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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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Monday, 28 February 2011

Trawsfynydd Nuclear Power Station Survey Of Major Industrial Sites





Yr adeilad modern a godwyd i Storio Gwastraff Lefel Ganolig ynddo fel rhan o’r broses ddatgomisiynu.
The modern Medium Level Waste Storage Building constructed as part of the decommissioning process.
(Image/Llun: DS2010_540_033 / NPRN: 30192)
Atomfa Trawsfynydd
Un o rolau’r Comisiwn Brenhinol yw arolygu safleoedd diwydiannol mawr sydd wrthi’n cael eu cau a sicrhau bod gennym gofnod o ffyrdd o fyw sy’n newid am byth.

Dechreuwyd codi’r atomfa ym 1959 a chychwynnwyd cynhyrchu trydan yno ym 1965 o dan y Bwrdd Canolog Cynhyrchu Trydan. Bu atomfa Trawsfynydd ar waith am chwe blynedd ar hugain a chynlluniwyd iddi gynhyrchu 500MW, digon i ddarparu trydan i ddinas o faint Manceinion. Fe’i caewyd er mwyn ei hatgyweirio ym 1991 a dechreuodd Magnox North wneud y gwaith datgomisiynu ym 1995 o dan yr Awdurdod Datgomisiynu Niwclear.

Erbyn hyn, mae rhyw 600 o bobl yn gweithio ar y safle ond mae 99.99 y cant o’r defnydd ymbelydrol wedi’i symud oddi yno. Y bwriad yw gostwng uchder adeiladau’r adweithydd a chlirio’r adeiladweithiau’n barod iddynt gael gofal a gwneud gwaith cynnal-a-chadw arnynt dros y naw deg blynedd nesaf. Yna, caiff y gwaith o glirio’r safle ei gwblhau ar ddiwedd y ganrif.

Syr Basil Spence, cynllunydd Eglwys Gadeiriol Coventry a Llysgenhadaeth Prydain yn Rhufain, wnaeth greu’r cysyniad pensaernïol. Cynlluniwyd y gwaith tirweddu cysylltiedig gan y Fonesig Sylvia Crowe i gyd-fynd â’r lleoliad hynod sensitif hwn. Buont yn gweithio gyda’i gilydd i arddangos yr adeiladau yn y dirwedd. Eu bwriad oedd i’r adeiladau efelychu maint castell canoloesol a godai’n ddramatig o’r llawr heb fod unrhyw adeiladwaith o’i gwmpas i darfu arno. Cynlluniwyd i’r gwaith ar y dirwedd guddio’r adeiladau ychwanegol a’r is-orsaf drydan enfawr. Ar bob ochr fe blannwyd coed gan ddefnyddio rhywogaethau brodorol i droi’r dirwedd yn rhan o’r amgylchedd lleol.

Y nodweddion amlycaf, sy’n sefyll yn noeth yng nghanol y mynyddoedd, yw dau adeilad yr adweithydd Magnox, dau sy’n 180 troedfedd o uchder. Mae eu paneli concrid yn cynnwys agregau lleol, ac ar eu harwynebau mae patrymau asennog sy’n lleddfu gwynder digyfaddawd y concrid safonol er mwyn iddynt allu plethu’n well i’r dirwedd. Yn 2003 fe chwalwyd neuadd enfawr y tyrbinau lle’r arferai’r adweithyddion greu ynni o’r ager dan wasgedd uchel , ac yn 2005 fe chwalwyd y tŷ ar lan y llyn a fyddai’n pwmpio dŵr allan i’w oeri yn yr awyr agored.

Trawsfynydd oedd yr unig atomfa yn y DU na chodwyd mohoni ar hyd yr arfordir - codwyd pob un o’r lleill ar y glannau iddynt gael digon o ddŵr i oeri’r adweithyddion. Dewiswyd safle Trawsfynydd am fod llyn wedi’i adeiladu yno ym 1920 ar gyfer cynllun pŵer trydan-dŵr ym Maentwrog. Ehangwyd y llyn i ddarparu 35 o filiynau o alwyni o ddŵr yr awr i oeri’r adweithyddion a chrëwyd cyfres o rwystrau i sicrhau bod y dŵr yn teithio holl hyd y llyn i oeri cyn iddo ddychwelyd i’r atomfa.

Mae’r Comisiwn Brenhinol wrthi’n gweithio i gofnodi’r safle ac i sicrhau bod y deunydd wedi’i archifo’n gywir. Mae’n cydweithio mewn tîm gyda Magnox North, Archifdy Meirionnydd, Amgueddfa Cymru, Trawsnewid, aelodau o’r gymuned leol a sefydliadau eraill, gyda chymorth Cadw a CyMAL. Prif rôl y Comisiwn yw tynnu ffotograffau o’r adeiladau a’r offer sydd yno ar hyn o bryd a darlunio i’r oesoedd a ddêl y broses ddatgomisiynu, proses sydd ynddi’i hun yn rhan fawr o hanes y safle. Mae ef hefyd wrthi’n cofnodi’r safle yn ei dirwedd ac yn gwneud cofnod ffotograffig o’r nodweddion cysylltiedig, fel y tai a godwyd ar gyfer staff yr atomfa.

Cysylltau:
 
Gweithiwr wrthi’n rheoli robot y peiriant chwalu.
Operative controlling the robot demolition machine.
(Image/Llun: DS2010_540_030 / NPRN: 30192)
Trawsfynydd Nuclear Power Station
One of the roles of the Royal Commission is to survey major industrial sites that are closing down, making sure we have permanent records of ways of life that are changing forever.

Work on the power station began in 1959 with electricity production commencing in 1965 under the Central Electricity Generating Board. Trawsfynydd worked for 26 years, and was designed to produce 500MW, enough to power a city the size of Manchester. It was shut down for repair in 1991 and decommissioning started in 1995, carried out by Magnox North under the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority.

Some 600 people now work on the site but 99.99 per cent of the radioactive material has now been removed. The plan is to reduce the reactor buildings in height and clear structures ready for care and maintenance over the next ninety years, and then complete the site clearance at the end of the century.

The architectural concept was by Sir Basil Spence, designer of Coventry Cathedral and the British Embassy in Rome. The associated landscaping was designed by Dame Sylvia Crowe to fit the highly sensitive location. They worked together to display the buildings in the landscape, replicating the mass of a medieval castle, rising dramatically, uncluttered by surrounding structures. The contouring of the landscape was designed to hide ancillary buildings and the massive electrical substation. Planting of trees extended all around, using native species that would make the landscape part of the local environment.

The twin Magnox reactor buildings, each 180 feet high, are the dominant features, standing starkly in the mountain setting. Their concrete panels contain local aggregates, and have surfaces broken up by patterns of ribs to avoid the stark whiteness of standard concrete, allowing them to better blend into the landscape. The huge turbine hall where energy was created from the high-pressure steam produced by the reactors was demolished in 2003, and the lakeside pumphouse for cooling water was demolished in 2005.

Trawsfynydd was the only inland nuclear power station built in the UK – all the others were constructed on the coast to give them plentiful water for cooling. The site was chosen because of its lake, built in 1920 for a hydro-electric power scheme in Maentwrog. This was enlarged to provide 35 million gallons of water an hour for cooling and a series of barriers was created to ensure that water travelled to the whole length of the lake to cool before returning to the power station inlet.

The Royal Commission is working to record the site and ensure that material is properly archived, collaborating in a team with Magnox North, Merioneth Archives, the National Museum of Wales, Trawsnewid, members of the local community, and other organisations, with the support of Cadw and CyMAL. The Commission’s main role is to photograph the existing buildings and equipment and to capture for posterity the decommissioning process, which is itself a major part of the history of the site. It is also recording the site in its landscape setting and making a photographic record of associated features such the housing built for the power station staff.

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Wednesday, 23 February 2011

Construction of the Brynmawr Lido 1931-32





Parc Lles a Lido Bryn-mawr
Gan mai tref haearn Bryn-mawr a welodd un o’r cyfraddau uchaf o ddiweithdra yn y Deyrnas Unedig yn ystod y Dirwasgiad Mawr, bu’n gartref i ‘Arbrawf Bryn-mawr’. Menter oedd honno dan arweiniad y Crynwyr i ddysgu sgiliau newydd, megis cynhyrchu celfi, i bobl ddi-waith. Bu’r dref hefyd yn ganolbwynt i brosiect gan y Gwasanaeth Gwirfoddol Rhyngwladol - mudiad o heddychwyr o’r Swistir - a Chyngor Hunan-Gymorth Myfyrwyr Cymru. Tynnodd y grwpiau hynny sylw rhyngwladol at effaith y caledi economaidd ar bobl De Cymru.

Codwyd Lido Bryn-mawr (NPRN 411741) rhwng 1931 a 1932 gan bobl Bryn-mawr a grŵp o wirfoddolwyr a oedd yn cynnwys dinasyddion o sawl cenedl yn Ewrop, gan gynnwys y Swistir Norwy, Sbaen a Gwlad Belg, yn ogystal â myfyrwyr o brifysgolion Leeds, Rhydychen, Caergrawnt, Llundain a phedwar coleg Prifysgol Cymru. Hwn oedd y cynllun cyntaf o’i fath ym Mhrydain a’r prosiect hamdden cyntaf un a gyflawnwyd gan y Gwasanaeth Gwirfoddol Rhyngwladol a oedd wedi ymsefydlu yn ystod y 1920au drwy gyflawni prosiectau a ymatebodd i drychinebau naturiol fel llifogydd neu afalansau eira.

Y record honno o wirfoddoli rhyngwladol a sicrhaodd y câi’r Lido ei gwblhau. Cyfyngedig oedd yr arian ar gyfer y prosiect, a phan ddaeth hi’n bryd prynu concrid i sicrhau bod y baddonau’n dal dŵr, doedd dim ceiniog ar gael yn lleol. Yn ffodus, cymaint oedd yr ymwybyddiaeth ryngwladol o Lido Bryn-mawr nes i gymuned fach Lagarde yn Ffrainc roi’r arian angenrheidiol i dalu amdano. Y flwyddyn gynt, roedd Lagarde wedi dioddef llifogydd dychrynllyd ac roedd gwirfoddolwyr (gan gynnwys sawl un o Brydain) wedi defnyddio arian a gawsai ei godi yn yr Iseldiroedd i fynd yno i helpu i ailgodi’r pentref. Gweddill yr arian hwnnw a anfonwyd gan Lagarde i Fryn-mawr. I goffáu’r rhodd , bu Maer Lagarde yn westai er anrhydedd yn seremoni agor Lido Bryn-mawr ym 1932.

Er i’r Lido gael ei ddymchwel yn y 1980au, cafodd y ffynnon ddŵr a arferai fod yn rhan o’r baddondai ei hachub a’i hadfer fel rhan o brosiect cymunedol dan arweiniad y cynghorydd lleol Terry Hughes. Cafodd y safle yn y Parc Lles ei agor ym mis Mehefin 2010 ac mae’n cynnwys arddangosiad clyweled sy’n disgrifio hanes a gwaddol Lido Bryn-mawr a’r bobl a’i cododd.

Cysylltau:


Brynmawr Welfare Park and Lido
During the Great Depression, the iron town of Brynmawr experienced one of the highest rates of unemployment anywhere in the United Kingdom. Home to the Quaker-led ‘Brynmawr Experiment’, an initiative designed to retrain the unemployed with new skills such as furniture manufacture, the town was also the focus of a project by the International Voluntary Service, a Swiss pacifist organisation, and the Welsh Student Self-Help Council. These groups brought international attention to the impact of economic hardship on the people of south Wales.

The construction of the Brynmawr Lido between 1931 and 1932 was undertaken by the people of Brynmawr and a group of volunteers that included citizens of several European nations including Switzerland, Norway, Spain, and Belgium as well as students from the universities of Leeds, Oxford, Cambridge, London, and the four university colleges of Wales. It was the first scheme of its kind in Britain and the very first recreational project undertaken by the International Voluntary Service, which, during the 1920s, had established itself through projects responding to natural disasters such as floods or avalanches.

It was to be this record of international voluntarism that ensured the completion of the Lido. Money for the project was limited and when the time came to purchase concrete to make the baths water-tight, none was available locally. Fortunately, international awareness of the Brynmawr Lido was such that the small French community of Lagarde donated the sum needed to do so. The year before, Lagarde had suffered from a devastating flood and volunteers (including several Britons) had helped to reconstruct the village using money fundraised in the Netherlands. It was the remainder of this money that was sent by Lagarde to Brynmawr. To commemorate the gift, the Mayor of Lagarde was the guest of honour at the opening ceremony of the Brynmawr Lido in 1932.

Although the Lido was demolished in the 1980s, the water fountain that once formed part of the baths was rescued and restored as part of a community project led by local Councillor Terry Hughes. The site, which lies within the Welfare Park, was opened in June 2010 and features a audio-visual display detailing the history and legacy of the Brynmawr Lido and the people who built it.

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Monday, 14 February 2011

Chambered Tomb Older Than Egyptian Pyramids





Barclodiad y Gawres, gan edrych allan o’r beddrod ar hyd y cyntedd mynediad.
Barclodiad y Gawres, looking out of the tomb down the entrance passage. Image/Llun: DS2010_580_003 / NPRN: 95545
Barclodiad y Gawres, Môn
Beddrod siambr Neolithig yw Barclodiad y Gawres ac fe saif ar graig ar frig pentir Mynydd Cnwc uwchlaw Porth Trecastell. Cloddiwyd y beddrod ym 1952-3 ac ers hynny mae ef wedi’i gyfnerthu er mwyn i’r cyhoedd gael mynediad iddo o fewn twmpath modern sydd â haen o wydr ar ei ben.

Codwyd y beddrod cynhanesyddol hwn 5-6000 o flynyddoedd yn ôl ac mae’n hŷn, felly, na phyramidiau’r Aifft. Yn wreiddiol, roedd twmpath mawr o dywyrch rhyw 27m o ddiamedr drosto. Ar yr ochr ogleddol roedd cwrt blaen a drôi at i mewn, ac oddi yno ceid cyntedd 7.0m o hyd i mewn i siambr ganolog afreolaidd ei siâp. Oddi ar y gofod canolog hwnnw ceid tair siambr lai o faint a roddai gynllun croesffurf i’r beddrod. Dros y siambrau bach hynny, o leiaf, roedd slabiau mawr o gerrig nad oes ond un ohonyn nhw’n dal yn ei le. Wrth siambr y gorllewin roedd estyniad bach lle cafwyd hyd i olion dau ddyn a gawsai eu hamlosgi. Ar gerrig pen siambr y dwyrain a siambr y gorllewin ac ar dair o gerrig pen mewnol y cyntedd gwelir patrymau pigedig haniaethol ar ffurf igam-ogam, losenau a llinellau troellog yn nhraddodiad y gelfyddyd fegalithig sy’n gyffredin ar greigiau beddrodau Dyffryn Boyne yn Iwerddon, gan gynnwys beddrod enwog Newgrange, a beddrodau siambr yn Llydaw a Sbaen.

Wrth gloddio yn y siambr ganolog cafwyd hyd i olion tân hirhoedlog. Cawsai hwnnw ei ddiffodd â ‘stiw’ neu ddiod hud, ac yna ag amryw o gregyn meheryn a cherrig mân. Ond esboniad arall a gynigiwyd o’r casgliad anarferol hwnnw o famaliaid a physgod go anfwytadwy oedd mai ysgarthion dyfrgi a all fod wedi byw ymhlith adfeilion y beddrod oedd yno.

Effaith anffodus y fandaliaeth a fu yno’n ddiweddar yw bod y beddrod dan glo. Ond oherwydd technoleg ffotograffig newydd a thechnoleg sganio-â-laser, bydd modd gweld gogoniannau’r cerfiadau cynhanesyddol y tu mewn i’r beddrod cyn hir. Daeth gwaith ymchwil tîm o Brifysgol Bryste yn 2005 a 2006 o hyd i ragor o gelfyddyd bigedig gynhanesyddol ar Garreg 7 yng nghilfach chwith neu ddwyreiniol y siambr ac mae hynny’n dangos bod gan y beddrod hynafol hwn ragor o gyfrinachau newydd i’w datgelu.

Cysylltau:


Barclodiad y Gawres, y cyntedd mynediad.
Barclodiad y Gawres, entrance passage. Image/Llun: DS2010_580_002 / NPRN: 95545
Barclodiad y Gawres, Anglesey
Barclodiad y Gawres is a Neolithic chambered tomb set on a crag at the highest point of the Mynydd Cnwc headland overlooking Trecastle Bay. The tomb was excavated in 1952-3 and has since been consolidated and presented for public access within a modern glass-topped mound.

The prehistoric tomb, built between 5-6000 years ago and older than the Egyptian pyramids, was originally covered by a great turf based mound some 27m in diameter. On the north side was an inturned forecourt from which a 7.0m long passage led into the irregular central chamber. Three smaller chambers branched off this central space producing a cruciform plan. These smaller chambers at least were roofed by great stone slabs, only one of which survives. The west chamber had a smaller annex within which the cremated remains of two men were found. The end stones of the east and west chamber and three of the stones in the inner end of the passage were decorated with abstract pecked patterns of zig-zags, lozenges and spirals, in a tradition of megalithic rock art common among the tombs of the Boyne Valley in Ireland, including the famous Newgrange, and chambered tombs in Brittany and Spain.

Traces of a long lasting fire were found during excavations in the central chamber. This had been quenched by a 'stew' or magical potion, followed by a quantity of limpet shells and pebbles. However, alternative explanations offered for this unusual deposit of largely inedible mammals and fish is that it is faeces from an otter who may have been resident in the derelict tomb.

Due to recent vandalism the tomb is unfortunately kept locked, but through new photographic and laser-scanning technology it will soon be possible to see the glories of the prehistoric carvings inside the tomb once again. Research in 2005 and 2006 by a team from Bristol University discovered further pecked prehistoric rock art on Stone 7, in the left hand or eastern recess of the chamber, showing that this ancient tomb still had new secrets to reveal.

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Tuesday, 8 February 2011

Mining for Lead, Silver & Other Metals





Yr olion sydd ar yr wyneb yn Ystrad Einon. Yma, gwelwn ni’r pyllau cerwyn crwn a’r tŷ malu a oedd yn elfennau pwysig yn y broses o dynnu’r metelau o’r mwyn.
The above ground remains at Ystrad Einion. Here we see the circular buddle pits and the crusher house, important elements in the process of recovering the metal ore. (Llun/Image: DS2011_075_002 / NPRN: 33908)
Dod â Mwynglawdd Metelau yng Ngogledd Ceredigion yn fyw
O’r golwg mewn cilfach dawel yng Nghwm Einon yng ngogledd Ceredigion mae un o emau diwydiannol cudd Cymru, sef mwynglawdd metelau Ystrad Einon. Bu pobl yn cloddio am blwm, arian a metelau eraill yma ar raddfa fach ers y 18fed ganrif, ond degawdau olaf y 19eg ganrif a welodd y gweithgarwch mawr yno. O weld cyfle i wneud arian, aeth y mentrwr o Sir Gaerhirfryn, Adam Mason, ati i gael prydles ar y tir a gwario dros £3000 ar brynu’r offer diweddaraf.

Mwynglawdd cymharol fach oedd hwn. Yn ôl adroddiad a luniwyd ym 1891, doedd ond 11 o fwyngloddwyr yn gweithio yno: naw dyn yn gweithio dan ddaear a dau lanc 13 ac 18 oed ar yr wyneb. Colledion enbyd a wnaed yn Ystrad Einon ac o edrych yn ôl gallwn weld i Adam Mason a’i offer gyrraedd yno’n rhy hwyr. Roedd y mwynau ar fin dod i ben, costau mwyngloddio’n cynyddu a mewnforion rhad o dramor wrthi’n bygwth ac, yn y pen draw, yn dinistrio mwyngloddio ym Mhrydain. Ym 1903 fe gaewyd y mwynglawdd am y tro olaf a gwerthu neu sgrapio llawer o’r peiriannau.

Gall y cyhoedd ymweld â mwynglawdd metelau Ystrad Einon, a bydd ffrwyth gwaith dehongli newydd i’w weld ar y safle erbyn haf 2011.

Mae gwaith y Comisiwn Brenhinol yn Ystrad Einon wedi’i gyflawni mewn partneriaeth â Chyngor Sir Ceredigion a’u prosiect PLWM, ynghyd ag Ymddiriedolaeth Cadwraeth Mwynfeydd Cymru.

Cysylltau:


Olwyn ddŵr dan ddaear. Hi fyddai’n gyrru’r pympiau draenio a’r drwm troi. Dyma un o drysorau cudd mwynglawdd Ystrad Einon, ac mae’n unigryw oherwydd iddi oroesi.
An underground water wheel, operating drainage pumps and a winding drum is one of the hidden treasures of Ystrad Einion mine and unique in its survival. (Llun/Image: DI2010_0140 / NPRN: 33908)
Bringing a North Ceredigion Metal Mine to life
Tucked away in a quiet corner of Cwm Einion in North Ceredigion, lies one of Wales’ hidden industrial gems, Ystrad Einion metal mine. Mining for lead, silver and other metals had been carried out here in a small way since the 18th century, but the main period of activity came in the final decades of the 19th century, when seeing an opportunity to make money, Lancastrian entrepreneur Adam Mason leased the land and sank over £3000 in state-of-the-art equipment.

This was a relatively small mine, a report of 1891 notes just 11 miners working at the site, nine men labouring underground and two lads, aged between 13 and 18 above ground. It also proved spectacular unprofitable and looking back we can now see that Adam Mason and his high technology arrived at Ystrad Einion too late. The ores were becoming exhausted, mining costs were increasing, and British production was being threatened, and eventually destroyed, by cheap foreign imports. The mine was finally closed in 1903, when much of the machinery was sold or scrapped.

Ystrad Einion metal mine is accessible to the public, and the results of new on-site interpretation work will be in place by Summer 2011.

The Royal Commission’s work at Ystrad Einion has been carried out in partnership with Ceredigion County Council and their PLWM project, together with the Welsh Mines Preservation Trust.

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Monday, 7 February 2011

Traditions of Healing Wells





Ffynnon Elian yn 2010.
Ffynnon Elian in 2010. (Llun/Image: DS2011_053_002 / NPRN: 32271)
Ffynnon Felltithio Ffynnon Elian
Mae Cymru’n gyforiog o ffynhonnau iacháu, a llawer ohonyn nhw’n dyddio o’r Oesoedd Canol. Yn y 18fed ganrif gwelwyd adfywio ar draddodiad y ffynhonnau iacháu, yn rhannol oherwydd y diddordeb mewn datblygu trefi ffynhonnau ac yn rhannol am fod pob plwyf yn ymfalchïo bod ynddo ffynnon a feddai rymoedd arbennig. Un o’r amlycaf ohonyn nhw oedd Ffynnon Elian – ffynnon a gysylltid â brifo yn ogystal ag iacháu.

Ym mhlwyf Llandrillo-yn-Rhos, ar y ffin rhwng siroedd Dinbych a Chaernarfon, y mae Ffynnon Elian ac roedd hi’n rhan o fferm o’r enw Cefnyffynnon. Hyd at tua 1775, doedd y ffynnon ond yn enwog am ei grymoedd iacháu, ac o dan ddylanwad poblogrwydd Treffynnon, mae’n siŵr, fe geisiodd y plwyfolion hyd yn oed ei hyrwyddo’n fan ymdrochi. Ond wrth i’r18fed ganrif fynd rhagddi, magodd y ffynnon enw amwys am fod modd cywiro cam yno. Erbyn blynyddoedd cynnar y 19eg ganrif roedd hi’n adnabyddus fel ffynnon felltithio a cheid amryw byd o straeon am y trasiedïau a gysylltid â hi.

Cartref ceidwad y ffynnon oedd Fferm Cefnyffynnon – adeilad a ailgodwyd, mae’n debyg, ar sail yr elw a wnaeth ceidwad y ffynnon drwy godi tâl sylweddol am felltithio neu am ddileu melltith. Ar ôl ysgrifennu enw neu lythrennau blaen enw’r dioddefwr arfaethedig ar ddarn o lechen, câi’r darn hwnnw ei osod yn y ffynnon i gyfeiliant chwythu bygythiadau a melltithion at yr unigolyn a’i eiddo a’i wartheg. Grym awgrym a sicrhâi effaith y ffynnon. Yn ddealladwy ddigon, byddai pobl yn poeni ac yn dychryn am eu bywydau o glywed iddyn nhw gael eu melltithio yno, ac fe aen nhw at y ceidwad i ofyn iddo dynnu eu henwau oddi yno. Fel rheol, ateb cadarnhaol a gâi’r rhai a holai a oedden nhw wedi’u melltithio, ac mae’n debyg bod llechi ac arnyn nhw bob cyfuniad dan haul o lythrennau blaen yn cael eu cadw yn y ffermdy. Yn ddieithriad, ceid hyd i’r melltithion a’u dileu – a gorfod talu cryn dipyn yn fwy na chost y felltith yn y lle cyntaf.

Achosodd y ffynnon broblem i faes cyfraith a threfn wrth i gannoedd os nad miloedd o bobl felltithio’u cymdogion. Allai’r ynadon, i bob golwg, wneud fawr o ddim am fod y ffynnon ar dir preifat ac am nad oedd unrhyw drosedd amlwg wedi’i chyflawni. Ond ym 1828 aeth cynulleidfa capel gyfagos Rehoboth, capel y Methodistiaid, i’r afael â’r broblem drwy ddinistrio’r ffynnon a phlannu tatws drosti. Aeth pentrefwr mentrus, John Evans (a lysenwyd yn Jac Ffynnon Elian), ati i droi dŵr y ffynnon i lifo i’w ardd ef. Agorodd ef ffynnon yno a rhedeg y busnes am 30 mlynedd. Pan gyhuddwyd ef o dwyll ym 1831, cafodd ei garcharu am chwe mis, ond dychwelodd at y gwaith ar ôl iddo gael ei ryddhau. Tua diwedd ei oes, yn y 1850au, cyfaddefodd ef wrth weinidog mai twyll oedd y cyfan, a throdd yn Fedyddiwr. Rhoes Jac ei gyffes ar bapur ond bu farw cyn iddi gael ei chyhoeddi. Fe’i claddwyd ef ym mynwent Ebenezer, Capel y Bedyddwyr. Y syndod yw nad oes modd atal llif Ffynnon Elian a’i bod hi’n dal i gyflenwi dŵr iachusol i’r ffermdy gerllaw. Cewch holl hanes y ffynnon yn A History of Witchcraft and Magic in Wales gan Richard Suggett (2008).

Cysylltau:

Ffermdy Cefnyffynnon: cartref ceidwad y ffynnon.
Cefnyffynnon Farmhouse: home of the keeper’s of the well. (Llun/Image: DS2001_053_001 / NPRN: 32271)

Ffynon Elian Cursing Well
Wales is full of wells associated with healing, many of medieval origin. The tradition of healing wells was reinvigorated in the 18th century partly because of the interest in spas and partly because of parish patriotism, as each parish claimed to have a well with special powers. None more so than Ffynnon Elian which was associated with hurting as well as healing.

Ffynnon Elian is sited on the Denbighshire/Caernarfonshire border, in the parish of Llandrillo-yn-Rhos and was part of a farm called Cefnyffynnon. Up to about 1775 the well was known only for its healing properties, and the parishioners even tried to promote it as a bathing place, no doubt influenced by the popularity of Holywell. In the later 18th century however, the well acquired an ambiguous reputation as a place where wrongs could be righted, and by the early 19th century it was well-known as a cursing well with numerous stories circulated of the tragedies connected with it.

The keeper of the well lived at Cefnyffynnon Farm, apparently rebuilt from the profits of the well as the keeper was paid a substantial fee to impose or retract a curse. The intended victim’s name or initials were written on a piece of slate which was then placed in the well to an accompaniment of curses and imprecations directed against the person, their property or cattle. The well worked by power of suggestion - people were understandably anxious, if not terrified, if they heard they had been cursed there and could apply to the keeper to be taken out of the well. Those who enquired if they had been cursed were usually replied to in the affirmative, and it seems that slates with every possible permutation of initials were kept at the farmhouse. Curses were invariably found and cancelled – at considerably more than the initial cost of imposing a curse.

The well resulted in a law and order problem as hundreds, if not thousands, cursed their neighbours. The magistrates seemed powerless as the well was on private property and no obvious crime had been committed. In 1828 however, the congregation of the adjacent Rehobeth Methodist Chapel took matters into their own hands and destroyed the well, planting potatoes on the spot. An enterprising villager, John Evans (alias Jac Ffynnon Elian), diverted the spring water to his own garden, opened a well and continued in business for another 30 years. Tried for fraud in 1831, he was imprisoned for six months, but continued after his release. Towards the end of his life, in the 1850s, he confessed to a minister that the well had been a hoax and became a Baptist. Jac wrote his confessions but died before they were published and is buried in the graveyard of Ebenezer Baptist Chapel. Remarkably, the spring at Ffynnon Elian has proved irrepressible, and supplies salubrious water to the nearby farmhouse. The full story of the well is available in A History of Witchcraft and Magic in Wales by Richard Suggett (2008).

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