Community Heritage Day - Borth and Ynyslas

This spring and summer the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Wales will be drawing together several years of work at Borth and Ynyslas in a new community archaeology project led by community archaeologists Kimberly Briscoe and Sarahjayne Clements.

A view from the past: Borth village from the air in 1949, taken by Aerofilms. The image is now held by the National Monuments Record of Wales in Aberystwyth. NPRN 33037

The work on Borth will focus on the development of the settlement, from the prehistoric fenland and forest landscape often exposed on the beach, through to the development of a fishing village and, in the Victorian period, a thriving seaside resort.

Sarahjayne said, “With the arrival of the railway station in 1863, Borth became a popular seaside resort. The Grand Hotel and Cambrian Hotel, the latter now demolished, near the railway station were both developments made during this time. Saint Matthew’s Church was built in 1879 in response to the building of the railway and investment in the tourism trade. The architecture is extremely interesting in Borth as it varies greatly in style.”

The Cambrian Hotel, Borth. NPRN 35021

At Ynyslas, amongst other things, the project will be looking at the failed development of a late nineteenth-century luxury holiday resort and the top secret Second World War military rocket range situated amongst the sand dunes.

Kimberly said “Ynyslas dunes have changed faces many times. Now standing as the serene Dyfi National Nature Reserve, a far less reserved history is revealed. Hidden amongst the dunes are the remnants of concrete standings, pill boxes and buildings, which were once part of the innovative Second World War rocket fuel testing range. There is, however, still much to uncover.’’

A schooner used to transport slate, wrecked on Ynyslas beach. NPRN 407989

To get the project started the Royal Commission will be holding a Community Heritage Day during half term, on Monday 24  February at 3pm-7pm in Borth Community Hall. Do you have any memories of Borth and Ynyslas? Please drop in and tell us more about your heritage!


Facebook: The Coastal Heritage of Borth and Ynyslas 


Coflein - Discovering Our Past Online
Coflein is the online database for the National Monuments Record of Wales (NMRW), the national collection of information about the historic environment of Wales. 


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