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Thursday 31 March 2011

Guided Walk Around Sites & Monuments Of The Brenig Valley





Eleni, fe gynhelir y daith gerdded ar yr uwchdiroedd ddydd Sadwrn 14 Mai 

Dyddiad y Digwyddiad: Dydd Sadwrn, 14 Mai 2011
Lleoliad: Dyffryn Brenig
Math o Ddigwyddiad: Taith dywys o amgylch safleoedd a henebion y dyffryn.

Mae’r broses o ymchwilio i archaeoleg uwchdiroedd Cymru yn mynd rhagddi ers ugain mlynedd fel rhan o fenter y Comisiwn Brenhinol, Menter Archaeoleg yr Uwchdiroedd. Adnodd archaeolegol pwysig yw’r uwchdiroedd ac mae yno gyfoeth o olion o bob cyfnod. Am fod eu poblogaeth yn fach ac am na ddefnyddiwyd mwy a mwy ar y tir dros y canrifoedd diwethaf, mae nifer dda o’r safleoedd wedi goroesi. Mae lle mawr wedi bod i uwchdiroedd y gogledd, a Sir Ddinbych yn arbennig, yn y prosiect. Wrth i’r gwaith maes fynd rhagddo ac i’r arolygu ar flociau eithaf pendant o uwchdir ddod i ben, mae rhaglen gyhoeddi wedi cychwyn a’r cyntaf mewn cyfres o lyfrau ar dreftadaeth uwchdiroedd Cymru yw Mynydd Hiraethog/The Denbigh Moors. Rhan bwysig o’r fro yw dyffryn Brenig, dyffryn a fu’n ganolbwynt i weithgarwch pobl am filoedd ar filoedd o flynyddoedd. Mae’n ddigon adnabyddus oherwydd yr henebion claddu a’r henebion crefyddol o’r Oes Efydd a gloddiwyd yno yn y 1970au, ac ers hynny mae’r mwyafrif ohonynt wedi’u hadfer i fod yn rhan o lwybr archaeolegol a ddynodir gan arwyddion. Yn ddiweddar, mae’r dyffryn wedi bod yn destun gwaith arolygu manwl gan y Comisiwn i gydategu’r cyhoeddiad.

Fe aiff y daith gerdded o amgylch y fynwent gan roi sylw i safleoedd o gyfnodau diweddarach a chyflwyno ffrwyth gwaith maes diweddar. Bydd yn apelio at bawb sy’n mwynhau golygfeydd yr uwchdiroedd, yn ymddiddori mewn astudio safleoedd hynafol ac yn awyddus i wybod rhagor amdanynt.

Bydd y daith yn rhyw 4 milltir o hyd ac yn weddol ddwys. Gradd ‘C’ a roir iddi gan Gymdeithas y Cerddwyr. Arweinir y daith gan archaeolegwyr proffesiynol sydd wedi bod yn astudio’r fro. Os hoffech chi ddod ar y daith, rhowch wybod am eich diddordeb ynddi drwy gysylltu â Jane Durbin ar 01970-621234 neu anfon e-bost i jane.durbin@cbhc.gov.uk




This year’s guided walk in the uplands will take place on Saturday 14 May

Event Date: Saturday 14 May 2011
Location: The Brenig Valley
Type of Event: Guided walk around the sites and monuments of the valley.

The archaeological exploration of the uplands of Wales has been under way for the past twenty years as part of the Royal Commission’s Uplands Archaeology Initiative. The uplands are an important archaeological resource rich in remains of all periods. Site survival is generally good due to low population and isolation from intensive land use in recent centuries. The North Wales uplands, and Denbighshire in particular, have featured strongly in the project. As fieldwork has progressed and survey of recognisable upland blocks is completed, a  programme of publication has begun. The first in a series of books on the upland heritage of Wales is Mynydd Hiraethog/The Denbigh Moors. An important component of the area is the Brenig valley which has been the focus of human activity for many thousands of years. The valley is well known for its Bronze Age burial and religious monuments which were excavated in the 1970s and most have since been  restored to form part of a waymarked archaeological trail. More recently it has been the subject of detailed survey work carried out by the Commission to complement the publication.

This walk will be a tour around the cemetery, taking in sites of later periods and presenting the results of recent fieldwork. It will appeal to all those who enjoy upland scenery and are interested in looking at ancient sites and wish to know more about them.

The walk will be around 4 miles and of moderate intensity, graded ‘C’ by the Ramblers’ Association, and will be led by professional archaeologists who have been studying the area. If you would like to come along please register your interest by contacting Jane Durbin on 01970-621234 or by e-mail at jane.durbin@rcahmw.gov.uk 

Related Uplands Archaeology Links:
The Uplands Archaeology Initiative
 

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Wednesday 30 March 2011

The Welsh Cottage: Building Traditions of the Rural Poor 1750-1900 Paperback Edition






Paperback Edition! 

Paperback edition of The Welsh Cottage available 2011

Paperback edition of The Welsh Cottage: Building traditions of the rural poor 1750-1900 is now available.
ISBN 978-1-871184-42-6
Price: 19.95


Book Sales
RCAHMW
Plas Crug
ABERYSTWYTH
Ceredigion
SY23 1NJ
U.K.

Telephone: 01970 621200
Fax: 01970 627701
or email Book Sales via the Enquiry Form

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Join Our Facebook Fan Page





If you haven’t already found our Facebook fan page, this may be exciting for those of you who love to hear about the latest news from the Royal Commission, also be the first to know about job vacancies, publications and events.

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If you wonder what’s in it for you, here’s what you will get as a fan:
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Monday 28 March 2011

Roman Military Sites in Wales





Roman Frontiers in Wales and the Marches
Roman Frontiers in Wales and the Marches
Ein cyhoeddiad diweddaraf yw’r synthesis mawr cyntaf o safleoedd Rhufeinig milwrol yng Nghymru oddi ar 1969. Mae’r gyfrol newydd hon wedi dyblu nifer y safleoedd sydd wedi’u disgrifio (dros gant ohonynt) ac yn cynnwys yr ymchwil ddiweddaraf i gyd.  Mae archaeoleg wedi symud yn ei blaen yn aruthrol dros y deugain mlynedd diwethaf yn sgil datblygu technegau fel arolygu geoffisegol ac mae llu o ddarganfyddiadau wedi’u gwneud, diolch i raglen helaeth o archwilio o’r awyr.  Ceir llawer o’r lluniau hynny ym mhob rhan o’r llyfr.  Am na chaiff llawer o’r adroddiadau archaeolegol ar ddatblygiadau modern eu cyhoeddi, caiff y ‘llenyddiaeth lwyd’ honno’i hanwybyddu’n aml, ond yn Roman Frontiers ceir llawer iawn iawn o wybodaeth o’r ffynonellau go anghyfarwydd hynny.  Bellach, hefyd, mae llawer gwell dealltwriaeth o Ffyrdd Rhufeinig Cymru nag a oedd ym 1969, a rhan bwysig o’r llyfr yw mapiau a disgrifiadau newydd o’r rhwydwaith o ffyrdd ynghyd ag awyrluniau o lu o ddarganfyddiadau newydd.  Am fod ynddo dros 270 o luniau, y llyfryddiaeth ddiweddaraf ac adrannau thematig sydd wedi’u llunio gan arbenigwyr, bydd y gwaith hwn yn gaffaeliad hanfodol i haneswyr ac archaeolegwyr am y deugain mlynedd nesaf.


Roman Frontiers in Wales and the Marches
Our latest publication is the first major synthesis of Roman military sites in Wales since 1969. This new volume has doubled the number of sites described (over a hundred) and incorporates all of the latest research.  Archaeology has advanced greatly in the last forty years with the development of such techniques as Geophysical survey and many discoveries have come about thanks to an extensive programme of aerial reconnaissance, many images of these can be found throughout the book. A lot of archaeological reports undertaken for modern developments don’t get published and this ‘grey literature’ is often overlooked, but Roman Frontiers has included vast amounts of materials from these little known sources.  The Roman Roads of Wales are also much better understood now than they were in 1969 and new maps and descriptions of the road network form an important part of the book, along with new aerial images of many new findings. With over 270 illustrations, an extensive and up to date bibliography and thematic sections written by experts in their field this work will be essential to both historians and archaeologists for the next forty years.



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Friday 25 March 2011

This Year’s Uplands Archaeology Forum Will Be Held on 13 May 2011





Cynhelir Fforwm Archaeoleg yr Uwchdiroedd eleni ar 13 Mai 2011

Dyddiad: 25 Mawrth 2011
Manylion: Dyma wahoddiad i’r rhai sy’n ymddiddori yn archaeoleg uwchdiroedd Cymru i ymuno â ni yn Fforwm Archaeoleg yr Uwchdiroedd, 2011.

Bob blwyddyn, bydd Comisiwn Brenhinol Henebion Cymru yn cynnal arolygon archwilio ar draws mynyddoedd a gweundiroedd Cymru fel rhan o’i brosiect ar archaeoleg yr uwchdiroedd. Diben y prosiect yw datgelu olion yr aneddiadau anghyfannedd, y ffermydd, y safleoedd defodol, yr adeiladau a’r gweithgareddau diwydiannol a adawyd ar eu hôl gan y bobl a fu’n defnyddio’r tirweddau hynny dros filoedd ar filoedd o flynyddoedd.

Ar ôl i bob rhaglen o waith maes gael ei chwblhau, fe gyflwynir y canlyniadau yng nghyfarfod blynyddol y Fforwm. Eleni, bydd y Fforwm yn agored i bawb a bydd mynediad iddo’n rhad ac am ddim. Fe’i cynhelir yng Nghanolfan Datblygu Gwledig Glasdir yn Llanrwst ar 13 Mai. Gellir cyrraedd y Ganolfan drwy ddilyn yr arwyddion ar ffordd yr A470 wrth fynd tua’r gogledd allan o dref Llanrwst.

Drannoeth, dydd Sadwrn 14 Mai, cynhelir taith dywys ar Fynydd Hiraethog. Mae’r tir hwnnw eisoes wedi’i archwilio a chyhoeddir y canlyniadau mewn llyfr y bwriadwn ei lansio yng Nghanolfan Glasdir. Cewch wybod cyn hir am fanylion y daith gerdded honno.


Agenda
10:00 Ymgynnull i gael coffi
10.30 Cyflwyniad gan y Cadeirydd, Henry Owen-John

CYFLWYNIADAU YNGHYLCH PROSIECTAU MAES Y LLYNEDD (1)
1. Yr Arennig Fawr (Meir.) Richard Hayman (Hayman a Horton)
2. Moel Siabod (Caern.) Martin Railton (North Pennine Archaeology)
3. Penllyn (ger y Bala) Richard Hayman (Hayman a Horton)

11.15 Trafod darganfyddiadau’r prosiect maes
11.30 – 11.45 Coffi

CYFLWYNIADAU YNGHYLCH PROSIECTAU MAES Y LLYNEDD (1)
4. Tiroedd Comin Bach Sir Faesyfed Jenny Hall a Paul Sambrook (Trysor)
5. Glaslyn (GDd) (Pumlumon) Richard Hayman (Hayman a Horton)
6. Uwchdiroedd Canol Morgannwg Jenny Hall a Paul Sambrook (Trysor)
7. Uwchdiroedd Gorllewin Morgannwg Jenny Hall a Paul Sambrook (Trysor)

12.45 Trafod darganfyddiadau’r prosiect maes
13.00 Cinio
13.30 Lansio Mynydd Hiraethog/The Denbigh Moors

I gofrestru, cysylltwch â Jane Durbin ar 01970 621234 neu jane.durbin@cbhc.gov.uk. Gellir cael cinio am £7.20 os archebir ef ymlaen llaw. Telir amdano â cherdyn credyd wrth gofrestru.

***************************************************** 


This year’s Uplands Archaeology Forum will be held on 13 May 2011

Date: 25 March 2011
Details: Those with an interest in the archaeology of the uplands of Wales are invited to join us at the Uplands Archaeology Forum 2011.

Each year the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Wales carries out exploratory surveys across the mountains and moorlands of Wales as part of its uplands archaeology project. Its purpose is to uncover traces of the abandoned settlements, farms, ritual sites, buildings and industrial activities left behind by people who used these landscapes over many thousands of years.

Following the completion of each fieldwork programme the results are presented at the annual meeting of the Forum. This year the Forum will be open to all, entry free, and will be held in Llanrwst at the Glasdir Rural Development Centre on 13 May. The Centre, which is signposted, is located in Llanrwst on the A470 road out of town going north.

The following day, Saturday 14 May, there will be a guided walk on Mynydd Hiraethog, which has already been explored, the results being published in a book which we intend to launch at Glasdir. Details for the walk will be posted shortly.


Agenda
10:00 Assemble for coffee
10.30 Introduction by Chairman, Henry Owen-John

PRESENTATIONS ON LAST YEAR’S FIELD PROJECTS (1)
1. Arenig Fawr (Mer.) Richard Hayman (Hayman & Horton)
2. Moel-siabod (Caerns.) Martin Railton (North Pennine Archaeology)
3. Penllyn (nr.Bala) Richard Hayman (Hayman & Horton)

11.15 Discussion
11.30 - 11.45 Coffee

PRESENTATIONS ON LAST YEAR’S FIELD PROJECTS (2)
4. Radnorshire Small Commons Jenny Hall & Paul Sambrook (Trysor)
5. Glaslyn (NE) (Plynlimon) Richard Hayman (Hayman & Horton)
6. Central Glamorgan Uplands Jenny Hall & Paul Sambrook (Trysor)
7. West Glamorgan Uplands Jenny Hall & Paul Sambrook (Trysor)

12.45 Discussion of field project findings
13.00 Lunch
13.30 Launch of Mynydd Hiraethog/The Denbigh Moors

To register please contact Jane Durbin on 01970-621234 or jane.durbin@rcahmw.gov.uk. Lunch is available at £7.20 if ordered in advance, payable by credit card on registration.

Related Uplands Archaeology Links:
The Uplands Archaeology Initiative




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Tredegar House Finest Seventeenth-century Mansion In Wales





Digitised postcard image of Tredegar House, Newport.
Produced by Parks and Gardens Data Services,
from an original item in the Peter Davis Collection at Parks and Gardens UK. 
tredegar2 C856182 / NPRN: 20907
Tredegar House is perhaps the finest complete seventeenth-century mansion surviving in Wales but there remain two mysteries surrounding it: Who designed it? And, when was the house built? Yesterday, the Emergency Recording Team of the Royal Commission made a start in solving the second of these mysteries. The Royal Commisssion specialises in tree-ring dating (dendrochronology). As part of our national tree-ring dating programme, samples were successfully taken from the roofs and beams in both the older Tudor house and its seventeenth-century successor. The tree-ring cores will now be analysed by the Oxford tree-ring dating laboratory and the results will be announced later in the summer. Tredegar House is a very popular community resource for the people of Newport and Emily Price, the curator, says there will be great interest in the results of the tree-ring dating.

Related Wales History Links:
Read more: Tredegar House www.coflein.gov.uk
Further: Tredegar House images Coflein - Discovering Our Past Online 

Coflein is the NMRW's public online database, searchable geographically through Ordnance Survey maps or by text queries.

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Thursday 24 March 2011

Job Title: Finance Manager (Metal Links Project)





RHEOLWR(AIG) CYLLID (PROSIECT CYSYLLTIADAU METEL)

Dyddiad Ago: 24 Mawrth 2011
Dyddiad Cau: 4 Ebrill 2011
Lleoliad: Aberystwyth
Disgrifiad o'r Swydd:
Hyd: Penodiad tymor penodol tan 31.1.2014
Cyflog: 25700 - 33200 Pro Rata.

Bydd prif ddyletswydd y swydd yn golygu arwain y broses o ddatblygu a gweithredu cynllun ariannol ar gyfer y prosiect yn unol a chanllawiau Cronfa Datblygu Rhanbarthol Ewrop (yr ERDF), ar y cyd a'r Rheolwr(aig) ym Mhartner Arweiniol y Prosiect Cysylltiadau Metel, a'r holl is-bartneriaid.

Byddwch wedi ymgymhwyso hud a lefel y CCAB neu a phrofiad cyfatebol neu allu i weithio ar y lefel honno. bydd gennych brofiad o baratoi a dadansoddi adroddiadau a datganiadau ariannol; coladu a pharatoi gwybodaeth ar gyfer cwblhau a chyflwyno ceisiadau ariannol; gallu defnyddio TGCh i gymathu a chyflwyno data ariannol cymhleth ac a phrofiad neu wybodaeth o ddulliau gweithio Cronfa Datblygu Rhanbarthol Ewrop.

Graddfa Cyflog: Band D
Cyflog: 25700 - 33200 pro rata
Hyd y cytundeb: 32 month
Cysylltwch â: Louise Barker

Dogfennau sy'n ymwneud â swydd benodol:

 

******************************************** 

 

FINANCE MANAGER (METAL LINKS PROJECT)

Opening Date: 24 March 2011
Closing Date: 4 April 2011
Location: Aberystwyth
Job Desription:
Duration: Fixed term appointment to 31.1.2014
Salary: 25700 - 33200 Pro Rata.

The principal duty of this post involves leading the development and implementation of a financial plan for the project in conformance with ERDF guidance, on conjunction with the Lead Partner Project Manager and all sub-partners.

You will be qualified to CCAB level or have equivalent experience or ability to work at that level. You will have experience of preparing and analysing financial reports and statements; collating and preparing information for the completion and submission of financial claims; be able to use ICT to assimilate and present complex financial information and data and have experience or knowledge of ERDF.

Pay Scale: Band D
Salary: 25700 - 33200 pro rata
Contract: 32 month
Contact: Louise Barker

Job-specific documentation:


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Job Title: Lead Partner Project Manager (Metal Links Project)





RHEOLWR(AIG) PROSIECT Y PARTNER ARWEINIOL (PROSIECT CYSYLLTIADAU METEL)

Dyddiad Ago: 24 Mawrth 2011
Dyddiad Cau: 4 Ebrill 2011
Lleoliad: Aberystwyth
Disgrifiad o'r Swydd:
Hyd: Penodiad tymor penodol tan 31.1.2014
Cyflog: 25700 - 33200 Pro Rata.

Bydd prif ddyletswydd y swydd yn golygu gweithredu prosiect partneriaeth gyda phartneriaid yng Nghymru ac Iwerddon.

Bydd Rheolwr(aig) Prosiect y Partner Arweiniol yn rheoli'r Prosiect Cysylltiadau Metel gan sicrhau y caiff y prosiect sydd wedi'i gymeradwyo ei weithredu'n effeithiol ac yn gwbl unol a rheoliadau cymwys Cronfa Datblygu Rhanbarthol Ewrop (yr ERDF) a chyfansoddiadau'r prif bartneriaid. Bydd deiliad y swydd hefyd yn rheoli mewnbwn CBHC i'r prosiect.

Bydd gennych gymhwyster hyd at lefel gradd mewn pwnc perthnasol neu gryn brofiad cysylltiedig ar lefel briodol. Bydd gennych brofiad o reoli prosiectau a ariannir yn allanol a sydd ag amryw o bartneriaid; datblygu, rheoli a gweithredu systemau monitro/adrodd i reoli prosiectau a phrofiad o hyrwyddo gweithgareddau prosiectau a/neu raglenni a rhoi cyhoeddusrwydd iddynt.

Graddfa Cyflog: Band D
Cyflog: 25700 - 33200 pro rata
Hyd y cytundeb: 32 month
Cysylltwch â: Louise Barker

Dogfennau sy'n ymwneud â swydd benodol:

 

 ***********************************************************

 

LEAD PARTNER PROJECT MANAGER (METAL LINKS PROJECT)

Opening Date: 24 March 2011
Closing Date: 4 April 2011
Location: Aberystwyth
Job Desription:
Duration: Fixed term appointment to 31.1.2014
Salary: 25700 - 33200 Pro Rata.

The principal duty of this post involves implementing a partnership project with partners based in Wales and Ireland.

The Lead Partner Project Manager will manage the Metal Links Project, ensuring the effective implementation of the approved project in full accordance with ERDF regulations and the constitutions of the principal partners. The post holder will also manage the RCAHMW's input to the project.

You will be qualified up to degree level in a relevant subject or have considerable related experience at an appropriate level. You will have experience of managing externally funded projects with multiple partners; developing, managing and implementing project management monitoring/reporting systems and experience of promoting and publicising activities of projects and/or programmes.

Pay Scale: Band D
Salary: 25700 - 33200 pro rata
Contract: 32 month
Contact: Louise Barker

Job-specific documentation:

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Harlech Castle





Aerial view of Harlech Castle.
RCAHMW Colour Oblique Aerial Photographs.
DI2007_1305 / NPRN: 93729
Harlech Castle is a spectacular castle, with its picturesque setting enhanced by being based on a rocky crag overlooking the sea with the Snowdonia Mountains in the background. Harlech Castle was one of a series of castles established in north Wales by Edward I after the death of Llywelyn ap Gruffudd in 1282. Building work began ... Read full site description of Harlech Castle on Coflein.

View more images of Harlech Castle on Coflein.

Related Wales History Links:
Read more: Harlech Castle www.coflein.gov.uk
Further: Harlech Castle images Coflein - Discovering Our Past Online 

Coflein is the NMRW's public online database, searchable geographically through Ordnance Survey maps or by text queries.

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Tuesday 22 March 2011

On The Foreshore of Sully Island Lies A Wooden Wreck





Porthladd y gall ein llong fod wedi hwylio i mewn ac allan ohono – awyrlun o Ddociau’r Barri ar 15 Medi 1929.
A port into which our mystery vessel may have worked - Barry Docks photographed from the air on 15 September 1929. (Llun/Image: af103_aerofilms_29396 / NPRN: 309685)

Llongddrylliad Ynys Sili: Hanes Peilot a’i Long?
Ar flaendraeth Ynys Sili mae llongddrylliad pren sy’n dal i ennyn chwilfrydedd pobl leol. Mae casgliadau CBHC o awyrluniau’n dangos ei fod yno ers blynyddoedd cynnar y 1950au o leiaf.

Mae ymchwil y Comisiwn Brenhinol i longddrylliadau ar hyd arfordir Cymru yn awgrymu sawl posibilrwydd, gan gynnwys mai gweddillion ketch pren o’r enw Friendship sydd yno: wrthi’n cludo cargo o lo yr oedd hwnnw pan aeth i drafferthion ar Ynys Sili ar 30 Ionawr 1902. Gall hefyd fod yn fad o’r enw Robert a oedd yn cludo cargo o gerrig pan aeth i drybini ar 27 Tachwedd 1882, neu’n gwch o’r enw Eliza a gafodd ei adeiladu yng Nghas-gwent a’i ddefnyddio yn y fasnach tywod a gro.

Yn ddifyr iawn, mae’r colledion a ddogfennwyd yn y cyffiniau hefyd yn cynnwys cyfeiriadau at fath o long sy’n dal i fod yn eicon bron 90 mlynedd ar ôl i’r olaf ohonynt gyrraedd pen ei daith – Llong Beilot Môr Hafren.

Morwr sy’n llywio llongau drwy ddyfroedd peryglus neu brysur, fel porthladdoedd neu aberoedd, yw peilot ac yn amlach na pheidio byddai’n hanu o blith cymunedau lleol y glannau lle’r oedd canrifoedd o bysgota a hwylio wedi magu cynefindra mawr â’r dyfroedd cyfagos. Byddai’r peilot yn ymuno â’r criw yn y mannau lle bynnag y byddai angen y wybodaeth a’r profiad ychwanegol hwnnw arnynt.

Yn ystod yr 17eg ganrif, porthladd Bryste gafodd fod â rheolaeth gyffredinol dros wasanaethau peilotiaid aber afon Hafren a Môr Hafren. Dyna fu’r sefyllfa yn achos y mwyafrif o borthladdoedd y de tan 1861. Dyna pryd y llwyddodd cynghorau trefi Caerdydd, Casnewydd a Chaerloyw i gael y Senedd i basio Mesur Peilotiaid Môr Hafren – mesur a roddai’r hawl i bob cyngor unigol benodi ei Fwrdd Peilotiaid a’i beilotiaid ei hun. O hynny ymlaen, bu pob peilot yn gyfrifol am brynu a gofalu am ei gwch ei hun. Ymhen amser, datblygwyd ffurf unigryw ar gragen a phatrwm hwyliau’r llong i ateb y galw am long a allai ddal i weithio mewn tywydd garw ac ennill y ras i fod y gyntaf i gyrraedd y llongau a hwyliai tua’r porthladd. Y llong honno fyddai’n ennill y ffioedd peilota uchaf.

Gwaith go beryglus oedd peilota am ei fod yn golygu dringo i long o’r cwch bach a gâi ei gadw ar ddec llong y peilot. Y dull arferol oedd gofyn i feistr y llong osod ei long ar draws y moroedd i greu cysgod rhag y gwynt i’r cwch bach. Yna, byddai llong y peilot yn hwylio i gysgod y llong fawr ac yn gollwng y cwch bach ac ynddo’r peilot a bachgen/prentis ar ei fwrdd. Byddai’r ddau hynny’n rhwyfo draw at yr ysgol ar ochr y llong. Byddai llong y peilot yn hwylio allan i’r gwynt unwaith eto ac yn troi i ddod yn ôl o dan gysgod y llong i godi’r cwch bach a’r bachgen/prentis. Roedd angen cryn dipyn o graffter a medrusrwydd i gyflawni’r gamp honno. Yng Nghofnod Cenedlaethol Henebion Cymru mae cofnodion am ddrylliadau 66 o longau hwyliau oedd yn llongau peilot. Collwyd 37 ohonynt ar ôl gwrthdrawiadau, suddodd 6 ohonynt, drylliwyd neu ynyswyd 16 ohonynt, a does dim rheswm hysbys dros golli 6 o’r lleill. Mae’r ystadegau’n cadarnhau mor beryglus oedd hi i gwch bach fentro hwylio’n fwriadol agos i long fawr.

Ym mis Ionawr 1882, rhoes Bwrdd Peilotiaid Caerdydd ganiatâd i’w fflyd o ryw 65 o longau peilot ddefnyddio’r angorfa fach y tu ôl i Ynys Sili pan fyddai’r ‘gwynt o’r dwyrain yn ystod trai’. Mae’r cyfeiriadau at longau peilot yn mynd ar y creigiau yno yn sôn am y LOTTIE ar 15 Hydref 1886; am y llong beilot a oedd yn eiddo i Charles Rowles ym mis Gorffennaf 1893; ac am y BARATANACH a suddodd wrth ei hangorfa i’r gogledd o Ynys Sili ar 27 Mawrth 1916. Bu tri o beilotiaid Caerdydd - Thomas Rosser, Edward Parry a William S Williams - yn berchen ar y BARATANACH yn ystod ei hoes waith ond erbyn iddi gael ei cholli yr oedd hi wedi mynd i ddwylo’r teulu Binding i’w defnyddio wrth fasnachu ar hyd y glannau.

Allai Llongddrylliad Ynys Sili fod yn un o’r llongau peilot hynny?
Y tâp mesur sy’n datgelu’r cyfan...

Cysylltau:

Starnbost Llongddrylliad Ynys Sili gan edrych tua blaen y llong. Mae’r estyll gwastad ar y gwaelod yn wahanol iawn i ffurf lefn llong beilot.
The stern post of the Sully Island Wreck looking towards the bow. The flat timbers forming the bottom are very different from sleek shape of a pilot cutter.
(Llun/Image: DS2010_400_020 / NPRN: 309865)

Sully Island Wreck: A tale of a Pilot and his Pilot Cutter?
On the foreshore of Sully Island, lies a wooden wreck which continues to intrigue local people. The aerial photographic collections of the RCAHMW reveal that it has been there since the early 1950s at least.

Research being undertaken by the Royal Commission into shipwrecks around the coast of Wales suggests several possible identities – including a wooden ketch called the Friendship which was carrying a cargo of coal when it stranded at Sully island on 30 January 1902; a smack called the Robert which was carrying a cargo of stone when it became stranded on 27 November 1882; and a barge called the Eliza that was built at Chepstow and used in the sand and gravel trade.

Intriguingly, the documentary losses in the vicinity also include references to a type of vessel which remains iconic nearly 90 years after the last was sold out of service – the Bristol Channel Pilot Cutter.

A pilot is a mariner who guides ships through dangerous or congested waters, such as harbours or river mouths, and were most often drawn from local coastal communities where there was accumulated knowledge of coastal waters from centuries of fishing and sailing. The pilot would join the crew for the period that the ship would need that additional knowledge and experience.

In the 17th century, the port of Bristol was given overall control of pilotage services in the Severn estuary and Bristol Channel. This remained the case for the majority of the south Wales ports until 1861, when Cardiff, Newport and Gloucester Town Councils succeeded in getting parliament to pass a Bristol Channel Pilotage Bill giving each council the power to appoint its own Pilotage Board and pilots. Each pilot was then responsible for acquiring and maintaining his own boat. Over time, a unique hull shape and sailing rig evolved to meet the need for craft which work could keep working in bad weather, and win the race to be the first to reach the inbound vessels attracting the highest pilotage fees.

Piloting was a very risky job involving boarding a larger ship from the punt (a small rowing boat stowed on the deck of the cutter). The usual method was to request the master of the ship to position his vessel across the seas, making a shelter or lee for the cutter from the wind. The cutter would sail under the ship’s lee, out the punt with the pilot and boy/apprentice on board, who would row across to the ladder on the ship’s side. The cutter would sail on into the wind again and turn to come back under the lee of the ship to pick up the punt and the boy/apprentice. Such manoeuvres required a great deal of skill and judgment. The NMRW contains shipwreck records for 66 sailing pilot cutters, of which 37 were lost following a collision, 6 foundered, 16 were wrecked or stranded, and 6 where no cause of loss is known. These statistics confirm the riskiness of the venture – that is, being a small sailing vessel deliberately putting itself in close proximity to much larger ships.

In January 1882, the Cardiff Pilotage Board gave its fleet of around 65 cutters permission to use the small anchorage behind Sully Island in ‘an easterly wind during an ebb tide’. References to pilot cutters becoming stranded here include the LOTTIE on the 15 October 1886; the pilot boat belonging to Charles Rowles in July 1893; and the BARATANACH which sank at its moorings to the north of Sully Island on 27 March 1916. The BARATANACH was owned by three Cardiff pilots during its service life – Thomas Rosser, Edward Parry and William S Williams – but at time of loss it had passed into the ownership of the Binding family for use in coastal trade.

Could the Sully Island Wreck be one of these cutters?
The tape measure reveals all...

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Tuesday 1 March 2011

Skomer Island Preserved Remains Of A Prehistoric Settlement





Ynys Sgomer – Tŷ cynhanesyddol ac iddo waliau cerrig. Cwt rhif 20 yw’r enw arno.
Skomer Island - Prehistoric stone-walled house, known as hut number 20.
(Image/Llun: DS2010_550_005 / NPRN: 24369)
Ynys Sgomer
Mae Ynys Sgomer (gair o Lychlyn sy’n disgrifio ffurf hollt yr ynys) ymhlith y tirweddau archaeolegol gwychaf ym Mhrydain. Dau ymchwilydd o’r Comisiwn Brenhinol, Toby Driver a Louise Barker, sy’n astudio sut mae pellter cymharol yr ynys o’r tir mawr, ac effaith gyfyngedig amaethyddiaeth ddiweddar, wedi diogelu olion yr anheddu cynhanesyddol.

Gan fod Ynys Sgomer mor anghysbell, mae cryn dipyn o’r tir arni heb ei droi ers y cyfnod cynhanesyddol a phrin yw’r adeiladau a godwyd yno. Er bod yr ynys yn enwog erbyn hyn am ei bywyd gwyllt a’i hecosystemau, mae’r darnau tir sydd heb eu troi ac arnynt gytiau bach, cytiau anifeiliaid, ffermydd a chyfundrefnau cywrain o gaeau o’r Oesoedd Efydd a Haearn yn dangos i ni sut y byddai’n hynafiaid cynhanesyddol wedi byw ac wedi trin y tir. Ein prif ffynhonnell o wybodaeth yw arolwg manwl John Evans – arolwg a gyhoeddwyd ym 1990 – ynghyd â gwaith arolygu cynharach W F Grimes.

Mae’n hysbys bod y priddoedd ar Sgomer yn ffrwythlon ac iddynt gael eu ffermio yn ystod y canrifoedd diweddar. Pan groesodd cymunedau cynhanesyddol i Sgomer gyntaf, mae’n debyg bod yno gynefin dymunol, coetir derw yma ac acw, hinsawdd digon braf, ac amryw o ffynhonnau a nentydd o ddŵr croyw. Ar gyrion yr ynys, yn bennaf, y mae’r aneddiadau cynhanesyddol wedi goroesi, ac yn rhan ganol yr ynys mae’r caeau a gafodd eu creu yn y ddeunawfed ganrif a’u hamaethu tan 1948 wedi dileu llawer o olion adeiladweithiau cynharach. Dyma’r union batrwm a welwyd dro ar ôl tro ar ôl tro ar draws tir mawr Sir Benfro. Ceir digonedd o olion bywyd yn y pentrefi bach. Mae’n fwy na thebyg mai tystiolaeth o safleoedd coginio yw’r twmpathau o gerrig llosg yn ymyl y tai, ac mae’r mynedfeydd mwyfwy cul i rai ffermydd, a llociau cylchog neu â siâp D iddynt hwnt ac yma, yn dystiolaeth bendant o gadw anifeiliaid. Yn wir, mae caeau cynhanesyddol, a ddefnyddid yn wreiddiol i bori defaid, gwartheg a hyd yn oed foch, yn ymestyn allan o’r pentrefi bach a’u brigiadau. At economi cymysg o dda byw a grawn byddai’r trigolion wedi ychwanegu adnoddau o’r môr a’r arfordir: adar y môr a’u hwyau, morloi, gwymon ac amrywiaeth o bysgod cregyn a physgod y môr. Rhwng y rheiny i gyd, byddai’r teuluoedd ar Sgomer wedi bwyta cyfuniad amrywiol a maethlon o fwyd. Gall grwpiau o garneddi cerrig ar hyd pentiroedd mwy anghysbell yr arfordir fod yn henebion claddu neu’n dystiolaeth, lle ceir hwy yn nes at y ffermydd, o gyd-drefnu clirio caeau.

Un peth amlwg sy’n dwyn i gof ddefodau a chladdiadau cynhanesyddol ar yr ynys yw Maen Harold, maen hir sy’n 1.7 metr o uchder. Mae’n codi o waelod llydan hyd at bwynt, a’i ymylon yn rhedeg bron o’r de i’r gogledd; mae ei wyneb llydan wedi’i droi i wynebu’r môr tua’r dwyrain a’r ynys tua’r gorllewin. Er nad oes dyddiad i Faen Harold hyd yn hyn, mae’r gwaith cloddio wrth feini tebyg eraill yn Sir Benfro bob amser wedi rhoi dyddiad cynhanesyddol o’r Oes Efydd iddynt. Teg, felly, yw tybio mai heneb o’r Oes Efydd yw’r maen hwn hefyd a’i fod yn sefyll uwchben claddiad (neu wrn corfflosgi) neu ddarn tir o weithgarwch defodol ac angladdol sydd bellach wedi’i gladdu. Mae Sian Rees (Cadw) wedi nodi bod Maen Harold i’w weld yn glir wrth ddod ato o’r môr ac fe all fod wedi’i ddefnyddio i rybuddio am beryglon y creigiau dan y tonnau. Mae hynny hefyd yn ddamcaniaeth ddefnyddiol. Er nad oes gan y maen ddim perthynas amlwg â’r terfynau caeau cynhanesyddol cyfagos sy’n mynd heibio’n eithaf agos iddo ar yr ochr orllewinol, mae’n sefyll tua phen dwyreiniol bloc pendant o gaeau heb fod yn bell i’r de o’r brigiad amlwg y cafwyd, mae’n debyg, ddarn cyfleus o garreg ohono. Gall y maen, felly, fod wedi sefyll ar ymyl plot cyfoes o gaeau. Mae carneddau a thwmpathau eraill yn hysbys ar Sgomer a gall o leiaf rai ohonynt fod yn garneddau claddu sy’n gyfoes â’r maen hir hwn.

Cysylltau:


Ynys Sgomer, maen hir Harold, llun o’r gorllewin.
Skomer Island, Harold stone standing stone, view from west.
(Image/Llun: DS2010_548_003 / NPRN: 305372)



Skomer Island
Skomer Island (a Scandinavian word which describes the cloven shape of the island) ranks among the finest archaeological landscapes in Britain. Royal Commission investigators Toby Driver and Louise Barker look at how comparative isolation from the mainland, and the limited impact of recent agriculture, has preserved the remains of prehistoric settlement.

The remoteness of Skomer Island means that considerable tracts have not been ploughed or built on since prehistoric times. It is now famed for its wildlife and ecosystems, but on the unploughed parts of the island small huts, animal pounds, farmsteads and elaborate systems of fields survive from the Bronze and Iron Ages to show us the ways in which our prehistoric ancestors lived and worked the land. A detailed survey by John Evans, published in 1990, together with earlier survey work by W F Grimes, represent our main source of information.

The soils on Skomer are known to be fertile and were farmed in recent centuries. When prehistoric founding communities first made the crossing to Skomer it is thought the island would have presented a favourable habitat, with a light covering of oak woodland, an equable climate, and a number of freshwater springs and streams. Prehistoric settlements chiefly survive on the peripheries of the island, while in the central area, fields dating from the eighteenth century and farmed until 1948, have largely obliterated any traces of earlier structures, in a pattern repeated endless times across mainland Pembrokeshire. Traces of life are abundant within these small hamlets. Mounds of burnt stone close to houses are probably evidence for cooking sites, whilst funnel entrances to some farms, and isolated circular or D-shaped enclosures, are tangible evidence of stock management. Indeed, prehistoric fields, originally used for grazing sheep, cattle and even pigs, radiate outwards from the hamlets and their outcrops. A mixed economy of livestock and cereals would have been supplemented with coastal and marine resources: sea-birds and their eggs, seals and seaweed, plus a range of shellfish and sea-fish. In all, the Skomer families would have enjoyed a varied and nutritious diet. Groups of stone cairns along more remote coastal headlands may be burial monuments, or evidence for organised field clearance where they occur closer to farms.

One prominent reminder of prehistoric ritual and burial on the island is The Harold Stone, a 1.7 metre high standing stone. It tapers from a broad base to a point, with its edges aligned nearly north-south; its wide face is orientated to face the sea to the east and the island to the west. Although the Harold Stone is currently undated, excavations at other similar stones in Pembrokeshire have always yielded a prehistoric, Bronze Age, date. It is therefore safe to assume that this stone is also a Bronze Age monument, marking a burial (in a cremation urn) or an area of now buried ritual and funerary activity. Sian Rees (Cadw) has noted that the Harold Stone stands as a prominent marker on the skyline as one approaches by sea and may have been used as a transit marker to clear submerged dangers. This is also a useful hypothesis. The stone does not have an obvious relationship to the adjacent prehistoric field boundaries that pass close to it on the west side, however, it does stand towards the eastern end of a distinct block of fields, not far to the south of a prominent outcrop that no doubt provided a convenient slab. Therefore the stone may have stood at the edge of a contemporary plot of fields. Other cairns and mounds are known from Skomer, at least some of which may be burial cairns contemporary with this standing stone.

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