Victoria’ series. Unfortunately the England. kitchens and other service areas were not We then drove to Fountains Abbey and the open as they were being used for filming. Studley Royal Water Garden. It is a Thursday was primarily about driving World Heritage Site now owned by the back to Pembrokeshire. However we did NT. Building the Cistercian Abbey visit Shugborough near Stafford. commenced in 1132 but its magnificent Management of the estate was transferred tower was only completed a few years from Stafford County Council to the before the Dissolution. Our guides took us National Trust last November and the through the mediaeval history and Trust has a major task on its hands to bring explained the working of the Monastery it up to its normal standards of and the different categories of monks presentation. It would be interesting to go involved. back a few years hence to see how the The Water Garden is adjacent to the Trust has managed it.. Abbey. It was created in the early 18 th We arrived back pretty well on schedule. century by the Aslabie family. It is a The trip was deemed a great success by all series of lakes which are beautiful in their of us. Andrew and Annie were simplicity. The Aslabies bought the congratulated for their effort and Fountains Abbey ruins to add to the view. organization. Tuesday was spent in Harrogate. In the morning we had conducted walking tours TRIPS round the town. It was explained that the Tim Sims-Williams organised two very purpose of Harrogate is to attract visitors good trips this summer.. and get then to spend money. This started Thursday June 15 th - Royal Mint in 1571 when the Tewit Well was Llantrisant and Dyffryn House and recognised to have mineral water Gardens. properties deemed good for health. Over We had a fine day, sunny and breezy but time 88 wells have been discovered with with traffic problems. Our first stop was waters tasting from awful to diabolical, but Llantrisant, now home for the Royal Mint. all doing you good. You can bathe in After a security check, which seemed most them as well. The town has many interested in the contents of ladies splendid buildings providing leisure handbags, we were led on a tour of the activities, shops and hotels. It also has stages of manufacturing coinage. We Betty’s Tearoom which has to be watched the processes, with our guide experienced by all visitors, including us. explaining the detail of what was In the afternoon there was a choice of happening. There was a special emphasis visiting the RHS Harlow Carr Garden or on the new £1 and £2 coins and some of have a bus tour of the local countryside.