Pumping Engine at Cwm, South Wales

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Situated on the roundabout at the start of the Cwm bypass is a machine.   Many pass by without giving it a second glance.   It was once a pump engine, forcing water from underground tunnels to allow miners to dig for coal.

Now nothing more than a rather large roadside ornament, fenced in as though it might escape, it once saved lives by keeping the water levels low, and earned money for the coal owners making the coal face accessible underground.

I suppose it is better that this now obsolete piece of machinery sits here to remind us of our heritage, than for it to be taken for scrap and made invisible by being melted down and turned into steel girders, or some other useful object.



Steam hammers, pit wheels and other memorabilia can be found decorating our roadsides, where once they earned their keep in the mining industry.

 

Aber Valley, Senghenydd Pit Disasters 1901 & 1913

Abertridwr Memorial

Situated north of Caerphilly in the Aber Valley, the Senghenydd Heritage Centre has been constructed and maintained with a great deal of love and attention, and a warm welcome is guaranteed from the volunteers who run it.

Senghenydd Memorial

With CD films, a full set of professional photographs of the 1913 disaster, mining artefacts and a small sales counter, it well illustrated the emoiton of the mine disasters that killed over 400 people.

Unless pointed out, the memorial is difficult to find.   Next to the school, it consists of a replica pit wheel and simple plaque.   Efforts and fundraising are underway to create a more substantial memorial and the online website is quite informative, providing details of interesting local walks.  

We parked near the Abertridwr memorial and strolling back to the car along the main valley road, I noticed several houses had the original victorian tiles on the walls inside their front porch. 

Many of the 900+ miners underground at the time of the second disaster at the University Colliery, lived in Abertridwr, a little further along the valley.  



http://www.thevalleys.co.uk/attractions/aber-valley-heritage-centre-and-museum-p112891




Senghenydd can be reached by turning northwards from Caerphilly, but a stunning entrance to the village is from the village of Nelson.  We entered the small town and turned sharp left (no signpost) and soon we were on a steep narrow road with hedgerows either side. 

As the road evened out it opened out.   The views from the moorland were stunning, with plenty of time to see oncoming traffic and find a passing place.  Dry stone walls threaded along the roadway and surrounded fields.

 

Welsh strawberries, elder flowers & gooseberries

A beautiful rose, glistening with rain.

With strawberries rotting on the plants because of the persistent rain, the rhubarb and gooseberries seem to be making up for it.  

But there's only so much crumble you can eat, isn't there?   Why not make jam?   Both gooseberry and rhubarb & ginger are delicious, easy to make and achieve a 'set.'
If it doen't set you can always pour it onto icecream.   Still yummy.   There are loads of recipes online, some far too complicated for me to tackle.


Clover in the grass

If you don't eat jam yourself, it can make a useful present for friends and family.

Sweet cicely is a herb which smells of aniseed.   A few stalks placed in a pan of stewing rhubarb and it takes away the sour taste without any added calories.   The stalks need to be removed when serving, as they remain hard and unpallatable.



Elder flower ready for picking

Elder blossom and privet have also both excelled this year.   Elder flower champagne is something I've been meaning to try, and the flowers should provide a huge crop of berries for Elderberry cordial in the autumn.   Just as full of vitamins and as tasty as a commercial poduct made from black currants (and cheaper.)


Rhodedendron blossom

I mentioned privet, and both the blossom and scent have been fantastic, but please take care.   Privet, as with the foxglove and many other plants, is poisonous.

Rhoose Point, most southerly point in Wales

The most Southerly Point in mainland Wales

 

 

 

 

A cliff barrier separates the gravel pits from the sea at Rhoose Point.   At a break in this barrier stands a tall, engraved rock, brought from North Wales purposely to link the north and south.   It punctuates a break in the cliff barrier and overlooks the sea to mark the most southerly point of the Wales mainland.



The cliffs of soft sandstone stand precipitously,  overhanging stone blocks threatening both the rocky seashore and the path on the hinterland.   How long for this cliff barrier to be eroded and the gravel pits become open to the sea?

Naturalisation is making the ponds a beautiful place with water lilies and notices advising care when bathing.   People have brought chairs to spend time enjoying this place, while dogs scamper amongst the bushes seeking out interesting smells.

Follow the coastal path eastwards, taking care at the cliff edge hidden by wizzened hawthorn bushes. 

After twenty minutes or so, a huge quarry cuts a swathe into the land.   Today, firemen are practicing their stretcher skills on the unstable edge.   Their red outfits highlighting their presence amongst the greenery and yellow cliffs, their voices echoing on the slight breeze.

The coastal path continues through a caravan park.   Garden ornaments, pot plants and patios demarking territory and revealing individual taste.   In the 28deg. heat of this wonderful summer day, an icecream van is a welcome encounter, though choice is limited as business has been good.

Across another field and
Porthkerry Country Park
greets us with a steep woodland decent .  Although walking is dry underfoot there is evidence that this slope was a mud slide running with water just a couple of weeks ago.   Porthkerry Park is really popular today with families and dog walkers alike.   There's ample grassland space for cricket, rounders or just running around, while a pitch & put course tempts the less exuberant.   

The long pebble beach provides a quiet place to sit and enjoy a picnic with sea views, or wander and search for 'treasure.'    Aeroplanes seem surprisingly large as they appear over the treetops from Rhoose airport on their way to exotic places.

But today is Thursday, and with the sun shining and children on summer vacation the park is as crowded as a bank holiday.   With the car park and overflow car park full, but despite signs to the contrary, a blind eye is turned to some imaginative parking on the grass verges.

Porthkerry Viaduct dominates the overflow car park.   It was opened for the railway in 1900 after delays as two of the huge stone supports collapsed, but today the stone columns with brick infilled arches, look robust enough for the next 100 yars.

This walk of 2.5 miles has taken around an hour and after a coffee we will make our way back.

http://www.barrywales.co.uk/porthkerry.htm

http://www.valeofglamorgan.gov.uk/living/environment/countryside/porthkerry_country_park.aspx

Pontypool Museum, South Wales

Cross over Pontypool Town Bridge and turn right through the park gates and you will find Ice Houses on your left (see my blog of March 2012), and the old stable block on your right, which has now been renovated to contain Pontypool Museum.

As well as the obligatory large mangel, fireplace overmantle and treadle sewing machine, there are several interesting displays which make it well worth a visit.  

The coffee shop often holds exhibitions of work from local artists, and until 31 August you can see water colours and pen & inks by Mary Challenger, a close observer of local landscape and people.  In this display she shows her enjoyment of studying other observers as they take in other works of art.

Pontypool was famous for Japanware, a highly decorated, laquered tinplate.   Often coloured foils were included in the layers of laquer to immitate gold produce delicate patterns.   Later, as the company split, Usk became known for its paper mache version of Japanware.   The museum according to its literature, holds the National collection of such wares, consisting of  teapots, occasional tables, trays, nut crackers, etc.

Do you own an antique clock?   Check out whether it is a 'Charles Vaughan.'   There are only fifty known at present - could yours make it fifty-one?   The museum hold a few examples on display, and W Linnard has written a limited edition book on the subject, available at the museum.  

Around the walls of a small conference room hang photographs of British Nylon Spinners (BNS).
Situated in Mamhilad because of the pure, clean air, this large factory was taken over by ICI in the 1960s and later du Pont.   It finally closed its doors on 31 July 2012.

Until 29 September 2012 there is a large display of Pontypool Rugby Football Club memorabilia.   The exhibition consists of photographs, trophies, jerseys, caps and flags collected over many years.

Budding musicians of all ages can try their hand at various instruments, or just enjoy the international display as well as details of Leo Abse.

A wide variety of books on local history and events, as well as bric-a-brac are available for purchase at this accredited & award winning museum.   The Torfaen Museum Trust is a registered charity and is always looking to increase its membership.

Opening hours:   Tuesday to Friday 10am-5pm,  Saturday & Sunday 2pm-5pm
There is a small admission fee, but entry is free to Torfaen Library cardholders.

Amgueddfa Pontypool Museum is searching for the history of the buildings in Pontypool and the surrounding area.   A database of information is to be accumulated from scanned images of documents collected from the public.   Documents, artefacts and photographs can be taken to the museum for inclusion in this project.     For more info. Tel Mary or Peter 01495 752036 or e-mail ptcp@live.co.uk.

The Folly Tower, Pontypool (see my blog March 2012).
Pontypool Ice Houses (see my blog March 2012).
www.pontypoolmuseum.org.uk
Charles Vaughan of Pontypool published by Tathan Books, PO Box 6044, Radyr, Cardiff CF15 8YS

Yes, We have no Bananas !!

With my eyes closed, the sound of seagulls brings childhood memories of day trips to Barry Island, and my mother's excitement at seeing a Fyffes Banana Boat about to dock there and flood the shops with bananas.  I now realise her excitement was not just to engage a young child's imagination.   It was the early 1950s and the arrival of these boats meant the seas were safe and there was peace.  No more WWII.   These boats were tangible evidence of something heard of but unseen. 

With the scent of roses on the air, I am back taking bunches of flowers to school from my friend's garden.

But the constant drone and swish bring me to the reality of my neighbour jetwashing his extensive decking.   Not a pleasant sound.

As I open my eyes, sunlight streams through beautifully arched pale green leaves, swaying gently in the breeze.   Bright yellow dahlias and gaudy geraniums like jewels create an exotic corner of Sebastopol.

About six years ago we were given a gift of a banana plaintain.   It was far too large to be grown in a pot to bring inside for the winter, so with great trepidation I planted it in the garden.

The first winter I made a double thickness thermal fleece cover and anchored it down with bricks.   Quite an achievement as the plant was about 7ft tall.   But soon the bottom edge of the cover was losing contact with the ground.   Like a schoolboy's first pair of long trousers, as the plant continued briefly to grow.


Eventually the leaves died over the winter, but the following spring green shoots soon appeared, as they have done every spring since.   The sun shining through the large arching leaves is quite magical, but for some reason the birds don't feel tempted to perch on them.

Ginger flower from Garden

Although we have had a few banana blossoms with tough, leathery, petals, we have yet to harvest our first banana.

The South Wales Valleys are often portrayed as cloud covered, wet and cold, so I thought I'd share this tale which shows this is just a myth, created by locals to deter visitors from coming - for some of the time, anyway.

Beautiful South Wales Valleys

With our employment situation here in Wales, it is important we encourage and develop tourism in this beautiful country of ours.

Pembrokeshire cove

Many travellers have visited Snowdonia or St Davids in Pembrokeshire.   Both, indeed, are very beautiful places and deserve to be visited and recommended.

Bluebell wood

BUT this does not detract from the SOUTH WALES VALLEYS.   Situated in the south east of the country and with a more or less north-south orientation, we have a huge variety of both landscape and activities available within a few miles drive.

A thirty minute walk from most village centres will see you sitting on top of a mountain admiring, on a clear day, a landscape of valleys, mountains, lakes and towns, disappearing into the far distance.

If cycling is your 'thing,' the Cwmcarn Forest Drive is the place for you.  

For archaeology, under the shadow of Twmbarlwm's large earthworks, "Ancient Cwmbran," (see their Facebook Page), are busy excavating around the area of St Derfil's Chapel.   Many parallel walls of dressed pudding  stone around the area remain a huge mystery.   A silurian village, perhaps?


Severn Bridge into Wales
View from Aust

Lakes and ponds are everywhere in this lush countryside, fed by rivers, glistening silver.   Most valleys have a river or a stream at its lowest point.  

Industrial Heritage is visible around every corner from the original rusting rails and wheels of tramroads to the pristine modern memorials created in the past fifity years since the pits closed.

View of the Ryder Cup course at Celtic Manor

Often it takes a tragedy to change things.   Since the Aberfan disaster, many of the huge black slag tips have been removed or landscaped and those remaining are greening over.   Disturbed only by the off-road motorcyclists illegally creating ruts.  

Guardian, Six Bells Memorial

A disaster of a different kind, the foot-and-mouth epidemic of a few years ago sadly removed farm animals from our countryside.    But this provided a breathing space which allowed saplings to grow freely without the mastications of hungry sheep.   These trees now soften and envelope what had been bare hillsides.

Its important we see and appreciate the value of what we have around us everyday.   Everyone should be invited to see our beautiful, varied countryside and enjoy the activities available.