Capeli Heddiw – Angen Gwybodaeth!

Interior view of Ebenezer Chapel, Tumble
NPRN:6570    DI2008_0364

 Gan i chwe mil a hanner o gapeli gael eu codi ar hyd a lled Cymru yn ystod y ddwy ganrif ddiwethaf, mae’r capel anghydffurfiol yn rhan o dirwedd wledig, drefol a diwydiannol Cymru. Ond erbyn heddiw mae’r capeli’n diflannu o’n bywydau ni bron mor gyflym ag y cawson nhw eu codi yn nyddiau eu bri.

Dros yr ychydig flynyddoedd diwethaf, mae’r Comisiwn Brenhinol wedi bod wrthi’n gweithio ar brosiect enfawr i gofnodi’r capeli hynny, ac agwedd bwysig ar y gwaith yw ystyried yr hyn sy’n digwydd i adeiladau’r capeli heddiw. Gwaith yr arolwg hwn yw ceisio dod o hyd i statws pob capel unigol: a yw’n dal i fod yn ‘gapel’ (y cynhelir gwasanaethau ynddo), wedi’i addasu at ddiben arall, wedi’i ddymchwel, yn adfeilion, neu’n rhywbeth arall. Os bu trosi arno, rydyn ni’n cofnodi’r defnydd newydd ohono a byddwn ni hefyd yn nodi unrhyw gapel sydd wrthi’n cael ei werthu neu’n mynd drwy broses gynllunio.

Amrywio’n fawr wna’r sylw a gafodd gwahanol rannau o Gymru hyd yn hyn. Ym Môn, er enghraifft, does ond tri chapel, sef llai na 2% o’r cyfanswm gwreiddiol, na wyddon ni ddim oll am eu statws. Gwaetha’r modd, mae’r darlun o siroedd hanesyddol a threfol Morgannwg a Mynwy yn fwy cymhleth gan i ni gofnodi gwybodaeth am statws llai na hanner capeli’r gyntaf a thraean o gapeli’r ail.

A allech chi’n helpu ni i gofnodi’r defnyddio presennol sydd ar gapeli? Ein nod yw cwblhau’r elfen hon o’r ymchwil erbyn diwedd Rhagfyr 2011. Gallwch chi gael rhestri o’r capeli rydyn ni’n chwilio am wybodaeth amdanyn nhw gan anne.harris@cbac.gov.uk neu susan.fielding@cbac.gov.uk

Diolch yn fawr iawn i chi ymlaen llaw am unrhyw gymorth y gallwch chi ei roi.


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Process Recording of Anglesey Aluminium

A process still continuing at the site is the re-melt and casting of scrap aluminium.  Here two men work at the cast table where the molten aluminium was cast into bilet.  (Crown Copyright)

Royal Commission photographer Iain Wright and Investigator Louise Barker, have just completed photographic and process recording of Anglesey Aluminium. Active operations stopped here in 2009, and a record of the works is important as decommissioning is underway.

The Commission spent three days on site, under the supervision of staff from Anglesey Aluminium Metals Ltd.  Their understanding and knowledge of the works and  process involved is essential to ensure an accurate record. (Crown Copyright)

The site opened in 1970 and was one of the UKs three aluminium smelters, at its peak employing nearly 1500 people. Many processes occurred over the 100 acre site, principally involving two main raw materials, alumina and calcined coke. Yearly some 330,000 tonnes of alumina were imported from countries such as Jamaica and Sardinia, whilst calcined coke was typically sourced from Jamaica and Europe. Much of this was brought in by ship, docking at Anglesey Aluminium’s own Salt Island Jetty some two miles from the site. The raw materials were then brought to site along a conveyor belt that ran underneath Holyhead Harbour. Annually over 148,000 tonnes of pure aluminium was produced. The process required huge quantities of electricity, some 255MW (enough to power a city) and this was sourced from Wylfa Power Station, 12 miles away at Cemaes Bay.

Aluminium was produced in four Pot Lines, comprising some 316 individual cells.  Here Alumina was melted and electrolysed to create molten Aluminium metal.  This used huge quantities of electricity and took around 32 hours. (Crown Copyright)

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Oes Gennych Chi Ddiddordeb Yn Archaeoleg Mynyddoedd Cymru?

Mynydd hiraethog, mountain trackway
NPRN 408312     DS2008_238_001

Os oes, efallai yr hoffech chi nodi’r dyddiadau isod yn eich dyddiadur.

Bob blwyddyn, bydd Comisiwn Brenhinol Henebion Cymru yn wneud gwaith arolygu ar draws mynyddoedd a gweundiroedd Cymru fel rhan o’i brosiect ar archaeoleg yr uwchdiroedd. Dros yr 20 mlynedd diwethaf, felly, mae’r broses o ddod o hyd i aneddiadau, ffermydd, safleoedd defodol, adeiladau a gweithgarwch diwydiannol anghyfannedd wedi cynnig darlun newydd o’r uwchdiroedd. Mae hi’n rhoi cipolwg newydd i ni ar fywydau’n hynafiaid a fu’n defnyddio’r tirweddau hynny am filoedd ar filoedd o flynyddoedd.

Eleni, mae Cysylltiadau Metel, prosiect newydd sy’n cael ei ariannu gan Ewrop, wedi dechrau archwilio tirweddau diwydiannol yr uwchdiroedd yn fanylach. Bydd Cysylltiadau Metel yn hoelio’i sylw ar adrodd hanes yr ardaloedd yng Nghymru ac Iwerddon lle bu cloddio am fwynau metel. Un agwedd ar y rhaglen waith fydd samplu palaeoamgylcheddol i ni geisio deall sut y cafodd y dirwedd ei datblygu a’i hecsbloetio dros amser – o eangderau coediog cynhanes i ddefnydd pobl o’i hadnoddau.

Ar 11eg a 12fed Mai 2012 cynhelir fforwm yng Nghanolfan Richard Edwards yn Ystrad Meurig i gyflwyno ffrwyth yr arolygon hynny. Bydd y digwyddiad deuddydd yn cynnwys cyfres o sgyrsiau a thaith dywys i weld safleoedd a henebion yn eu tirwedd. Bydd rhagor o fanylion, a’r trefniadau archebu, ar gael yn nes at yr amser ac i’w gweld ar wefan y Comisiwn, sef www.cbhc.gov.uk


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Are You Interested In The Archaeology Of The Mountains Of Wales?

Mynydd hiraethog, mountain trackway
NPRN 408312     DS2008_238_001

If so, you may wish to make a note of the following dates in your diary.

Every year the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Wales carries out survey work across the mountains and moorlands of Wales as part of its upland archaeology project. As a result, over the last 20 years a new picture of the uplands has come to light with the discovery of abandoned settlements, farms, ritual sites, buildings and industrial activity. These give us new insights into the lives of our ancestors who used these landscapes over thousands of years.

This year Metal Links, a new European funded project, has also begun taking a closer look at the industrial landscapes of the uplands. Metal Links will focus on telling the story of the metal mining industrial areas of Wales and Ireland. One aspect of the work programme will be palaeo-environmental sampling to give us an understanding of how the landscape developed and was exploited over time, from the woodland expanses of Prehistory to people’s use of its resources.

On the 11th and 12th May 2012 a forum will be held to report on the results of these surveys. This will take place at the Edward Richards Centre in Ystrad Meurig. The two-day event will be made up of a series of talks and a guided walk to view sites and monuments in their landscape setting.

Further details and booking arrangements will be available nearer the time and will be found on the Commission’s website, www.rcahmw.gov.uk


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The Laser Scanning of Old College, Aberystwyth

An early photograph c. 1870 of Old College, Aberystwyth, then incorporating Castle House.  It was the first explicitly Picturesque house in Britain.  DI2011_0299    NPRN:23303

The Royal Commission is currently working with staff from the Department of Computer Science, Aberystwyth University, on the laser scanning of heritage sites.  Knowledge Economy Skills Scholarship student (KESS), Marek Ososinski from the University, is working with Commission Investigators, Sue Fielding and Louise Barker, on a process for capturing and processing 3D laser-scan data of a range of historic buildings and archaeological sites, including the use of robotic vehicles to investigate the possibilities of autonomous surveys.

On 14 November, the team, including project supervisors Dr Fred Labrosse and Dr Mark Neal, spent the morning scanning the interior of the Old Quad of Aberystwyth University’s Old College building (nprn: 23303 ).  Most remarkably, the origins of the Old College lie in Castle House, a marine villa designed by John Nash in 1794 for Uvedale Price, one of the founders of the Picturesque movement.  The villa was adapted and enlarged by John Seddon in 1864 as the Castle Hotel for the entrepreneur Thomas Savin to take advantage of the newly completed railway to Aberystwyth.  But after Savin’s bankruptcy, the unfinished hotel was bought by the newly-founded University College in the early 1870s and converted in various stages, but was badly damaged by a serious fire in 1885.  Castle House villa was subsequently demolished and replaced in 1894 by a new central block, designed in the Queen Anne style by C.J. Ferguson.  The interior of the Old Quad is full of rich architectural detail, including intricately carved stone capitals, stained glass windows, and wooden bosses to the barrel roof, making it ideal as a test for recording through laser scanning.

The project will run for three years, and the scan data from all surveys will be archived in the National Monuments Record of Wales and made accessible to the public.




CASTLE HOUSE HOTEL;OLD COLLEGE,
UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF WALES, ABERYSTWYTH 

• Old College, Aberystwyth Site Details
• Associated Sites (6)
• Online Images (16)
• Associated Collection Records (110)

Photosynth: Aberystwyth Old College


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A Good Day in Pembrokeshire!

Target Tank at Castlemartin
NPRN 407853

The Royal Commission was extremely well received at the Pembrokeshire Archaeology day last Saturday, 19 November. The day was jointly organised by Pembrokeshire Coast National Park and Planed and was most enthusiastically supported by over 200 members of the public. The day involved five main lectures and talks, a delicious buffet- lunch and fifteen well set out stalls and exhibitions to browse. During the afternoon, Royal Commission military expert Medwyn Parry gave a highly entertaining and informative lecture on Military Remains in Pembrokeshire & Beyond which was well received by all. Indeed Medwyn’s lecture was later praised as being “amazing” and “entrancing” by Mrs Anne Eastham, the Chair of the day’s proceedings, in her summary of the day’s events. Moreover, such was the popularity for the event beforehand, all places were fully booked at least seven days ahead. So please note next year’s event, which is proposed to be held on the 17 November 2012, is definitely a date to be noted in your diary today!

CASTLEMARTIN TRAINING AREA; CASTLEMARTIN RANGE

• Site Details
• Associated Collection Records (1)

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Apêl Plant mewn Angen y BBC

Pudsey’n archwilio’r pobiad cyntaf o deisennau a bisgedi yn syth ar ôl iddyn nhw ddod o’r ffwrn.

Roedd staff ac ymwelwyr yn y Comisiwn Brenhinol yn dangos eu smotiau ddydd Gwener i godi arian i apêl Plant mewn Angen y BBC. Cynigiwyd teisennau bach a bisgedi yn gyfnewid am roddion a chodwyd dros £50 mewn llai nag awr! Diolch i bawb a gyfrannodd at yr achos!

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BBC Children in Need Appeal

Pudsey inspects the first batch of cakes and cookies, fresh from the oven.

Staff and visitors at the Royal Commission were showing their spots on Friday to raise money for the BBC’s Children in Need appeal. Cupcakes and cookies were offered in return for donations, raising more than £50 in just under an hour! Thank you to everyone who donated to the cause!

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Cyfeillion y Comisiwn Brenhinol

Ymuno â Chyfeillion y Comisiwn Brenhinol

Mae gan y Comisiwn Brenhinol lu o gyfeillion a phobl sy’n dymuno’n dda iddo.  Bob blwyddyn, bydd dros 10,000 o bobl yn mwynhau’n harddangosfeydd a chawn amryw byd o ymholiadau a llu o ymwelwyr â’n llyfrgell a’n hystafell chwilio.  Yn aml, bydd ymholiad syml yn esgor ar gyswllt gydol oes â’r Comisiwn.  Mae’r tair cyfres o Hidden Histories wedi dod â llu o ddefnyddwyr newydd aton ni’n ddiweddar.  Bydd dros 100,000 o bobl yn ymweld â’n cronfa ddata ar-lein Coflein bob blwyddyn.

Bellach, crisialwyd rhwydwaith anffurfiol o gyfeillion yn drefniant mwy ffurfiol o Gyfeillion.  Mae ymuno â Chyfeillion y Comisiwn Brenhinol yn syml ac yn rhad ac am ddim a chewch chi amryw byd o fanteision.  Cofrestrwch eich manylion gyda ni i ymaelodi â’n rhwydwaith o Gyfeillion.  Ymhlith y llu manteision a gewch chi o ymaelodi bydd cael newyddlenni rheolaidd i roi’r wybodaeth ddiweddaraf i chi am ein holl brosiectau a derbyniadau cyfredol, disgowntiau ar bob un o’n cyhoeddiadau, a fforwm blynyddol i Gyfeillion yn unig a fydd yn cynnwys siaradwyr nodedig, ynghyd â chyfleoedd i wirfoddoli yn y Comisiwn.  I ymuno â ni, cliciwch ar y cyswllt isod a chofrestrwch eich manylion heddiw!

Ymuno â Chyfeillion y Comisiwn Brenhinol

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