tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-91296389282018567512024-03-20T00:16:01.271-07:00Usk ChirpsLife and other stuff that happens in the Usk Valley, Monmouthshire and sometimes beyond Usk Chirpshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10495761272802720293noreply@blogger.comBlogger48125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9129638928201856751.post-18564488040241021752017-02-05T03:14:00.000-08:002017-02-05T03:14:13.164-08:00Winter Delights at Cefn Ila<span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">What a great day for walking </span><span class="_47e3 _5mfr" style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 0; margin: 0px 1px; vertical-align: middle;" title="smile emoticon"><img alt="" aria-hidden="1" class="img" height="16" src="https://www.facebook.com/images/emoji.php/v7/f4c/1/16/1f642.png" style="border: 0px; vertical-align: -3px;" width="16" /><span aria-hidden="1" class="_7oe" style="display: inline-block; font-size: 0px; width: 0px;">:</span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"> I love Cefn Ila - I was born here near Usk. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">It's now owned by the Woodland Trust - they planted a new wood here about 10 years ago - 36,000 trees which are now starting to mature. Lottery funding secured last year has enabled improvement to paths at the lower end near the car park to make it more accessible for people who have difficulty walking on uneven ground. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">The little video I've made today shows what a great place it is to go for a walk and you can read my earlier blogs for more detailed background info on Cefn Ila (links to these below).</span><br />
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<span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;"><a href="https://quik.gopro.com/v/TMC7C3WFrJ/" target="_blank">Winter Delights at Cefn Ila - view video here</a></span></div>
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<br />Previous posts on Cefn Ila</h3>
<a href="http://uskchirps.blogspot.co.uk/2013/12/a-boxing-day-ramble-at-cefn-ila.html" style="background-color: white; color: #98cc11; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;" target="_blank">A Boxing Day Ramble at Cefn Ila</a><br />
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<a href="http://uskchirps.blogspot.co.uk/2014/07/a-summer-evening-stroll-at-cefn-ila.html" style="background-color: white; color: #98cc11; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;">A Summer Evening Stroll at Cefn Ila</a><br />
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<a href="http://uskchirps.blogspot.co.uk/2014/12/cefn-ilas-secret-garden.html" style="background-color: white; color: #98cc11; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;">Cefn Ila's Secret Garden</a>Usk Chirpshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10495761272802720293noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9129638928201856751.post-29036262168906919132017-01-29T16:04:00.002-08:002017-01-29T16:30:23.849-08:00The Magical Monnow I haven't had time to do much on Usk Chirps by way of new entries recently, but I aim to change that in 2017 and try and add something at least once a month in the form of either a written article and photos, or a video, or even a combination of all three!<br />
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To kick things off here's a little video I've made of a walk done recently on the Monmouthshire/ Herefordshire border in the beautiful Monnow Valley between Skenfrith Bridge and Tregate Bridge a distance of about 8 miles there and back.<br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><a href="https://quik.gopro.com/v/TLf6FPSDhW/" target="_blank">Click here to view</a> video</span></div>
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Usk Chirpshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10495761272802720293noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9129638928201856751.post-23692327945339748972015-11-22T04:42:00.000-08:002016-01-03T09:43:15.153-08:00In Search of Cleddon FallsAfter a very busy summer with no time to write up anything for Usk Chirps, it feels good tapping away this morning to share a beautiful walk that we did yesterday on a very cold but fabulously sunny November day.<br />
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Ruck sack packed with sandwiches and coffee we set off to explore Beacon Hill above the village of Trellech near Monmouth. A largely circular walk of probably around 6 miles+ in total, took us across open heath land, forestry tracks and paths and part of the high level Wye Valley Walk in search of Cleddon Falls. Incidentally, this area is not only great for walking but mountain biking and horse riding, with lots of trails and bridle paths open to horses and bikes as well as walkers - see link at the end of the post with more info.<br />
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We started at Beacon View car park (location info given at the end of this post) which provided amazing views across the wonderful spire of Trellech Church and rolling Monmouthshire countryside, to The Brecon Beacons and Black Mountains, glittering in the bright sunshine with a dusting of snow (the first this winter), on their caps in the bright sun. Standing in the biting north easterly wind pulling on wind proofs, hats and gloves, we could clearly see The Sugar Loaf, Skirrid and Blorenge with Table Mountain, Pen Carreg Calch and even Pen-y-Fan in the very far distance.<br />
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The trails are way marked from the car park with red and yellow arrows and you have the option of doing walks of much shorter length than the one we chose. We followed the trail in a clockwise direction heading left up the forest track, initially on the outer edges of the red trail which takes you to the Beacon Hill View point.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beacon Hill View Point</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6BK3XlEU5lF1GF5Aq1KF4ApZk69jgZuM3uGu72jYkoaaQMqIzFpiLCkkHhqNV9zZr1PBMgBjnUAo4h2zs6XvDxx6rOlON4pHgg_vdlh3Pv96CgFJFF7FyerYBXEwmiyiHm1b_k_tVBCM/s1600/IMG_5182.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6BK3XlEU5lF1GF5Aq1KF4ApZk69jgZuM3uGu72jYkoaaQMqIzFpiLCkkHhqNV9zZr1PBMgBjnUAo4h2zs6XvDxx6rOlON4pHgg_vdlh3Pv96CgFJFF7FyerYBXEwmiyiHm1b_k_tVBCM/s320/IMG_5182.JPG" width="294" /></a><br />
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<span style="text-align: center;"> From here we followed the track through a gate and down over the heath land through a gate and across a forestry road to join the yellow marked trail through the forest.</span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL7cuCNWh4Ysx2QF5B56aHF5K11eRt1x0bDvXlJLAp-JM07UaD_GP2mrq5OJBRpGAZxrPNFFB6mNwUrEsuNq-9lgugMefV5Nu-LPLlZUdq8ySLibdiDmQ-InvB8WVOuwun1QO-t_rqV2E/s1600/IMG_5187.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL7cuCNWh4Ysx2QF5B56aHF5K11eRt1x0bDvXlJLAp-JM07UaD_GP2mrq5OJBRpGAZxrPNFFB6mNwUrEsuNq-9lgugMefV5Nu-LPLlZUdq8ySLibdiDmQ-InvB8WVOuwun1QO-t_rqV2E/s640/IMG_5187.JPG" width="640" /></a><br />
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Follow the yellow marked trail bearing right along the path at the bottom along the edge of the forest then turning left opposite a wooden and metal gate on your right (which would take you back on to the heath and will eventually be your return route). Continue down this track following the yellow arrows which will eventually take you to the right into a narrower, muddier track through the trees.<br />
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Keep going along this path which forms part of the Wye Valley Walk and you will emerge on to a wider forest trail. As you walk along the trail look out for an opening to your left which takes you to The Duchess's Ride View Point so named after the Duchess of Beaufort who is said to have enjoyed riding in her carriage along this route.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirsin2GpRCa5YEs5KlTPG8JU2mwiKhZB8HWOJ6JTR5rv_7Dym6s232vUiPWReoXN2MIl6tjTKKg-hzFtIFhAZOyDgPPVK2n9duAv13by80UNqFoWfex4ys7Du9OteiSZTpwpuFbwNx9Ss/s1600/IMG_5191.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirsin2GpRCa5YEs5KlTPG8JU2mwiKhZB8HWOJ6JTR5rv_7Dym6s232vUiPWReoXN2MIl6tjTKKg-hzFtIFhAZOyDgPPVK2n9duAv13by80UNqFoWfex4ys7Du9OteiSZTpwpuFbwNx9Ss/s320/IMG_5191.JPG" width="320" /></a>This view point perched high above the Wye Valley, provides stunning panoramic views above, over and down the river towards the Severn Estuary and a convenient bench on which to sit and eat sandwiches, drink coffee and contemplate the beautiful view.<br />
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After a welcome refreshment rest, we headed back out on to the trail turning left. To the left the stunning views high across the Wye Valley continued through the avenue of Scots Pine and Beech trees.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb5HwiP_Q4ioVI3CmwpJqgd_4iGOviO_cvp_YE-5FQWs_yaiW3Xk6i-IST_LnNwy6HPX3V-oW11kXiwAAm4qSDtd9oStNd6WwXr1hHq911DvEhQYz9fb1B70Vv1pVAm1xOK7aw5UX0pP8/s1600/IMG_5210.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb5HwiP_Q4ioVI3CmwpJqgd_4iGOviO_cvp_YE-5FQWs_yaiW3Xk6i-IST_LnNwy6HPX3V-oW11kXiwAAm4qSDtd9oStNd6WwXr1hHq911DvEhQYz9fb1B70Vv1pVAm1xOK7aw5UX0pP8/s320/IMG_5210.JPG" width="320" /></a>In this section of the walk the trail is littered with 'pudding stone' a type of sandstone embedded with quartz pebbles which was once quarried and used extensively for building walls and manufacturing mill grind stones in the local area.<br />
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After about 1/2 a mile you reach a cross roads of tracks and it was here we left the way marked trail taking an unmarked track to the left - unmarked but as our Ordnance Survey Map showed, still part of the official, Wye Valley Walk. This is quite an amazing track passing through Cuckoo Wood with beech and oak trees (part of the Duchess's Ride). It was very probably originally a quarry stone transportation route for extracting the pudding stone. All the way it is edged with ancient looking moss covered stone walls and boulders. Could this be one of the paths William Wordsworth walked when he visited the Wye Valley in 1793? (See Wordsworth Walk link below).</div>
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At the end of the track you come to a B&B on the left hand side and we suddenly realised we had accidentally stumbled on <i>'Sarah's Place'</i> (aka Falls Cottage), owned and run by our friends Steve and Sarah Widdett. Sadly Steve and Sarah were not at home (or maybe they hid when they saw us!) when we knocked, but it is clear their charming property provides a warm, friendly haven for walkers, mountain bikers and other 'outdoor loving' types. It is dog friendly and positioned in a superb location for access to everything connected with The Wye Valley, Monmouthshire and The Forest of Dean. Be sure to check it out on the link here. <a href="http://www.sarahs-place.co.uk/" target="_blank">Sarah's Place B&B</a>.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sarah's Place B+B - well worth a look if you want to stay in the area</td></tr>
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As you pass Sarah's Place look out for the quirky weather forcasting stone on the wall which will be sure to give you a smile as it did us! You become aware, as you reach the metalled lane at the end of the track, of the sound of roaring water and you realise that the original name for Sarah's Place is Falls Cottage for a good reason as across the lane, tumbling down the very steep, wooded hillside into the valley below is a beautiful waterfall. We had found Cleddon Falls, running fast and furious after the very heavy rainfall over the last week.<br />
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After admiring the wonderful falls we retraced our steps past Sarah's Place and back along the stone strewn track to rejoin the forest trail until we came to the forest cross roads once more. This time we went straight across the track past a bench on the right, to follow the yellow arrow marked path which meanders up through the woods - follow this track until you reach a wider forest track and go straight across and look out for the metal and wooden gates on the left (you passed these earlier) and go through them up on to the heath land track. Just off the track to the right you will see a boggy pool - Dewi enjoyed a swim in there.<br />
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Continue up the track and you will come to a crossroads with a bench where we stopped for another coffee and to admire the view across the heath towards the Malvern Hills - you can just about see them outlined beyond the nearer ridge in the very far distance .<br />
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From here you have about 1/2 a mile left to walk to the car park. Continuing straight on up the track, through the gates at the top and going straight on through the wood where there was lots of fallen timber after the storm and forestry operations before descending down the trail to the Beacon Hill car park and its lovely view once more.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">More Info</span></b><br />
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<b>Dogs </b><br />
This is a great walk for dogs as they can run free for most of the walk. However, be mindful of wildlife and be aware there may be ponies grazing on the heath and take care at Cleddon Falls where there are very steep drops.<br />
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<b>Start Location</b><br />
From the B4293 in Trellech take
the road signed ‘Llandogo, Catbrook,
Tintern’ and immediately take the left
turn. After ½ mile take the first left turn. Go up this narrow lane Beacon View Forestry Commission car
park is ¼ mile on the right.<br />
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<b>Links</b><br />
<a href="http://www.gwentwildlife.org/reserves/beacon-hill" target="_blank">Beacon Hill Nature Reserve - Gwent Wildlife Trust</a><br />
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<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beacon_Hill,_Monmouthshire" target="_blank">Beacon Hill - Wikipedia</a><br />
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<a href="http://wyevalleyaonb.org.uk/images/uploads/general/Wordsworth-Walk.pdf" target="_blank">Wordsworth Walk</a><br />
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<a href="http://www.treadandtrottrails.co.uk/media/40996/1595_wye_valley_north_1i_final.pdf" target="_blank">Tread and Trot Trails</a> - this area is great for walking, mountain biking and horse riding with lots of trails and bridle paths open to horses and bikes as well as walkers.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.sarahs-place.co.uk/" target="_blank">Sarah's Place B&B</a><br />
<br />Usk Chirpshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10495761272802720293noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9129638928201856751.post-3816201947330153902015-04-29T05:38:00.002-07:002015-04-29T05:39:55.443-07:00Spring On The River UskJust a short poem inspired by and a few photos taken on my walk along the banks of the River Usk this lunch time 29 April. I am truly blessed to have all this on my doorstep.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguj993Jdm4uzgg8wncWV4JFBU8nBR2zHPDXFjE7w-KdiboFcJQutwVqWlXodDo2wtn0-JrScsF0mb6eqJspXXktFYF9B88NeMzSQWYz_aG-2uWAdFgGjrEg0tG9e1RdcaRQhkvtBLjOOc/s1600/IMG_4137.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguj993Jdm4uzgg8wncWV4JFBU8nBR2zHPDXFjE7w-KdiboFcJQutwVqWlXodDo2wtn0-JrScsF0mb6eqJspXXktFYF9B88NeMzSQWYz_aG-2uWAdFgGjrEg0tG9e1RdcaRQhkvtBLjOOc/s1600/IMG_4137.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a><b>Spring on The Usk</b></h3>
Spring unfurls its cloak of green<br />
Along the wooded banks and paths.<br />
Birds sing and dart.<br />
Lambs call to watchful mothers.<br />
Swans glide sublime, as ducks squabble<br />
And dogs plunge and swim.<br />
Fishers cast their lines to hungry trout<br />
In deep pools reflecting sky.<br />
The scent of wild garlic floats on a carpet of white, pink and blue<br />
As untended, natures garden reveals and delights<br />
The happy wanderer on The Usk.<br />
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We are very lucky in Monmouthshire to have many ancient deciduous woodlands in which bluebells thrive. There are numerous sites you can visit and walk in late Spring, taking in their heady beauty and scent, which I'm not ashamed to admit, has been known to move me to tears. One of the best known sites with free and open public access to see bluebells is at Coed-y-Bwynydd.<br />
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Coed-y-Bwnydd (which translates as ‘wood of the gentry’ from the Welsh Language) is situated high on a wooded promontory, 196m above sea level, overlooking the Usk Valley and village of Bettws Newydd close to the Clytha Estate between Usk and Raglan.</div>
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A plaque at the entrance to Coed-y-Bwynydd states that the site was </div>
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<i>“Presented to the National Trust by Captain Geoffrey Crawshay in memory of Sgt R.A.Owens, Royal Air Force, of Llanfair Kilgeddin, killed on active service on August 7th 1943 aged 21.”</i><br />
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A popular destination for walkers, Coed-y-Bwynydd is most famous for the carpet of bluebells which emerge there each Spring, but there are also many other wild flowers here including primroses, orchids and red campion. Photos taken April 2014.<br />
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From Coed-y-Bwynydd and the lanes approaching on either side, particularly the lane leading down to Clytha, there are beautiful views over the surrounding countryside across the Usk Valley towards the Black Mountains and Brecon Beacons.<br />
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The views across the Usk Valley are truly stunning.<br />
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As well as being a renowned beauty spot Coed-y-Bwnydd is<br />
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an important archaeological site with the largest and possibly best-preserved Iron Age hill fort in Monmouthshire. In fact, the ramparts are so well preserved that the fort’s importance is nationally recognised by its status as a Scheduled Ancient Monument (SAM)<br />
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More than 2,000 years ago this was a large, <a href="http://pcwww.liv.ac.uk/~Sinclair/ALGY399_Site/monuments.html" target="_blank">multivallate Iron Age camp </a> proected by a series of manmade ditches/ ramparts and a massive earth mound at the entrance and by the very steep natural incline, particularly on the north western sides overlooking the Usk Valley. Excavations between 1969 and the 1970s revealed four roundhouses, and evidence that the fort was occupied by <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silures" target="_blank">Silurian</a> tribesmen over a considerable period of time. Information boards at the entrance to Coed-y-Bwynydd show a plan of the site as it would have been.<br />
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<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Coxe_(historian)" target="_blank">Archdeacon William Coxe </a> wrote about the 'ancient encampment' of Coed-y-Bwynydd on his tour of Monmouthshire in 1801. Like modern day visitors he was clearly very taken with its position.<br />
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<i>"The encampment of Coed y Bunedd is formed on the summit of a commanding eminence, at the extremity of Clytha hills, about four miles from Usk, and to the West of the turnpike road leading to Abergavenny; it is a small camp of 480 yards in circumference within the ramparts, but of considerable strength. The western and northern sides being precipitous are bounded by a single entrenchment; the other sides are fortified with triple ditches and ramparts. The entrance is covered by a tumulus which rendered the access extremely difficult, and appears to have been fortified at each extremity with towers, of which the foundations still remain. It was originally strengthened with walls, and many of the stones lie scattered on the sides and tops of the ramparts. ......... The Western side overhangs the meandering Usk, and commands a beautiful view of the northern parts of the county, which will amply repay the traveller for the trouble of ascending the summit."</i><br />
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He provides us with a scale drawing of the site<br />
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The deep defence ditches can still be clearly seen today.<br />
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Finding Coed-y-Bwynydd</h4>
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Map Ref: <a href="http://www.multimap.com/maps/?zoom=15&lat=51.756272264059&lon=-2.9213702328625&dp=904&loc=GB:51.756272264059:-2.9213702328625:14">SO365068</a> Landranger Map Number: 161 (<i>click on map reference to view map</i>)</div>
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Be warned, the approach whether from Clytha or Bettws Newydd, is up a steep narrow lane with limited passing places and very limited room for parking on the roadside adjacent to the entrance marked with the National Trust sign.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOLIVHKluYA3dXIMo6QoH0D-XP9iXyyhB5j4ls1Jutbp7fpwXX7qYGWjbf8HetpJuH21HdUAjnLpMboh2ucSXvskou_lsFPo5HUodSPbN3Rb-CZniMpF8PiAdOqiZbqu6_Orkigf-aGoA/s1600/SAM_1182.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOLIVHKluYA3dXIMo6QoH0D-XP9iXyyhB5j4ls1Jutbp7fpwXX7qYGWjbf8HetpJuH21HdUAjnLpMboh2ucSXvskou_lsFPo5HUodSPbN3Rb-CZniMpF8PiAdOqiZbqu6_Orkigf-aGoA/s1600/SAM_1182.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLzrOhFRaKZrVd0ZWkCzVgiZ4VurJVcViMYRno9ldIomsBvLr5CxEptfx_NOifHktRjx-hXaDcseLK9waMt1MvYRjGf0Vh1LEdq4tgUMPgEQa3zyQPcjTqqyxDRrI-d1dTc795E5L4GVU/s1600/SAM_1185.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLzrOhFRaKZrVd0ZWkCzVgiZ4VurJVcViMYRno9ldIomsBvLr5CxEptfx_NOifHktRjx-hXaDcseLK9waMt1MvYRjGf0Vh1LEdq4tgUMPgEQa3zyQPcjTqqyxDRrI-d1dTc795E5L4GVU/s1600/SAM_1185.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
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<h4>
More Info</h4>
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Best time to see bluebells and other spring flowers – April through May<br />
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Dogs permitted under close control – grazing animals in surrounding fields<br />
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<a href="http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/article-1355778720306/" target="_blank">National Trust – Coed –y-Bwyndd</a><br />
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<a href="http://www.megalithic.co.uk/article.php?sid=4217" target="_blank">Megalithic Portal – Coed-y-Bwynydd</a><br />
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<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hill_fort" target="_blank">Wikipedia – Hill Fort</a></div>
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<a href="http://pcwww.liv.ac.uk/~Sinclair/ALGY399_Site/monuments.html" target="_blank">Multivallate Hillforts</a><br />
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A Historical Tour Through Monmouthshire - Archdeacon William Coxe 1801</div>
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<h4>
Walks</h4>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx4OlJrGXgzM3HS5f8NagTbUP-dW2Wc7FYj_p0cpHtGQ2zPI8aRwkEiAvR_i9BWg42wGFIgFK0pQM9N-4CvIzBvcmJTWVHY9FZeFXIOFR_KDyg7b-5xZwJURrKeWjh1ZcJo7WCXioFj0Q/s1600/SAM_1231.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx4OlJrGXgzM3HS5f8NagTbUP-dW2Wc7FYj_p0cpHtGQ2zPI8aRwkEiAvR_i9BWg42wGFIgFK0pQM9N-4CvIzBvcmJTWVHY9FZeFXIOFR_KDyg7b-5xZwJURrKeWjh1ZcJo7WCXioFj0Q/s1600/SAM_1231.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a><a href="http://pcwww.liv.ac.uk/~Sinclair/ALGY399_Site/monuments.html" target="_blank">Clytha and Coed-y-Bwynydd Walk 7.5 miles</a><br />
<a href="http://mediafiles.thedms.co.uk/Publication/MW-Mon/cms/pdf/12-clytha-and-bettws-newydd-final.pdf" target="_blank"><br /></a>
<a href="http://mediafiles.thedms.co.uk/Publication/MW-Mon/cms/pdf/12-clytha-and-bettws-newydd-final.pdf" target="_blank">Clytha and Bettws Newydd – 6 Miles</a><br />
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Food and accommodation</h4>
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<a href="http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/ShowUserReviews-g2064522-d731029-r148461085-The_Black_Bear_Inn-Bettws_Newydd_Monmouthshire_Southern_Wales_Wales.html" target="_blank">The Black Bear Bettws Newydd</a><br />
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<a href="http://www.clytha-arms.com/" target="_blank">The Clytha Arms</a><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZIn-lcIfMZPeCNvk7SaHB8Paoc2nTv9dANRdLpxl8JPc4Y4MfhkCdd4Ntyjtb-hWp-DU9vbcjm11EMwyJbx0ZtULFALrBMlSuE04xH136NbJBOtx7xVJJYB55oWJxg6yXFh9-Tzh6hng/s1600/SAM_1215.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZIn-lcIfMZPeCNvk7SaHB8Paoc2nTv9dANRdLpxl8JPc4Y4MfhkCdd4Ntyjtb-hWp-DU9vbcjm11EMwyJbx0ZtULFALrBMlSuE04xH136NbJBOtx7xVJJYB55oWJxg6yXFh9-Tzh6hng/s1600/SAM_1215.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Looking forward to bluebells</td></tr>
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To me starting a New Year always feels a bit like it did when I was a child, returning to school after the summer break in September, when you got given new exercise books. I liked the clean, crisp feel of their pristine new pages, so fresh and full of promise you coud smell it! They sat there waiting for me to fill them. I was always excited by this, but of course although I started off with good intentions, took them home and covered them and wrote in them for the first few pages at least in my best, neat handwriting, by the end of the year they were full of scribble and ink blots and the lovely crisp pages had become slightly tatty and dog eared, rather like some of our New Year Resolutions end up!<br />
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I guess life in general does have a rather good analogy with an exercise book, you keep on turning the pages and fill each one with different things. Sometimes it's with things you want to do, sometimes its with things you have to do and sometimes its with things you have absolutely no control over or would not have chosen to happen, but you still have to deal with them the best you can! You may end up a bit tattered and dog eared, but its still your life, your book, your record of being you!<br />
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So as I start 2015 I am excited to have my 'new pages' in front of me. Some pages will be complete new chapters, others will be adding to existing ones.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>s<span style="font-size: xx-small;">ometimes a leap of faith is needed to change the direction of your life</span></i></td></tr>
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Leap of faith - brand new chapters</h3>
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I know some very big changes are coming my way at the end of March when I am taking a redundancy package from my current job as Marketing Manager with Careers Wales and embarking on an exciting new chapter by starting a brand new business. This change of direction is a complete leap of faith.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGQDdmC_uaChx9A6zx9FZVu3pMsLr8fH9XOi_kzEPRIpmO8ciMq9gRGnzmC52CxNLO4_VDorYA80wqVRztmqiZLUwRyqCMpNY1MF7OrCHQn6F6qN5FXvoBK4a3trp-EY1yp3bm87GK-RU/s1600/Facebook+Post.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGQDdmC_uaChx9A6zx9FZVu3pMsLr8fH9XOi_kzEPRIpmO8ciMq9gRGnzmC52CxNLO4_VDorYA80wqVRztmqiZLUwRyqCMpNY1MF7OrCHQn6F6qN5FXvoBK4a3trp-EY1yp3bm87GK-RU/s1600/Facebook+Post.png" height="264" width="320" /></a><br />
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At this stage I have no idea how successful my new Usk Valley Promotions venture will turn out to be but the vibes and connections are good and I'm feeling excited and invigorated with doing something for myself that will allow my energy and creativity to shine through!.<br />
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Like the gold fish in the picture I may end up swimming in deep water, into unchartered territory, but sometimes you have to have the courage to jump off the cliff rather than waiting to see if someone else will push you!<br />
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<br />Adding to existing chapters</h3>
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In 2015 am certain that I want to add more to these particular chapters.......<br />
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Spending time with friends and family 'the' most important thing of all</h3>
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Making music</h3>
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Spending time with my horse Rowan and dog Dewi</h3>
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Spending more time in the Countryside</h3>
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What about the blanks?</h3>
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But what will those other blank pages bring???<br />
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Well I think its important to leave some totally blank pages with no headings at all to just see what life brings to fill them!<br />
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<b>Happy New Year everyone</b> - have fun filling your 2015 pages............... it starts today!Usk Chirpshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10495761272802720293noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9129638928201856751.post-58834322331409952122014-12-27T08:47:00.001-08:002014-12-27T11:09:07.870-08:00Cefn Ila's Secret Garden<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Today, enjoying some much needed Christmas down time, I took Dewi for a nice leisurely walk up at one of my favourite local haunts near Usk - Cefn Ila. Those of you who have been following my Usk Chirps posts over the last year will be aware that I have written about Cefn Ila on a couple of previous occasions and for those of you who haven't seen these already and want to know more about the history and background of Cefn Ila and the restorative work going on there, I will put some signposts to them at the bottom of this blog.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKYJoPxweO92I4YCD4UBKfUY7KT2hrRXW8ureJuOdlGL_-wc44FB3vzM4zc-PVQfkTGNQW63yjoe3Ho-Utl8dhlem3d_bpJjXd0jiyeRd8qz6GkHYYJaYcF9p7U1g23Kq-I4as4bEACcI/s1600/unnamed+(22).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKYJoPxweO92I4YCD4UBKfUY7KT2hrRXW8ureJuOdlGL_-wc44FB3vzM4zc-PVQfkTGNQW63yjoe3Ho-Utl8dhlem3d_bpJjXd0jiyeRd8qz6GkHYYJaYcF9p7U1g23Kq-I4as4bEACcI/s1600/unnamed+(22).jpg" height="200" width="148" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Dewi loves walking at Cefn Ila<br /><br /></i></td></tr>
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I've been taking a few photos at Cefn Ila at regular intervals during the year and this update features photos taken through October to December. Its been a very mild Autumn and Winter so far and although the deciduous trees have now shed their leaves. everywhere is still remarkably green.<br />
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On the last few occasions I've been to Cefn Ila I have enjoyed exploring not only the newly planted woodland, but the adjacent site of the old Cefn Ila Mansion, orchard and walled garden. Thanks to the work of the Woodland Trust, volunteer work parties and some recently won Heritage Lottery funding, these areas are gradually being cleared and rejuvenated, breathing life back into this secret garden which has lain hidden for a long time beneath choking brambles and ivy.<br />
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When Dewi and I got back from our walk at lunchtime, it seemed quite fitting that one of my favourite films, 'The Secret Garden', was on TV! Its going to be interesting watching Cefn Ila's own 'Secret Garden' take shape over the next few years.<br />
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Autumn fruits,colours and textures snapped at Cefn Ila.<br />
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The old orchard at Cefn Ila has many varieties of gnarled old pear trees. Blackberries, hips and haws abound in the hedgerows.<br />
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Through the summer, into October a small herd of goats was used to keep the brambles at bay in the old orchard. They are very friendly and inquisitive.<br />
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With the goats gone for the winter, work has started on installing new gates and fencing into the orchard to improve public access.<br />
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Clearing has also begun in and around the walled garden which sits on the bank above the orchard. Lovely views from the walled garden.<br />
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The bee hives are quiet at this time of the year but come the spring they will be buzzing once more!<br />
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It's an exciting phase for Cefn Ila with a lot of ground clearance also being done along the driveway and in the arboretum allowing the majestic splendour of the many species of pine tree, many planted by Edward Trelawney in the 17th Century, to be fully revealed!<br />
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Lovely Winter skies at Cefn Ila today - Dewi and I enjoyed our walk!<br />
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Just the thing after a good Winters walk - the blackberries I picked at Cefn Ila made some wonderful Blackberry Whiskey and Gin - if you want to make some yourself next Autumn (or you have fruit in the freezer) you can find out how to do it in my blog post <a href="http://uskchirps.blogspot.co.uk/2013/12/potent-hedgerows.html" target="_blank">Potent Hedgerows</a>.<br />
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For more information, including the history of Cefn Ila and directions on how to get there, read my earlier blog posts:<br />
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<a href="http://uskchirps.blogspot.co.uk/2013/12/a-boxing-day-ramble-at-cefn-ila.html" target="_blank">A Boxing Day Ramble at Cefn Ila</a><br />
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<a href="http://uskchirps.blogspot.co.uk/2014/07/a-summer-evening-stroll-at-cefn-ila.html" target="_blank">A Summer Evening Stroll at Cefn Ila</a><br />
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If you would like to get involved at Cefn Ila as a volunteer contact the Woodland Trust on 08437705566<br />
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Apologies for a gap in my blog writing – the demands of setting up a new small business (<a href="http://www.uskvalleypromotions.com/" target="_blank">Usk Valley Promotions</a>) have meant I’ve had little time to spend on Usk Chirps recently! However, I’ve been storing up a few photos to use in this post when I finally got around to it and todays the day!<br />
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A few miles from Usk at Coed Cwnr/ Llangeview, above the livery stables where I keep my horse Rowan (<a href="http://newcourtlivery.co.uk/" target="_blank">New Court Livery</a>), is a hidden gem of a nature reserve ‘Springdale Farm’. This area is very special to me personally as I was brought up in the valley 'Llewellyn's Dingle' which lies directly below Springdale Farm. I spent many happy hours in this valley and the surrounding woods and hills both as a child growing up and as an adult - you can read more about my old home <a href="http://uskchirps.blogspot.co.uk/2013/12/the-old-homestead.html" target="_blank">Yew Tree Cottage</a> in an earlier post <a href="http://uskchirps.blogspot.co.uk/2013/12/the-old-homestead.html" target="_blank">here</a>. I count myself blessed that I can continue to enjoy this beautiful, precious place either walking or from the back of my horse, although I now live in nearby Usk.<br />
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Springdale Farm Nature Reserve</h3>
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Purchased by the Gwent Wildlife Trust in 2001 with funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund, Countryside Council for Wales, Monmouthshire County Council and Gwent Wildlife Trust donations, Springdale Farm comprises around 120 acres of grassland and ancient deciduous woods.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdVhnaP8KzItLiTwVINEbR8KLS2O_vudAetmfTy26c7HVbIx5AIm9re4c1LewVhMs5mt6AqIuTsqisyqtrwCm14lBeNUaCSg8EEA41hsMtVRMGiZNo85lyOze-Y6_xxQWdJhSLqMhFkMQ/s1600/1424495_10152234484806492_7448517539699765015_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdVhnaP8KzItLiTwVINEbR8KLS2O_vudAetmfTy26c7HVbIx5AIm9re4c1LewVhMs5mt6AqIuTsqisyqtrwCm14lBeNUaCSg8EEA41hsMtVRMGiZNo85lyOze-Y6_xxQWdJhSLqMhFkMQ/s1600/1424495_10152234484806492_7448517539699765015_n.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a>In spring the floor of the woodland is carpeted with wood anemones, followed by bluebells and wild garlic. Here is my dog Dewi enjoying a walk through the wood.<br />
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The lower part of Springdale Farm is quite steep terrain so take care walking on the lower fields and through the wood as paths may be muddy and slippery. Suitable footwear for walking is recommended.</div>
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Located at an altitude of 100 -150m the top hay meadows, full of wildflowers, including wild orchids, in spring and summer, offer stunning, panoramic views across the Usk Valley towards Twm Barlwm, The Black Mountains, Brecon Beacons, Wentwood Forest and the Severn Estuary. </div>
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Springdale Farm is a working organic farm managed using wildlife friendly traditional farming methods. The pasture is grazed by a herd of pedigree <a href="http://www.britishwhitecattle.co.uk/the-breed/4563202860" target="_blank">British White Cattle</a> and a small flock of Welsh sheep, owned by Ellie and James Hawkins who live at New Court Farm (and Livery) next door.</div>
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Meet some of this year's batch of lambs with Gwynie the Border Collie and George the British White calf with Ellie Hawkins! All animals are cared for supremely!!</div>
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<br />Visiting Springdale Farm</h3>
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Vistors are welcome on the farm and in the woodland, but take care to close gates, and keep dogs under close control to respect nature and grazing livestock. In summer keep to the edge of the hay meadows to avoid treading down the grass which will eventually be cut as hay.<br />
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Car parking is available opposite the Alms Houses (please do not park in front of gateways into the fields or barn - this is a working farm and tractors need access at all times.</div>
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Springdale Farm, Llanllowell Lane, Monmouthshire, NP15 1NF OS Map Ref: ST 409995</div>
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<i>Looking across New Court Farm and Livery to Springdale Farm above</i></div>
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I am very lucky to keep my horse in such a beautiful place at <a href="http://newcourtlivery.co.uk/">New Court Livery</a> next door to Springdale Farm!</div>
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Me with Rowan!<br />
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For further information on Springdale Farm</h3>
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<a href="http://www.gwentwildlife.org/reserves/springdale-farm">Gwent Wildlife Trust</a></div>
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Usk Chirpshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10495761272802720293noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9129638928201856751.post-43744547292371538462014-09-27T01:18:00.003-07:002014-09-27T01:31:26.662-07:00St David’s Church, Trostrey<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBxh4dMhav38IZx4WDbKp1jrirAiThRrR6eocteFkCqS0Wham8mEeIdySQolVHaqHCutUHlGHWmgq-cu_nBwZcefsjNYPexKhwR5iPBKr7R7q1Aw2kU5lx-9KeQSd7ZrNHM6pA6vTPzNw/s1600/SAM_1320.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBxh4dMhav38IZx4WDbKp1jrirAiThRrR6eocteFkCqS0Wham8mEeIdySQolVHaqHCutUHlGHWmgq-cu_nBwZcefsjNYPexKhwR5iPBKr7R7q1Aw2kU5lx-9KeQSd7ZrNHM6pA6vTPzNw/s1600/SAM_1320.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a>Note: in case you think you have read this before, you probably have! I'm including this introduction on several related posts!! This blog is the fourth and last of a series of four, inspired on a warm Easter Bank Holiday Monday this April, when we combined a leisurely riverside picnic at Pant-y-Goitre with a mini churches tour. The tour was ‘mini’ in distance (the churches are all within a radius of 2-3 miles) and number, three, but also ‘mini’ in the size of the tiny country churches visited. I have said it before when writing, I’m not someone who goes to church very regularly, or feels that you have to be inside a designated building to demonstrate your moral values or experience a sense of spirituality. However, I do think there is something very special about the small country churches of Monmouthshire, there are so many of these beautiful, ancient buildings located in stunning scenery. It’s a sad fact that many churches today are kept locked for fear of theft or vandalism, but in most, key holder details are displayed so you can contact them to gain access outside service times. Visiting them at any time of the year is a delight, but in spring with fresh leaves unfurling, blossom, wildflowers and nesting birds, bees and butterflies abounding in their graveyards and surrounding fields and hedgerows, I think they are extra special, peaceful places for quiet contemplation both inside and out, but judge for yourself over my next few posts and better still, if you like what you see, visit!<br />
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<b>St David's Church Trostrey</b><br />
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When Archdeacon William Coxe visited Trostrey on his tour of Monmouthshire in 1799 he described the church:<br />
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<i>" its situation is extremely wild and romantic, it stands on a gentle rise, in the midst of a wood, remote from any habitation and seems rather the solitary chapel of a hermit, than the church of a cultivated district"</i></div>
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Kelly's 1891 Directory of Monmouthshire bears the following entry on the church:<br />
<i>"The church of St. David is a small but ancient building of stone, in the Gothic style, repaired and re-pewed in 1877; it has a chancel, nave, western porch, and a western turret containing 2 bells: there are sittings for 100 persons. The register of Baptisms dates from the year 1723; Marriages and Burials, 1731. The living is a rectory, yearly value £90, in the gift of the Rev. Sir John Henry Fludyer Bart, M.A.rector of Ayston, Rutland, and held since 1883 by the Rev. Adam Rowland; the Rev. Lewis Lewis L.D. of St. David's College, Lampeter, who resides at Lancayo, Gwehellog, Usk, is curate in charge, and also of Bettws-Newydd. Parish Clerk: Charles Hughes. The children of this parish attend the school at Bettws-Newydd, for the the joint parishes of Bettws-Newydd, Trostry & Kemeys-Commander."</i><br />
The late Geoffrey Mein, a well known local amateur historian and archaeologist in this area in the 1980s, started the Trostrey Excavation Group to help him in his task of researching the history of Trostrey castle and deserted village. Before that, he excavated with some well-known archaeologists of the time, but his main passion became the excavations he undertook on land alongside Trostrey Church. Geoff discovered that this little hilltop at Trostrey, overlooking the river Usk had been used as a village site by the Neolithic, Bronze Age, Iron Age, Roman and medieval to post medieval peoples.<br />
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During his excavations at Trostrey, Geoff Mein also researched the foundations of St David's church. He writes, in an article published in the journal of the Gwent Local Histiory Council:<br />
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<i>"The church now standing at the top of the slope above the site of the castle, but no
longer in the midst of Coxe's wood, is almost certainly the second place of worship on
that site, while the building which we now see has undergone considerable change over
the centuries, including a comprehensive rebuilding since Coxe's visit. The first
mention of any religious settlement in the vicinity appears in the Charter of the
Benedictine Priory of Usk which refers to 'the hermitage of Trostrey', and the wording
used can be interpreted as indicating that it was somehow associated with, perhaps
under the supervision of, a Brother Elembert of Llangua. This charter was the grant of
lands and other rights by Richard "Strongbow" de Clare, then Lord of Chepstow and
Usk, which constituted the founding deed of the Benedictine nunnery of Usk. It has
been dated by myself to some time between 1154 and 1170 and by David Crouch to the
last six years of Strongbow's life from 1170 onwards (Crouch 1994). However this latter
suggestion finds less favour with me than one based on the research by Jennifer Ward
which suggests that the most likely date for the founding of the Priory and with it of the
town of Usk would be the decade before 1165 (Ward 1981). The relevant portions of the
charter, as translated and published by me some years ago (Mein 1986., 119), including
my interpolations, reads as follows;-
"Greetings to all my friends and followers French, English and Welsh. You should know that
I have granted to the nuns serving the Church of St Mary the tithes of my own lands in the
town of Usk, those of the town and of the entire parish and of the money rents of the said town;
every ninth fish from my fisheries in the Usk; and two carucates of land in the said town;
and twenty seven acres of land at Trostrey near the hermitage in exchange" (or in
substitution?) "for the tithe on the 100 acres of land" (Where? Perhaps also at Trostrey?)
"which I gave to Brother Elembert of the monastery ofLIangua; and thirty seven acres of land"</i><br />
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Geoff Mein discovered that the foundations of the church and the surrounding land are truly ancient and have real historical significance in this area. At the time of writing this article planning permission has just been obtained to convert the ruined 17th Century farm buildings on the site of Geoff Mein's excavations adjacent to the church into three holiday cottages.</div>
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In contrast to the old church in the photo below in the distance you can see the large hi tec, modern day automated dairy unit at Trostrey Court, which has <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Automatic_milking">robotic milking </a>for its herd of British Holstein cows.</div>
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There's a perfect spot for a picnic with a glorious view across to Wentwood over the Usk Valley with Llancayo windmill standing proud, on the open patch of ground near St David's church -there is even a nice bench to sit on!<br />
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There is another lovely seat with a view in the churchyard itself.<br />
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The church was locked on the day of our visit but there is a notice in the porch with nos to call to gain entry.</div>
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Usk Chirpshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10495761272802720293noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9129638928201856751.post-46405296573977110762014-08-25T07:58:00.003-07:002014-08-25T08:20:13.449-07:00All Saint’s Church, Kemeys Commander<i>Note: in case you think you have read this before, it's because I'm including this introduction on all of these related posts!! </i>This blog is the third of a series of four, inspired on a warm Easter Bank Holiday Monday this April, when we combined a leisurely riverside picnic at Pant-y-Goitre with a mini churches tour. The tour was ‘mini’ in distance (the churches are all within a radius of 2-3 miles) and number, three, but also ‘mini’ in the size of the tiny country churches visited. I have said it before when writing, I’m not someone who goes to church very regularly, or feels that you have to be inside a designated building to demonstrate your moral values or experience a sense of spirituality. However, I do think there is something very special about the small country churches of Monmouthshire, there are so many of these beautiful, ancient buildings located in stunning scenery. It’s a sad fact that many churches today are kept locked for fear of theft or vandalism, but in most, key holder details are displayed so you can contact them to gain access outside service times. Visiting them at any time of the year is a delight, but in spring with fresh leaves unfurling, blossom, wildflowers and nesting birds, bees and butterflies abounding in their graveyards and surrounding fields and hedgerows, I think they are extra special, peaceful places for quiet contemplation both inside and out, but judge for yourself by reading these posts and better still, if you like what you read and see, visit! It's well worth it!<br />
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All Saint's Church, Kemeys Commander</h3>
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All Saints is the smallest and oldest of the three churches visited on our mini tour, located at the hamlet of Kemys Commander off the <span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.790000915527344px;">B4598 road between Usk and Chainbridge.</span><br />
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The origins of Kemeys Commander's unusual name are fascinating, stemming from the fact that the patronage of the church was once held by the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Knights_Templar">Knights Templar </a> and was a 'commandery' or 'preceptory' as their houses were called. By the 17th century the successors of the Knights Templar, the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Knights_Hospitaller">Knights Hospitaller</a>, drew £2 13s. 4d. per annum from <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demesne">demesne</a> lands in this <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parish">parish</a>. <br />
In 1799 Archdeacon <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Coxe">William Coxe</a> rode through Kemeys Commander during his Historical Tour in Monmouthshire (published 1801) and wrote <i>"We mounted our horses and rode through the thickets, across the fields to Kemeys Commander, a small village which according to the pedigree of the Kemeys family is supposed to derive its name from Edward Kemeys, who was commander of the army under Hamlet, so of Dru, duc de Baladun, at the conquest of Upper Gwent. It is however more probable that it was denominated Kemeys Commander because it was a commandery of the knights templars, to whom, according to Bacon, the patronage of the church belonged. The church is a gothic building of small dimensions, simple form, with a low belfry."</i><br />
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The name Kemeys is derived from the Welsh 'cemais' meaning 'bend in the river', in this case the River Usk, with the hamlet located near the river at the centre of a large bend.</div>
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All Saint's Church is a simple building with some features dating back to the 13th Century. Kelly's Directory of Monmouthshire 1901 describes Kemeys Commander as <i>"a small parish, on the river Usk, 1 mile south-west from Nantyderry station on the Newport, Abergavenny and Hereford section of the Great Western railway, and 3 miles north-west-by-north from Usk, in the Southern division of the county, hundred and union of Pontypool, petty sessional division and county court district of Usk, rural deanery of Raglan, archdeaconry of Monmouth and diocese of Llandaff.<br /><br />The church of All Saints is an ancient building of stone, in the 14th century style of architecture, consisting of a chancel separated from the nave by a screen, with stone altar, western porch and a western turret containing 2 bells. There are 60 sittings. The register dates from the year 1813 only.<br /><br />The living is a perpetual curacy, net yearly income. £53, including about 40 acres of glebe, in the gift of Thomas Phillips Price esq. and held since 1898 by the Rev, Herbert Sheppard M.A. of Clare College, Cambridge, who is also rector of Bettwys-Newydd with Trostrey, and resides at Bettwys-Newydd.<br /><br />Thomas Phillips Price, esq. of Marks Hall, Kelvedon, who is lord of the manor, and A. Williams Esq. of Aberdare, are the principal landowners. The soil is gravelly; subsoil, red gravel. The chief crops are wheat, barley, oats, turnips and mangolds. The area is 493 acres of land and 15 of water, rateable value, £568, & the population in 1891 was 61. Parish Clerk, Richard Poole.<br /><br />Letters through Usk arrive at 9 a.m. Nearest post office at Bettwys-Newvdd; box cleared at 4.30p.m. Usk is the nearest money order & telegraph office, 3 miles distant.<br /><br />The children of this parish attend the National school at Bettws-Newydd for the united parishes of Bettws-Newydd, Kemeys-Commander & Trostrey."</i><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The simple interior of the tiny church</td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: transparent;">On the day of our visit a huge field of a modern day crop, electric yellow flowered, oil seed rape (the compressed seeds provide a source of oil for cooking and bio-fuel) provided a bright and extremely striking contrast, to the soft, grey hues of the tiny ancient, stone church and the dark green of the yew tree on the border of the church yard.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>The dark green of the yew tree framing the acid yellow of the field of rape</i></td></tr>
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Archdeacon Coxe described an unusual yew tree on his visit in 1799 <i>"In the churchyard is a singular phenomenon, within a hollow yew tree fifteen feet in girth, is inclosed an oak, not less than seven feet in circumference; its branches rise to a considerable height, and overshadow the parent trunk, forming a singular combination of foliage". </i>The yew tree standing in the church yard today has foliage mingled with ivy rather than oak.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Only the steps and base remain of the medieval stone cross</i></td></tr>
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<h3>
<b>Visiting the church</b></h3>
On the day of our visit the church was open<br />
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Usk Chirpshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10495761272802720293noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9129638928201856751.post-31760843437931391312014-07-19T06:50:00.001-07:002015-03-04T04:47:57.580-08:00Hidden Art Nouveau Treasure - St Mary’s Church, Llanfair Kilgeddin<i>Note: in case you think you have read this before, it's because I'm including this introduction on all of these related posts!! </i>This blog is the second of a series of four, inspired on a warm Easter Bank Holiday Monday this April, when we combined a leisurely riverside picnic at Pant-y-Goitre with a mini churches tour. The tour was ‘mini’ in distance (the churches are all within a radius of 2-3 miles) and number, three, but also ‘mini’ in the size of the tiny country churches visited. I have said it before when writing, I’m not someone who goes to church very regularly, or feels that you have to be inside a designated building to demonstrate your moral values or experience a sense of spirituality. However, I do think there is something very special about the small country churches of Monmouthshire, there are so many of these beautiful, ancient buildings located in stunning scenery. It’s a sad fact that many churches today are kept locked for fear of theft or vandalism, but in most, key holder details are displayed so you can contact them to gain access outside service times. Visiting them at any time of the year is a delight, but in spring with fresh leaves unfurling, blossom, wildflowers and nesting birds, bees and butterflies abounding in their graveyards and surrounding fields and hedgerows, I think they are extra special, peaceful places for quiet contemplation both inside and out, but judge for yourself over my next few posts and better still, if you like what you see, visit!<br />
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<span class="">Church of St Mary the Virgin, Llanfair Kilgeddin</span></h3>
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<span class=""><span class="goog-text-highlight">The setting of this little church is beautiful, quiet and secluded, tucked away, surrounded by soft green countryside near the River Usk, up a small lane opposite the entrance to </span><a href="http://uskchirps.blogspot.co.uk/2014/07/three-churches-and-mansion.html"><span class="goog-text-highlight">Pant-y-Goitre House </span></a><span class="goog-text-highlight">which was the subject of my first post in this series.</span></span><br />
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<span class="">A listed building, the original church dates from medieval times and was built on the site of a hermit's cell, the font is purported to be Norman and the chancel screen is 15th century. Extensive rebuilding was commissioned in 1875-76 by Rev. William John Coussmaker Lindsay who appointed architect John Dando Sedding to carry out the work incorporating the earlier structure. There is a twin bell tower and in the church yard are the remains of a late medieval cross to which Sedding added a new top.</span></div>
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Although open to the public, by arrangement, St Mary's Church is no longer used for regular services and is owned by the Friends of Friendless Churches.<br />
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Pretty as the exterior of St Mary's is, a true hidden gem lies within the tiny church itself. When you enter the church you cannot fail to be amazed by the series of truly wonderful <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sgraffito">Sgraffito</a><span class=""> panels which cover all the walls of the main church with illustrated texts from the </span><span class=""><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benedicite">Benedicite</a></span><u>. </u>The work was commissioned by Rev Lindsay to commemorate his wife Rosamund Emily Lindsay who had died in 1885. You can see the dedication of the work to Rosamund situated adjacent to the pulpit where Revd Lindsay preached as rector of the parish. </div>
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The eminent Arts and Crafts artist Heywood Sumner was appointed to carry out the work and the artist's initials and date can be seen recorded on a roundel under the window depicting 'All Ye Beasts'. Sumner's father was Bishop of Winchester and his mother the founder of The Mother's Union. <span class="">Sumner applied the Sgraffito technique to create the 16 beautiful art nouveau panels, using thin layers of different coloured plaster, allowed to dry and then cut back to reveal the colours underneath. His designs included local features, </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Tahoma, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 11.818181991577148px; line-height: 13.991999626159668px;">S</span>umner included local features in his designs - for example in <i>'O Ye Mountains and Hills' </i>on the north wall of the nave the nearby River Usk, the Sugar Loaf and Llanvihangel Gobion church tower are all included. Sumner's work was completed in 1888.<span class=""><br /></span>
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Details of some of the panels - too many to photograph individually</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span class="">This panel 'Oh Ye Mountains and Hills' shows the nearby River Usk, Sugar Loaf and Blorenge<br /> and possibly Pen Cerrig Calch or could it be Pen-y-Fan painted in the far distance?</span></i></td></tr>
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<span class=""><span class="">In the 1980s, St Mary's Church was declared redundant and threatened with demolition, but thanks to the awareness raising actions of local residents, Roger Perkins and Maurice Trumper, was rescued and restored by the </span></span><a href="http://www.friendsoffriendlesschurches.org.uk/CMSMS/"><span class=""><span class="">Friends of Friendless Churches</span></span></a><span class=""><span class=""> charity, supported by the </span></span><a href="http://www.victoriansociety.org.uk/"><span class=""><span class="">Victorian Society</span></span></a><span class=""><span class=""> and with financial support from </span></span><a href="http://www.cadw.wales.gov.uk/"><span class=""><span class="">CADW</span></span></a><span class=""><span class=""> and the </span></span><span class=""><a href="http://www.thepilgrimtrust.org.uk/"><span class=""><span class="">Pilgrim Trust</span></span></a></span><span class=""><span class="">. </span></span><span class=""><span class="">The beautiful Sgraffito panels were threatened by cracking, crazing, bulging, staining and delamination caused by moisture and salt movement and a trapping of water between the brittle cement murals and the soft stone wall behind. The £70,000 restoration work involved an intricate programme of stabilisation and repairs to the three layer system, including grouting, micro-pinning and fine surface repairs. </span></span><br />
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<span class=""> Lovely countryside surounds St Mary's Church</span></div>
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<b>More Information</b><br />
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<span class=""><a href="http://www.friendsoffriendlesschurches.org.uk/CMSMS/index.php?page=llanfair-kilgeddin">Friends of Friendless Churches</a></span><br />
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Tel: 020 7236 3934<br />email: <a href="mailto:office@friendsoffriendlesschurches.org.uk">office@friendsoffriendlesschurches.org.uk</a><br /><br /><span class="">Contact details of key holders are on the board in the church porch or contact Friends of Friendless Churches above for keyholder details.</span><br />
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<b>How to find St Mary's Church Llanfair Kilgeddin</b><br />
St Mary's Church is situated up a narrow lane running off the B4598 between Usk and Abergavenny. It is signposted opposite/ near the gates to Pant-y-Goitre House.<br />
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The Mansion - Pant-y-Goitre House</h3>
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The first of my series of Three Churches and a Mansion posts features Pant-y-Goitre, a well-preserved 18th-century Georgian house with landscape park situated on a slight rise above the River Usk, just off the B4598 between Usk and Abergavenny. Pant-y-Goitre house was constructed in two main phases. First, a red-brick Queen Anne residence built in 1726 on the foundations of a 16th-century house. This was bought in l770 by Thomas Hooper who extended the house and built the large 3-storey N block in l776 in plain Georgian style. The curving orangery on the NW corner of the house was added in the l830s and has recently undergone renovation. Thomas Hooper also probably did the landscaping of the park after 1770.<br />
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Pant-y-Goitre is privately owned and not open to the public but you can stay there as part of a luxury <a href="http://www.uskfishing.co.uk/pantygoitre.html">fly fishing tuition package</a> on the River Usk.<br />
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Although Pant-y-Goitre House isn't open to the public, you can enjoy seeing the house and parkland from the stunning walks along the public foot paths along the banks on either side of the River Usk here from the stiles on either side of Pant-y-Goitre Bridge. Keep dogs under control - there are usually cattle and sheep in the fields. </div>
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<i> Decorative iron gates at Pant-yGoitre</i></div>
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<span style="text-align: start;">Pant-y-Goitre Bridge which spans the river Usk, near the entrance to Pant-y-Goitre House has a strange look because of holes in the spandrel (the triangular space between two arches). These holes are meant to reduce water pressure on the bridge during flooding.The bridge was designed by John Upton and was built around 1821. </span></div>
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Having fun picnicking by the river!<br />
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This is the first in a series of four blog posts - the next three posts will feature the tiny country churches we visited on the same day as this riverside picnic. St Mary's Church Llanfair Kilgeddin, All Saint's Church Kemys Commander and St David's Church Trostrey.</div>
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Look out for these over the next few weeks they have some really fascinating history and hidden secrets to reveal!!</div>
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<b>Finding Pant-y-Goitre</b><br />
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Pant-y-Goitre, Llanvair Kilgeddin, Abergavenny, NP7 9BB</div>
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Limited parking is on the roadside near the old gates (don't block them), or in lay bys in the adjacent lanes.<br />
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Usk Chirpshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10495761272802720293noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9129638928201856751.post-9564832754176077782014-07-08T14:35:00.002-07:002014-07-08T14:37:01.890-07:00A Summer Evening Stroll at Cefn Ila<br />
<i>Due to lots of band bookings and other commitments this summer, my Usk Chirps blog posts may be a little less regular for the next few weeks, so please forgive me for that - come the Autumn when we become corralled inside on cold dark evenings, or wet days, no doubt my posting frequency will rise again!</i><br />
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This is my second post featuring the newly planted woodland at Cefn Ila. To read my original article, which has more detail, history and background of Cefn Ila and this Coed Cadw Woodland planting project click <a href="http://uskchirps.blogspot.co.uk/2013/12/a-boxing-day-ramble-at-cefn-ila.html">here</a>.<br />
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I walk my dog Dewi regularly at Cefn Ila and it has been interesting to observe natures annual cycle from Winter through Spring into Summer. In contrast to my last article which was written in Winter, the young trees planted on the 72 acre site at Cefn Ila are now in full leaf, cloaking the former open fields and hillside in a lush greeness.<br />
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The site is a haven for wildlife. Wildflowers, birds and butterflies were very much in evidence as I walked this evening in warm sun after a heavy thundery downpour. There was also plenty of evidence of foxes on the grassy tracks in the form of droppings which Dewi as usual, delighted in rolling in! Thankfully the stream which forms the boundary at the bottom of the site allows me to wash him off before he gets back in the car!<br />
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Apart from dealing with an obnoxious smelling dog, my evening stroll at Cefn Ila was very tranquil and relaxing. No people, no cars, no hassle, just the beauty and sounds of nature - my photos hopefully share some of the general ambience of this lovely summer evening walk.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>It's beginning to look like a wood as the deciduous saplings grow into young trees</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS37p9ta2uqLT2A237SG41CIrsepyIXc2k3NQ_QRCgMM3QALfnG0P7qqJlhJ-kOqn76-Ov_hKdbQJz9o4EwqViSNP546FR2ISJGrSPJdrYcLl_-mAUUUPxk0LQwAIKyDxJ5J-Y-BDFTp0/s1600/unnamed+%25284%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS37p9ta2uqLT2A237SG41CIrsepyIXc2k3NQ_QRCgMM3QALfnG0P7qqJlhJ-kOqn76-Ov_hKdbQJz9o4EwqViSNP546FR2ISJGrSPJdrYcLl_-mAUUUPxk0LQwAIKyDxJ5J-Y-BDFTp0/s1600/unnamed+%25284%2529.jpg" height="640" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><a href="http://butterfly-conservation.org/50-1195/comma.html">Comma Butterfly</a></i></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><a href="http://butterfly-conservation.org/50-755/small-skipper.html">Small Skipper Butterfly </a></i></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><a href="http://www.arkive.org/soldier-beetle/rhagonycha-fulva/">Soldier beetle feeding on Common Hogweed </a></i></td></tr>
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<i>The delicate, frothy leaves and striking bark of the Silver Birch</i><br />
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<i>The young cherry trees are bearing small fruit - and yes I did try some! Lovely and sweet but plenty left for the birds!!</i></div>
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<i>The old oak tree still standing proud in full leaf on the lower part of the wood</i></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Signs of Autumn already with berries forming</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Many lovely grasses and sedges</i></td></tr>
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If you would like to know more about Cefn Ila Wood and how to find it click <a href="http://uskchirps.blogspot.co.uk/2013/12/a-boxing-day-ramble-at-cefn-ila.html">here</a> to read my original article with directions and links to further information.<br />
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<i>Dewi and me enjoying the lovely views across the surrounding, rolling Monmouthshire countryside</i><br />
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Having been out a lot playing live music with the bands I'm in over the last few days, I thought I would make this post about music.<br />
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When I play, people are often intrigued by my cajón! Quite a lot of people have never heard of, seen, or listened to a cajón! 'What's that?', they say, 'How can you get that 'box' to sound like that?' or, 'I thought it was someone playing a drum kit but then I saw it was you sitting on a 'box'', or even it looks like a 'speaker'.<br />
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So for those who are interested..... let me tell you a bit about cajóns!<br />
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'The Drum Kit in a Box'</h3>
The word cajón (pronounced caahone or caahon) is Spanish in origin.The word means crate or box or drawer. And this is exactly what a cajón is, it's a wooden box which is played as a drum. The modern cajón is often used to accompany the acoustic guitar and is popular in Andean, Cuban, and Flamenco music. The cajón is also becoming rapidly popular in blues, pop, rock, funk, world music, fusion, jazz, etc. It is often referred to as a "drum kit in a box".<span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.399999618530273px;"><br /></span>
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History</h3>
The cajón was developed during the periods of slavery in coastal Perú, where it is associated with several Afro-Peruvian genres. The instrument reached a peak in popularity by 1850, and by the end of the 19th century cajón players were experimenting with the design of the instrument by bending some of the planks in the cajón's body to alter the instrument's patterns of sound vibration. After slavery the cajón was spread to a much larger audience including Criollos.<br />
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Given that the cajón comes from slave musicians in the Spanish colonial Americas, there are two complementary origin theories for the instrument. It is possible that the drum is a direct descendant of a number of boxlike musical instruments from west and central Africa, especially Angola and the Antilles. These instruments were adapted by Peruvian slaves from the Spanish shipping crates at their disposal.<br />
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Another theory is that slaves simply used boxes as musical instruments to subvert Spanish colonial bans on music in predominantly African areas. In this way, cajóns could easily be disguised as seats or stools, thus avoiding identification as musical instruments. In all likelihood it is a combination of these factors - African origins and Spanish suppression of slave music - that led to the cajón's creation.<br />
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Spanish flamenco guitar player <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paco_de_Luc%C3%ADa">Paco de Lucía</a> brought to Spain a cajón formerly owned by Peruvian percussionist <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caitro_Soto">Caitro Soto</a> in 1977 with the purpose of using it as a more reliable rhythmic base in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flamenco">Flamenco</a> - you can see Paco in action with his cajón players in this video.<br />
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Construction and sound</h3>
Since it's early beginnings the design of the the cajon has not changed all that much. From the most modern up to date cajons with built in amplification and adjustable snare and bass tones to the most humble box crate, the cajon is still a hollow box usually made from plywood. The cajon has a thin layer of plywood on one side....like the bottom of a drawer.....and thicker wood to the sides and top, usually the back (or sides) of the cajon has a sound hole, and simply beating on different parts of the front surface will give different sounds. Some cajons are built with more than one playing surface and of different wood to give different effects.<br />
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A bass drum sound is achieved by hitting the middle of the playing surface and higher toned sound can be achieved by hitting the box closer to the top. So a cajón box drum can be played to get a similar sound one would a bass drum and toms and when fitted with snare wires effects similar to a snare drum, but instead of needing a transit van to transport a full drum kit, a cajón packs into one easily carried bag.This makes the box drum cajón a very versatile and easily transportable instrument, which also as a bonus, provides me with a seat when there are none!! Below I'm accompanying Jez in our acoustic duo <a href="http://www.silurianband.com/">Silurian</a>.<br />
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I've been playing my Meinl cajón (pictured here) for just over a year. Its front plate is made from Bubinga wood which I've since reinforced (with the help of Richard Southwell) with washer sunk screws to distribute the beat load and prevent it splitting, as I do whack it some when playing full on with the band. It has a foot pedal which allows you to adjust the sound of the snare rattle, but I actually very rarely use this as the snare sound is usually a bonus! I play it with my hands and also some nylon brushes depending on the type of rhythm needed. I also add in some finger shakers/ jingles, foot tambourine, a hi-hat and crash cymbal when playing with the band for added effects. When mic'd up properly so I can be heard above the electric guitars and keyboard it can produce a pretty impressive level of sound!<br />
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Here I am playing with the guys in a cover version of 'TheThrill is Gone' with <a href="http://www.twystedriver.com/">Twysted River</a><br />
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As you can see, I am in no way an expert, I started playing percussion about two years ago as a way of joining in with Jez when playing guitar but soon became hooked on 'making music'. I have only had a cajón for just over a year and still have a lot to learn about playing this fantastically versatile instrument - yes I believe my cajón is an 'instrument' and it isn't 'just a box'!<br />
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<i>Due to lots of band bookings and other commitments this summer my, Usk Chirps blog posts may be a little less regular for the next few months so please forgive me for that. I will be collecting material and taking photos and come the Autumn, when we become corralled inside on cold, dark evenings, no doubt my posting frequency will rise again!</i></div>
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Usk Chirpshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10495761272802720293noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9129638928201856751.post-76062928577732263632014-04-20T10:08:00.000-07:002014-04-21T00:48:22.934-07:00The Punchbowl<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Glorious spring weather last weekend (13 April) had us heading up on to
the slopes of the Blorenge mountain above Abergavenny for a beautiful walk down
to the 'Punchbowl'.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii0Tsy0BmuBhS6bcjFr49SkfVIMmqruRet-IYpIYLDG5slwYkdXfoznOV_DoL-p91OVCdaCfuImSQBRq0pgqi-BdjHYaSuUJ5mfdbUBAxWAsZEKnxMsgfYCrW666t3UUYgM_u0JJJ_CA4/s1600/971245_10151892874806492_1740265993_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii0Tsy0BmuBhS6bcjFr49SkfVIMmqruRet-IYpIYLDG5slwYkdXfoznOV_DoL-p91OVCdaCfuImSQBRq0pgqi-BdjHYaSuUJ5mfdbUBAxWAsZEKnxMsgfYCrW666t3UUYgM_u0JJJ_CA4/s1600/971245_10151892874806492_1740265993_n.jpg" height="220" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>The Blorenge - pic taken last Autumn</i></td></tr>
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Visiting Abergavenny on his '<i>Historical Tour of Monmouthshire' </i>in 1801, Archdeacon William Coxe described The Blorenge which, to me looking at this description, seems to have changed very little in appearance from that time : <i>"To the west rises the Blorenge, magnificent from its height and continuity; it forms the northern extremity of the chain, which reaches from Pontypool, and terminates near the confines of the county. The highest part towers above the Usk and the town of Abergavenny; its sides are concave; the summit is covered with russet herbage, without a single bush; the midland parts are chequered with underwood, intermixed with fertile meadows, and the base is clothed with timber tress. At the northern extremity, the rich knoll of Upper Llanfoist presents a wood of fine oak, ash and elm, forming an extensive mantel of thick and dark foliage."</i><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEintWJKq-zCim2bEBV_UhFO_HWWU-JRFCNegORTWRcyLu05-Y_X6rRCsSrXLOF-5j59-lzGIETq452YJ2RV54_g8iF610Cowqd6zq53fx-Ejm27ovdtUGgiZckdm2-ts6QUyESAz8DiRro/s1600/Alexander-cordell.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEintWJKq-zCim2bEBV_UhFO_HWWU-JRFCNegORTWRcyLu05-Y_X6rRCsSrXLOF-5j59-lzGIETq452YJ2RV54_g8iF610Cowqd6zq53fx-Ejm27ovdtUGgiZckdm2-ts6QUyESAz8DiRro/s1600/Alexander-cordell.jpeg" height="150" width="200" /></a>The Blorenge has been called 'Cordell Country' by local writer and historian, Chris Barber. Alexander Cordell (9 September 1914 – 13 November 1997) was the pen name of George Alexander Graber, a prolific Welsh novelist. Cordell was fascinated by the industrial history of this area and wrote over thirty books about it, including most famously the novels, <i>'Rape of the Fair Country',</i> <i>'The Hosts of Rebecca'</i> and <i>'Song of the Earth'. </i><br />
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The shape of the Blorenge (Blorens in Welsh), has been likened to a 'blancmange' pudding and was modified during the ice ages as the Usk Valley glacier flowed past it to its north. A small glacier nourished by windblown snow from the plateau excavated the hollow on the eastern side of Blorenge which is known as The Punchbowl. the hollow was later, further excavated by quarrying to remove red sandstone as a source of sand for iron making in the local ironworks at Blaenavon and Garnddyrus.<br />
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The walk down the side of the Blorenge to the Punchbowl takes you along a narrow track with a steep, stony descent between ancient beech trees with some spectacular views across the Monmouthshire countryside.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Jez and Dewi at the start of the walk</i></td></tr>
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The walk is suitable for dogs but keep them under close control as there are sheep all around and plenty of lambs at this time of year<br />
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Fabulous views across to the Sugarloaf and Skirrid from up here!<br />
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'Rape in the fair country' - I couldn't resist this analogy with 'Cordell's book title, looking down at the striking, yellow splashes of flowering oil seed rape in the Monmouthshire countryside at this time of the year!<br />
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The ancient beech trees flanking the steep path are a haven for wildlife with beautiful mosses, lichens and fungi growing on the trees and stones.<br />
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As you come out of the woods at the bottom of the path you are aware that the shape of this deep, hollow in the side of the mountain is curved like a punchbowl and with the small lake that has been created in the bottom of it, you may well think this is how it got its name. However, what many visitors do not realise is that the 'Punchbowl' was once a popular venue for illegal bare knuckle boxing matches. In 1889 a fight between David Rees of Nantyglo and William Williams of Brynmawr went on for 42 rounds and lasted an hour and 42 minutes, all for a £10 purse.<br />
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Dewi enjoying a swim!</div>
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On a still day, such as when we visited, once you are down by the lake in the Punchbowl, there is an impressive echo. An early cuckoo calling as we picnicked by the lake in the warm spring sunshine - cuckoo, cuckoo, cuckoo - the sound magnified and bounced back to us off the sides of the 'bowl' was magical!<br />
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A welcome rest on the seat at the top of the track for Dewi and me on the way back up!<br />
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<h3>
Finding the Punchbowl</h3>
There are several ways you can get to the Punchbowl. You can walk up to it from Llanfoist or via the old tram road from the road which winds steeply down from The Keepers Pond to Govilon.</div>
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However the most straight forward approach is across the mountain from Blaenavon, passing the Keepers Pond and the Foxhunter car park. You can stop off here to admire the views and visit the grave of Sir Harry Llewellyn's <u>f</u>amous show jumper, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foxhunter">Foxhunter</a>, who won Britain's only gold medal in the 1952 Olympics..<br />
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Great views from up here!</div>
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From the Foxhunter car park continue travelling over and down the mountainside along the lane towards Llanfoist/ Llanover which has some spectacular views, until you reach the cattle grid. If you have less able people to show around this is a lovely, accessible drive to take them on!</div>
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Just before you reach the cattle grid you will see a track with a wooden gate on the left way marked to Llanfoist and the Punchbowl.<br />
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You can park on the side of the road under the trees</div>
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An alternative route back is to go over the cattle grid and follow the narrow lane down to Llanfoist or Llanover. Again there are some great view points across Abergavenny and the Sugarloaf and Skirrid to stop off on the way down!<br />
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Sources of information</h3>
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'An Historical Tour Through Monmouthshire' - Archdeacon
William Coxe 1801<br />
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'Cordell Country' -
Chris Barber 1985</div>
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<a href="http://visitwoods.org.uk/en/visit-woods/pages/wood-details.aspx?wood=4256&site=the-punchbowl#.U1OIfPldW8U">The Woodland Trust </a></div>
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<a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/wales/nature/sites/walking/pages/se_blorenge.shtml">BBC Weatherman Walking</a></div>
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<a href="http://www.sewhgpgc.co.uk/blorenge7.php">More walks on The Blorenge</a></div>
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<a href="http://www.abergavenny.org.uk/blorenge.htm">The Blorenge </a></div>
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Ponies on the mountain near the Foxhunter carpark<br />
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During the course of his travels around Monmouthshire in 1964, local historian, Fred Hando produced a sketch of Twyn Square and the following description of the square and the local people frequenting it.<br />
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<i>“My drawing, with which I have taken liberties, shows the view from Twyn Square, Usk. Sardonic, imperturbable, the castle surveys from Buga’s Bank the traffic surging along the Raglan road. “Step on it,” it seems to grunt, “I’ll be here long after you have gone.” The great trees nod assent. This afternoon Twyn Square is like a harbour with the town clock as its lighthouse. All the spare space in the harbour (empty in my drawing) is packed with cars, moored here away from the main stream. Their owners make Usk a talking-place and rest centre. They have come from farmhouses with splendid Welsh names; their jolly clean-shaven faces are red, like the good red lands of mid-Gwent which they work. Of medium height, there is no giant or dwarf among them.”</i><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Fred Hando's drawing of Twyn Square</i></td></tr>
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50 years on from when Fred Hando wrote this description, I think Usk has a much wider catchment area for visitors than local farms, but Twyn Square is still a central “talking place” and “rest centre” and is usually at the forefront as a “hub” for important events. In fact, as you stand in Twyn Square today it is fascinating to think that it has probably been this 'hub' of activity for well over 800 years.<br />
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<b>History</b></h3>
The name “Twyn” is Welsh for <i>“hillock”</i> or <i>“tump”</i>. The site of Twyn Square, may well have once rested on a small hillock, but I believe the name probably refers to the adjacent small hill on which Usk Castle is built (shown in Hando's drawing) which could also have been the site of an iron age hill fort mound.<br />
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Geoff Mein's study of '<i>Norman Usk </i>shows how the township of Usk was founded by Richard Strongbow de Clare between 1154-1170. He writes:<br />
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<i>"The town was planned so as to attract trade to the town centre from neighbouring settlements by routing all the main roads through its market place, now Twyn Square but perhaps originally kown as Twyn y daley du (the hillock of the black leaves)."</i></div>
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Twyn Square was used as one of Usk's market places until the early 1900's. It seems that the 'market', was in fact held in various locations around the town with many of the shops and houses having metal rings or hooks inserted in their walls to allow temporary pens for livestock to be erected. Writing in 1920, Joseph Bradney describes Twyn Square having being used as a market place and to host 'pleasure fairs'.<br />
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<i>"The original market-place was what is now called the Twyn (tump) where there may once have been a small mound of earth which has since given its name to the square. Mr Wakeman quotes a conveyance dated 31st December, 1459, in which a burrage is described as situate "in old chepyng' ystrete joining the churchyard on the south </i>(Chepyng is an old English word meaning 'market. Don't confuse this street with the current 'Old Market Street.)<i>...... By one hundred years later (1598) the market would seem to have been removed to its present locality......... in the lower part of 'New Market street.......The present market house and town hall </i>(now the Royal British Legion Club) <i>was built by the Duke of Beaufort in 1816. ..... The fairs are those on Trinity Monday, largely a pleasure fair, held in the Twyn, 19th, and 20th April, and St Luke's day , 29th October. ......The following was the ancient proclamation of the fair used in 1816:</i><br />
<i><br /></i><i>'All persons are commanded while the Charge is given and the Fair proclaimed by the Rev. James Barnard Davies, Portreeve of this Borough. And it is strictly given you in charge, that no person shall go armed, or carry any offensive weapon, during the time of the Fair, and that no Leather, Wollen, or Linen Cloth be sold without first being sealed with the seal of this Borough, nor Horses, without first being entered in the Toll Book, on forfeiture to the Lord of the Borough'."</i><br />
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Plan of Usk showing Twyn Square, taken from Coxe's<i> 'A Historical tour of Monmouthshire'.</i> At Coxe's time of writing 1801, Usk had around 700 residents living in 165 houses.<br />
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David Lewis provides a more detailed account of the properties in Twyn Square and the people residing and working in them in Victorian times, as recorded by the 1851 census enumerator for Usk, 27 year old solicitor Horace Shepard who lived in Bridge Street.<br />
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<i>“In the house now a branch of Midland Bank (HSBC) a spinster Hannah Barnard Davies lived with her brother and servants…… Next door stood the Nags Head, a public house known earlier in the century by its Welsh equivalent Pen Cefyl. The publican here, George Morgan, lived with his wife, six children and servant, and gave his occupation as timber merchant. Opposite, John Williams was inn-keeper of the Castle Inn … Other householders on the Square (including those living in a block of shops and houses on the present car park site demolished in the 1960s) included a brick maker, stone mason, grocer, wheelwright, sawyer, shepherd, carrier of goods and a tiler."</i><br />
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The two public houses in Twyn Square, The Castle Inn and The Nag’s Head, remain open and active today, both popular with visitors and local people.<br />
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<i>Photos from the Usk in Bloom website</i></div>
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In the 1960’s when I was a small child, there was a small garage complete with petrol pumps on the Square where the <i>new </i>curtain shop is now and Thelma and John Morgan ran a popular gift shop on the opposite side of the Square next door to Ken Smith's Butchers Shop. We still have a butcher’s shop in these premises on the Square (now the only one in Usk, we used to have four), taken over recently by ND Lewis and Son but formerly run by Mike Phillips. There was a small slaughter house serving some of the butcher shops in Usk, just around the corner in Four Ash Street. It closed when the introduction of more stringent European hygiene, legislation made it far more difficult for small slaughter houses to survive. There is now a private house on this site. Other commercial premises currently in the Square include <i>'Hoofs Coffee Shop'</i> run by the Nag's Head, a branch of HSBC bank, an art/ photographic gallery <i>'Gallery on The Square'</i> (in the old converted chapel); a florist shop, <i>Up Market Flowers',</i> a gift shop <i>'Manon'</i> and a newly opened curtain shop<i> </i>and a dental surgery.<br />
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<b>Old photos of Twyn Square</b></h3>
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Some of the photos show the clock in its original position near the chapel</div>
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<i>Post card by Francis Frith</i></div>
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Coming up to date</div>
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<i>March 2014 ('the leaning clock of Usk' - don't worry it's my angle not the clocks!!!)</i></div>
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<i><i>Looking towards 'Ty Brith' (the Speckled House) now called Priory House, a large house dating from Tudor times beyond the car park . As a child I remember accompanying my Grandmother to Ty Brith to pay her rent to Sweets the builders, who built many of the houses in Usk from 1930s - 1980s. Ty Brith which has now been converted into several dwellings was a substantial property with stables, a brew house and landscaped gardens. It was later used by Sweets as their offices, a health clinic and careers centre.There was a block of shops and houses in front of Ty Brith where the car park now is, that were demolished in the 1960s.</i></i></div>
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<i>Ariel view - photo taken by <a href="http://www.bathballoons.co.uk/">Bath Balloons</a></i></div>
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The former Congregational Chapel on the edge of Twyn Square , now <i>'Gallery in The Square', </i>was built in <span style="background-color: white;">1862, at a cost of £1,200. An attractive stone construction in the Gothic style with a turret which had one bell and could seat 400 people.</span>The old red telephone box on the right of the chapel is classed as a Grade 2 listed building. The beautiful, majestic cedar tree on the opposite side of the road was grown from seed collected by novelist and adventurer Edward John Trelawney who lived at Cefn Ila near Llanbadoc during the 1850's. Trelawney was a friend of the Romantic poets Byron and Shelley and had a reputation for having numerous mistresses and living a bohemian life style. To the left of the tree is a lane which would once have been a street leading up to Usk Castle.<br />
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<i>Looking down Bridge Street towards HSBC bank, from the edge of Twyn Square near the chapel</i></div>
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<span style="text-align: left;"><i>The changing seasons in Twyn Square - it always looks beautiful! The wonderful, prize winning, floral displays in the Square are thanks to the 'Usk in Bloom' committee and volunteers (I will be writing more about Usk in Bloom in another post)</i></span></div>
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Spring</div>
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Summer<br />
<i>In Summer Twyn Square is a blaze of colour </i></div>
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<i> photo from Usk in Bloom website</i><br />
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Winter</div>
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<i>photos from Usk Town website</i></div>
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<i style="font-weight: normal;">The Usk Christmas Market held in Dec in Twyn Square</i></h3>
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<i style="font-weight: normal;"> Photo from Usk Town website</i></h3>
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<b>The Town Clock</b></h3>
The clock in the centre of Twyn Square, was built by public subscription to commemorate the Golden Jubilee of Queen Victoria in 1887. The clock originally stood on the corner of Twyn Square near the Congregational chapel. It was moved in the 1970s. Celebrations were held in the square in 1987 to mark the clock's 100th birthday with Happy Birthday dear clock being sung. The clock is a popular gathering place to welcome in the New Year with the townspeople gathering to link hands around it to sing Auld Lang Syne!<br />
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The clock has a brick cast <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cartouche">'cartouche'</a> on three of its sides</div>
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<span style="font-size: 12px;">Drawings of Twyn Square by local artist Anne Leaver 1989</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcNEErDBql1q7MSNU0zSuEF_8s0gs3DN7TC1WaLqQmobN8HrIk-79OvQn2hpLvyz0Fq19Yqvmc2tQKod0_4pYZ1xDLbbR_uoogpeV5J4xAs3pupzLH6n6T8_SZU1osCxiBBlUdKScZj4o/s1600/Leaver+drawing.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcNEErDBql1q7MSNU0zSuEF_8s0gs3DN7TC1WaLqQmobN8HrIk-79OvQn2hpLvyz0Fq19Yqvmc2tQKod0_4pYZ1xDLbbR_uoogpeV5J4xAs3pupzLH6n6T8_SZU1osCxiBBlUdKScZj4o/s1600/Leaver+drawing.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
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<h3>
Reference Sources</h3>
A Historical Tour Through Monmouthshire - Archdeacon William Coxe 1801<br />
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Kelly's Directory of Monmouthshire,1901<br />
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A History of Monmouthshire, The Hundred of Usk - Joseph Alfred Bradney 1921<br />
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Here and There in Monmouthshire - Fred J Hando 1964<br />
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Norman Usk The Birth of a Town - A.G. Mein 1986<br />
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A Portrait of Usk - Anne Leaver 1989<br />
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Early Victorian Usk - David R Lewis 1982<br />
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Usk Castle, Priory and Town - Jeremy K. Knight and Andy Johnson 2008<br />
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<a href="http://www.monmouthshiregreenweb.co.uk/UskCivicSociety/">Usk Civic Society</a> - Usk Town Trail<br />
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<a href="http://www.uskinbloom.org.uk/">Usk in Bloom</a><br />
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<a href="http://www.usktown.co.uk/">Usk Town</a><br />
<br />
A special thank you to <a href="http://bevbanfield.tripod.com/">Bev Banfield </a> for allowing reproduction of postcards collected by her late father Roger Banfield - some of these are from the wonderful <a href="https://mail.google.com/mail/ca/u/0/?ui=2&ik=5e9de66c84&view=fimg&th=143f2c9725a403f4&attid=0.1&disp=inline&safe=1&attbid=ANGjdJ-z-wrtIZ94RmVvSzPCt5fIHLpBdde4GjIGH0qQ1T0MBk0iThLZiAYunSUqkDkoWDoz0ld7QxHj7lCAVDWArM0WoXGuN5Q-vT-mzKLcodkYlC5-bDP2FfyNXhw&ats=1391348367032&rm=143f2c9725a403f4&zw&sz=w1198-h442">Francis Frith Collection</a><br />
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Finally as a foot note a few photos of me with my horse 'Rowan' taken in Twyn Square over the last 10 years</div>
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<i>British Driving Society - Monmouthshire Branch - about 2007 on a fun drive I organised </i></div>
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<i>a stop off for 'refreshments' at The Nag's Head - there were about eight traps and carriages. </i></div>
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<i>My friend Susan, is pictured holding Rowan in the second photo</i></div>
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<i>February 2014 beating the heavy rain - walking back from routine visit to Usk Vets</i></div>
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Usk Chirpshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10495761272802720293noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9129638928201856751.post-79469200423017375562014-03-06T16:24:00.000-08:002014-03-08T05:12:10.295-08:00Wooded Hillside of the Wolf - Allt-y-Bela <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdNa3DOVtKuK9Ny5D4IqmRB6l-m-r5v6yHGEmIKbeAuEWSzq2ugwRUXrAkOdDo46xFciQLF0Tizb7i2OvdRfUzk4QEeLh4siavrACiC9BcXGiy42to6YOY3LjtKJu9lQmlgq1CbL2_gJg/s1600/unnamed+(10).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdNa3DOVtKuK9Ny5D4IqmRB6l-m-r5v6yHGEmIKbeAuEWSzq2ugwRUXrAkOdDo46xFciQLF0Tizb7i2OvdRfUzk4QEeLh4siavrACiC9BcXGiy42to6YOY3LjtKJu9lQmlgq1CbL2_gJg/s1600/unnamed+(10).jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a>Recently, Jez and I rode past Allt-y-Bella, a very beautiful medieval farm house, with an unusual bell tower, nestled in a hidden valley near the hamlet of Llangeview near Usk.<br />
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When I was in my teens in the 1970s, I would regularly ride past Allt-y-Bela following ancient paths and tracks that were once used by cattle drovers taking beasts to market. As a thirteen year old girl on a pony, I didn't really fully understand the historical significance of the partial ruin I was passing, but I knew it must have been quite an impressive and beautiful house when it was built.<br />
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At that time I recall there was lot of scrap farm machinery and old cars and caravans piled up around the ruin and in the surrounding fields, belonging to local farmer Lewis Williams. All in all it was in a very sorry, almost derelict state. The photos below from Monmouthshire County Council show Allt-y-Bela looking very much as I remember it in a very ruinous condition!<br />
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Fred Hando wrote about Allt-y-Bela in 1951 and like me he remembered it being called by local people 'Artie Bella' or 'Altie Bela', as most of the local people I knew when growing up, referred to it. Fred Hando was clearly very taken with the position and beauty of this house and its very intriguing history.<br />
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The photo shows Allt-y-Bela in the 1950's as it would have looked when Fred visited.<br />
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<b>The story of Allt-y-Bela</b><br />
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Allt-y-Bela was built as a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hall_house">hall house</a> in the mid 15th century sometime around 1420, and would originally have been a long, single storey, construction with mullioned windows. The name Allt-y-Bela translates from the Welsh as 'Wooded Hillside/ Heights or Cliff of The Wolf'. About 100 years later in 1550 a first floor was added with chimneys and dormer windows.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Fred Hando's drawing of Allt-y-Bela</i></td></tr>
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In 1599, a wealthy wool merchant from the Midlands, Roger Edwards, added the three storey Renaissance Bell Tower at one end. On his visit to Allt-y-Bela in the late 1940's early 1950's, Fred Hando noted the builder's inscription mark -1599, E.R. R.E (taken to mean Elizabeth Regina the Queen at the time and Roger Edwards) - and was also shown by the owner, local farmer, Mr Moseley, the central spiral staircase running up through the tower which was built around a massive single tree-trunk newel post. Hando noted that the stair treads had holes through which bell-ropes would once have passed up to the tiny bellcote, with a bellframe, at the very top of the tower, but the bell by then, had allegedly been moved to the nearby church at Llangeview.<br />
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The purpose of the bell tower is not fully known, but it is thought that as the Edwards family belonged to a strict religious sect, the bell might have summoned members of the sect to services. Hando refers to his thought of the bell summoning farm workers from the fields for their refreshments - so perhaps the bell at Allt-y-Bela served a number of functions.<br />
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<b>The Roger Edwards Trust</b><br />
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Fred Hando tells the interesting story of how Roger Edwards came to bequeath his wealth to charity rather than leave it to his heir.<br />
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<i>"When Roger Edwards was eighty, a hopeful nephew went there to look after his uncle. The years passed; each morning the hale old squire took his morning canter; at last the impatient nephew decided to wait no longer.When next his uncle was mounted on his pony, the nephew, pretending to adjust the saddle, cut the girths, hoping that at the first corner the rider would be thrown and killed. Riding slowly along, Roger noticed a slight movement of his saddle, and soon found the cause."</i><br />
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Following this incident, Roger Edwards changed his will. When he died on 28th March 1624 Edwards' money did not go to the nephew but was used for charitable purposes. The almshouses at Llangeview were founded on his instructions to give homes to 'necessitous persons' of three local parishes. Under the terms of the Roger Edwards Charity, the almshouse dwellers are 'occupants by licence', not tenants, and pay a 'maintenance contribution', not rent. Attached to the building was a chapel, with a chaplain appointed by the trustees. When I was a small child in the 1960s I remember walking up the hill from Yew Tree Cottage with my Mother with my small sisters in the pram and myself and my brother trudging alongside, when we reached the Alms Houses at the top Mum would stop and talk to the old people that were living in them at the time.<br />
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By the time I was in my teens however, the Alms Houses had pretty much fallen into disuse and they lay sad and unused until the 1990's when the 12 original tiny Alms Houses and chapel were converted into five more modern cosy cottages. The Roger Edwards legacy lives on in these through the Roger Edwards Alms House Charity which aims to provide low cost rural housing for local people. When one of the cottages becomes vacant you can apply to rent it, if you meet their criteria of being 'local' (see link below for details). several of my friends have had these as 'starter homes' and they are really lovely and in a lovely location!<br />
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The restored Alms Houses Llangeview (Coed Cwnr) </div>
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Roger Edwards also made provision in his will to found the Grammar School in Usk. My Mum taught at this school when it was Usk Secondary Modern School in the late 1950's and 1960's before it closed. I will write more about the school in another post! Edwards also founded Almshouses in Newland, Gloucestershire, which still retain many of their original 17th Characteristics. </div>
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<b>The decline and rise of of Allt-y-Bella</b><br />
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After Roger Edwards' death, Allt-y-Bela was passed down to various descendants until it was sold to a local farmer, Mr Moseley in the 20th Century. By the 1980's, the building had been totally abandoned, the tower being held up by make-shift scaffolding and the tree trunk in the centre supporting the staircase.<br />
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Derelict for over 30 years, and having been used as a grain store and farm, the tower was in serious need of repair. Allt-y-Bela's condition came to the attention of Monmouthshire County Council, who attempted to remedy the situation by serving repairs notices and following the legal procedures as required by the building's Grade 2 listed status. However, these were unsuccessful, and in 2001, the Council served a compulsory purchase order on the building, and handed it over to the Spitalfields Trust for restoration. The Trust secured a £300,000 grant from Cadw, borrowed the same amount from the Architectural Heritage Fund, and also spent £400,000 of its own funds on restoration.<br />
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Allt-y-Bela undergoing the extensive restoration project.<br />
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<b>Allt-y-Bela today</b></div>
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<br />Allt-y-Bela is today run as a bed and breakfast guest house by owner William Collinson. There are three guest rooms, with the interiors containing exposed wooden beams, leaded casement windows and richly polished floorboards. Downstairs there are flagstone floors and original architectural features.The garden is designed by Collinson's partner, Chelsea Gold Medal winner Arne Maynard. Garden design courses are run at Allt-y-Bela periodically. Enquire via the links below. One of the first things the current owners did was paint the house in a golden ochre colour - they felt cream looked too harsh against the landscape. Chipping away at the layers of paint on the building they found the golden/orangey colour underneath and decided to restore it. The yellow ochre colour, is a colour that would have been used in medieval times from 1400s, although generally houses tended to be white washed/lime washed most commonly. The house is not open to the public but you can get a good view of it as you pass.<br /><br />Watch short <a href="http://www.alltybela.co.uk/videos.php">video of Allt-y-Bela</a><br />
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<span style="text-align: center;">Fully restored, Allt-y-Bela is a stunning sight as you approach it down the steep, old drovers track from Coed Cwnr, either on foot, or on horseback as we did! I think Roger Edwards and Fred Hando would approve don't you? You can also approach Allt-y-Bela along the lane from Llangeview.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Jez enjoying the view with 'Midge'</i></td></tr>
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<b>Reference sources</b><br />
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Journeys in Gwent - Fred J Hando 1951<br />
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<a href="http://www.alltybela.co.uk/">Allt-y-Bela </a><br />
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<a href="http://www.sawdays.co.uk/special%C3%83%E2%80%9A%C3%82%C2%ADplaces/britain/wales/monmouthshire/allt-y-bela">Allt-y-Bela B+B</a><br />
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<a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/legacies/heritage/wales/w_se/article_3.shtml">BBC article</a> - architectural legacies<br />
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<a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/gardening/gardenprojects/10044031/Arne-Maynards-garden-at-Allt-y-Bela.html">Arne Maynard's Garden</a><br />
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<a href="http://www.llangwm.org.uk/church/almshouse.html">The Alms Houses Llangeview</a><br />
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<a href="http://www.usktown.co.uk/component/content/article/311.html">The Roger Edwards Trust</a></div>
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Me with my Irish Draft x Cob mare 'Rowan' on the bridle paths above Allt-y-Bela at Coed Cwnr<br />
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Jez on Ellie Hawkins' (<a href="http://newcourtlivery.co.uk/">New Court Livery)</a> 'Midge' posing in the snowdrops at Allt-y.Bela<br />
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Usk Chirpshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10495761272802720293noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9129638928201856751.post-12088396369612842402014-02-23T08:29:00.001-08:002014-02-24T05:12:30.033-08:00The Conigar Walk<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqDBbBLVosjCLxik2gc1cOCS1MuV6NXnibV1VcXKg3y0E90YlmiblajbicmtL9FUK1XvMJ6iSEeUdyJLFktn2cZy29wdd6dHUofi3QB5zN3kHPd8cHmJI-9uUa7hctWul_TLeXW64vliQ/s1600/UB13.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqDBbBLVosjCLxik2gc1cOCS1MuV6NXnibV1VcXKg3y0E90YlmiblajbicmtL9FUK1XvMJ6iSEeUdyJLFktn2cZy29wdd6dHUofi3QB5zN3kHPd8cHmJI-9uUa7hctWul_TLeXW64vliQ/s1600/UB13.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a><i>"An agreeable walk leads under the first arch of the bridge to the Abergavenny road, through a meadow planted with large walnut trees, by the side of the limpid and murmuring Usk"</i><br />
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Archdeacon William Coxe 1801</div>
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I am very fortunate to live just a few steps away from the lovely '<i>Conigar Walk'</i>, a short length of footpath which runs alongside the banks of the River Usk, between Porthycarne Street and Usk Bridge. I walk this path almost everyday with my dogs before going to work. It's a great tranquil start to the day walking by the river - early mornings are a good time to see wildlife on the river but the path gets very busy in the summer, with local people and tourists enjoying a walk, sunbathing and a picnic on the river bank. Today there are willow, sweet chesnut and horse chesnut trees on the walk rather than the walnut trees that were there in Coxe's time!</div>
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Although as the quote above indicates, a riverside walk through the meadow from Usk Bridge was obviously in existence at the time William Coxe was writing in 1801, the <i>'Conigar Walk' </i>was formally created in 1856 by local business men J.H. Clark and Thomas Dunn, and opened in 1858, to mark and commemorate, the marriage of Victoria, Princess Royal to Prince Frederick of Prussia.</div>
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As the blue Civc Society, information plaques at either end of the Conigar Walk indicate, the name <i>'Conigar'</i> is thought to be derived from the word<i> 'coney'</i>, denoting a rabbit warren. But equally it could also be derived from the Welsh name for rabbit <i>'cwningen'</i>- which would still link the area to its use as a rabbit warren in medieval times, providing rabbits for food.</div>
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<b>Walking the Conigar</b><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhikWO-xFKR6qofqEU-0AB_TyHvvaiNl0DMzPRmrtdyGtK_5tge-tgCIyYtsDy4j0830RZ6a89M9-y-1_FC5rozsqqjnbm4-C_o0lC684dgPIuyBfaAFXprcae-qH_xz508oTTtU2o0jII/s1600/UB12.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhikWO-xFKR6qofqEU-0AB_TyHvvaiNl0DMzPRmrtdyGtK_5tge-tgCIyYtsDy4j0830RZ6a89M9-y-1_FC5rozsqqjnbm4-C_o0lC684dgPIuyBfaAFXprcae-qH_xz508oTTtU2o0jII/s1600/UB12.jpg" height="200" width="150" /></a>You can join the Conigar Walk from Porthycarne Street (Abergavenny Road) near Usk Vets or from Bridge Street near Usk Bridge. Both ends are way marked and have information plaques. Pictured here is the Porthycarne Street entrance to the walk. You can also join the path from Conigar Crescent or from the river bank when walking under Usk Bridge.<br />
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Walking towards Usk Bridge from Porthycarne Street entrance</div>
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<span style="text-align: start;">Looking from The Conigar Walk towards the old railway bridge over the River Usk</span></div>
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The approach to The Conigar Walk from Conigar Crescent<br />
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View of The Conigar Walk from Usk Bridge</div>
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The approach to the Conigar path from Usk Bridge/ Bridge Street</div>
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The Conigar Walk circa 1960</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small; text-align: start;"><i>Post cards from the <a href="http://www.francisfrith.com/">Francis Frith </a>collection</i></span></td></tr>
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<b>Grisly events</b><br />
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As you walk along The Conigar path it is hard in this sublime location, to think that you are very near the site of an extremely grisly excecution that took place 335 years ago. A sign post from the path points you up the flood defence bank to the location of the '<i>St David Lewis Plaque'.</i><br />
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As you walk down the path into Conigar Crescent, you will see on your left through the fence, in the grounds of Porthycarne House, a plaque marking the site of the gallows where St David Lewis was executed in 1679.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>David Lewis</i></td></tr>
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David Henry Lewis died for his beliefs. Born in Abergavenny in 1616 , he was raised as a protestant but converted to Catholicism and became a Jesuit priest after studying in Rome. On his return to Britain David Lewis became Superior of the Jesuit College of St Francis Xavier at the Cwm on the border of Herefordshire and Monmouthshire. This period of the seventeenth century during the reign of King Charles II was a dangerous time to practice the Catholic faith. Despite the danger, David Lewis spent more than thirty years ministering to harassed Catholics. In an attempt to avoid detection and persecution, he adopted the alias of 'Charles Baker'.<br />
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Between 1678 and 1681 a totally fictitious but widely believed plot emerged, in which it was alleged that Jesuits were planning the assassination of King Charles II in order to bring his Roman Catholic brother, the Duke of York (afterward King James II), to the throne. The '<i>Popish Plot</i>' was fabricated by Titus Oates, a renegade Anglican clergyman.<br />
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Like other Catholic priests of the time David Lewis found shelter in safe houses where he secretly celebrated Mass and the Sacraments. It is well documented that he stayed in the home of Thomas Gunter in Abergavenny and he also practiced mass in a house in Usk - what is now the Crosskeys pub. He also found refuge at the home of his aunt, Lady Frances Morgan, at Llantarnam. It was here in November 1678 he was arrested by six armed men and taken to Monmouth Gaol and then later transferred to Usk Gaol to await trial in Monmouth assize court. Joseph Bradney describes events:<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>The site of the old Usk Gaol in Bridge Street where<br /> David Lewis was held prior to execution</i></td></tr>
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<i>"He was tried at the assizes of Monmouth on 28 March 1679, the judge being Sir Robert Atkins, and the charge that of high treason. Found guilty by the jury, he was taken back to Usk Gaol, situate in Bridge Street, from whence on 27 August 1679, he was brought out and drawn on a hurdle to the gallows erected on the island </i>(NB this is the site of Porthycarne House not 'The Island' on the opposite bank that we know today), <i>where he was hanged. His body was then cut down and disemboweled, the bowels burnt, and the body buried near the south porch of the church</i> (i.e St Mary's Church).<br />
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Jeremy Knight records that the execution of David Lewis was carried out in Usk rather than Monmouth because it was thought that Usk was less of a Catholic stronghold than Monmouth and that there would be less opposition. It appears however that many of the townspeople of Usk had sympathy for the cause of David Lewis. Carpenters apparently refused to build the gallows and the executioner allegedly ran away and a prisoner had to be bribed to carry out the grisly task. Many of the crowd that gathered to watch the execution, knelt during the sermon David Lewis preached prior to it being carried out and a lay preacher held his hand and prevented him being cut down from the gallows until he was dead. Normally with this type of execution, the disemboweling would have taken place while he were still alive and then the body would have been chopped up and its parts displayed in various locations. An execution of this type would have been very much like the horrific scene in the film<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F4Yrk1N-n48"> <i>'Braveheart' </i></a>(beware if you decide to watch it, the link I've provided to that scene in Braveheart is quite graphic) where William Wallace is hung, drawn and quartered. David Lewis' body was spared this treatment and it was carried in a respectful manner for burial at St Mary's Priory Church.<br />
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David Lewis wrote an account of his own trial before he was executed at Usk on 27 August 1679. He was beatified in 1929 and Canonised as one of the Forty Martyrs of England and Wales in 1970.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Church of <span style="font-size: small; text-align: start;">SS David Lewis and Francis Xavier</span></i></td></tr>
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Usk's Catholic Church, the church of SS David Lewis and Francis Xavier was built in Porthycarne Street, in 1847. The original dedication was to St Francis Xavier but St David Lewis was added after his canonisation by Pope Paul VI in 1970.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>The shrine to David Lewis in the Church of<br /><span style="font-size: small; text-align: start;">SS David Lewis and Francis Xavier</span></i></td></tr>
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In the church, near the font, there is a shrine dedicated to St David Lewis, where he is shown with the rope and knife, the instruments of his death. Outside is an information plaque marking the original gravestone of St David Lewis. However David Lewis' grave is actually outside St Mary's Church, Usk near the main door. The original grave stone was replaced by a modern stone when David Lewis was canonised in 1970. </div>
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Know as '<i>Tad y Tlodion' - 'Father of the Poor'', </i>David Lewis was the last Welsh Martyr. It is hard to believe that such significant but dreadful things happened here by the river bank in quiet little Usk. Film script anyone???You have to acknowledge it is an amazing if rather grisly story!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>The grave of St David Lewis at St Mary's Church Usk</i></td></tr>
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Although the Conigar Walk passes right alongside the site of this really horrific execution, I have never experienced any bad vibes or feeling of forboding walking along it - today, as in the nineteenth century, it is a very popular 'leisure facility' for the people of Usk and is enjoyed by many every day, at all times of the year!<br />
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<b>3000 Watery Steps</b><br />
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The Conigar Walk is part of the Monmouthshire Council/ Welsh Government <i>'3000 Watery Steps' </i>walking for fitness route, which uses a circular route taking in The Conigar Walk, Usk Bridge, Usk Island and the old Usk Railway bridge. There is an information board with a map showing this route at Usk Island near the old railway bridge. Download a copy of the map <a href="http://www.monmouthshire.gov.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/Footsteps_to_Fitness-_Usk_Island.pdf">here</a><br />
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The Conigar footpath is a pleasant walk at any time of the year - 4 views, 4 seasons!</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Photo from Usk Town website</i></td></tr>
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The Conigar Walk can be a great place to see wildlife especially at early morning and sunset<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Swans and cygnets taken from the Conigar Walk opposite what was the old 'Britannia' pub 2013</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Cormorant fishing taken from the Conigar Walk 2013</i></td></tr>
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<b>Reference Sources</b><br />
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A Historical Tour Through Monmouthshire - Archdeacon William Coxe 1801<br />
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A History of Monmouthshire, The Hundred of Usk - Joseph Alfred Bradney 1921</div>
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A Portrait of Usk - Anne Leaver 1989<br />
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Early Victorian Usk - David R Lewis 1982<br />
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Usk Castle, Priory and Town - Jeremy K. Knight and Andy Johnson 2008<br />
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<a href="http://lastwelshmartyr.blogspot.co.uk/">The Last Welsh Martyr Blogspot</a></div>
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<a href="http://www.monmouthshiregreenweb.co.uk/UskCivicSociety/">Usk Civic Society</a> - Usk Town Trail<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimQlFLc1c6Wrr9wM_SYa2EImUFYWeDDsL-oDmSHlWhUZ2lU1OKZWNJ2jOjD6riLUjVoC0vRdIZXGggOCQTdIbnGAL3remSKperWZZES9WBxP-54nyeZ-xtj0763oxZAwBBz9qYomW415s/s1600/unnamed+%25285%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><i><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimQlFLc1c6Wrr9wM_SYa2EImUFYWeDDsL-oDmSHlWhUZ2lU1OKZWNJ2jOjD6riLUjVoC0vRdIZXGggOCQTdIbnGAL3remSKperWZZES9WBxP-54nyeZ-xtj0763oxZAwBBz9qYomW415s/s1600/unnamed+%25285%2529.jpg" height="481" width="640" /></i></a></td></tr>
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<i><a href="http://www.uskchirps.blogspot.co.uk/search/label/Animals">Dewi</a> enjoying playing with his 'prize' found in the river</i></div>
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<i> on our regular early morning 'Conigar Walk'</i></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>O sylvan Wye! thou wanderer thro' the woods,<br />How often has my spirit turned to thee!</i><br /><br /> William Wordsworth 1798</span><br />
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The recent dreadful weather has been preventing anything but a quick dash of a walk, so this week I'm taking a look back to another lovely walk done last Autumn in the Wye Valley, along the <i>'Peregrine Path'</i> between Monmouth and Symonds Yat.<br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent;">The</span><i style="background-color: transparent;"> 'Peregrine Path'</i><span style="background-color: transparent;"> follows the route of the old </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ross_and_Monmouth_Railway" style="background-color: transparent;">Ross to Monmouth railway</a><span style="background-color: transparent;"> line which opened in 1873. It is a popular, dog friendly, easy, traffic and barrier free, walk and cycle route running mainly alongside the River Wye and passes directly under the famous </span><a href="http://wyedeantourism.co.uk/discover/all/i-4442-Symonds_Yat_Rock" style="background-color: transparent;">'Yat Rock' </a><span style="background-color: transparent;">which is home to a pair of nesting Peregrine Falcons - hence the name </span><i style="background-color: transparent;">'Peregrine Path</i><span style="background-color: transparent;">'.</span></div>
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The walk starts just outside Monmouth on Hadnock Road on the Eastern bank of the Wye and its about 3 miles along the Peregrine Path to Symonds Yat (so roughly a 6 mile return trip). Of course you could do the walk the other way around if you prefer and start at Symonds Yat East.<br />
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<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Looking from the path towards the woods at Doward</span></i></div>
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<b>Hadnock Halt</b></div>
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Hadnock Halt was a small stop by request halt provided by the Great Western Railway in 1951 on the Ross and Monmouth Railway. It had a 1 ft high 10 yd long platform and a small shelter and it served a small cluster of houses about 2 miles from Monmouth off Hadnock Lane. When the railway line closed in 1959 Hadnock Halt disappeared but has been reinstated as an information point near the start of the Peregrine Path.</div>
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<i>Photos and information from the Hadnock Halt info board</i></div>
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From Hadnock Halt the Peregrine Path pretty much follows the course of the River Wye. En-route you will pass <a href="http://www.first-nature.com/waleswildlife/e-nnr-ladyparkwood.php">Lady Park wood,</a> a National Nature reserve, where long term research has been carried out to study habitat conservation in broad leaved woodland and the changes that take place when people do not interfere with natural processes.</div>
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<b>Biblins Suspension Bridge</b><br />
In 1957 the Forestry Commission built a small suspension bridge across the River Wye linking the Symonds Yat East side with The Biblins camping ground on the western bank. The bridge was built from local oak and heavy duty steel cables. By 1997 the bridge timbers had begun to rot and the bridge was refurbished. The bridge is designed to take the weight of 30 people but you are advised for health and safety reasons that only 6 people should be on it at any one time. The bridge does bounce and sway a little as you cross but its sides are enclosed with heavy wire mesh and it is therefore relatively safe for small children and dogs to use it.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Me and Dewi enjoying the view on the Biblins Bridge</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>View upstream towards Symonds Yat from the bridge</i></td></tr>
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<i>Molly and Dewi crossing the bridge with Jez</i></div>
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Watch a video of <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ySKMBk1zRKI">crossing the Biblins Bridge</a></div>
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From The Biblins it is about another mile along the path on the East bank (ie same side as Hadnock Halt) until you reach Symonds Yat East.</div>
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<b>Symonds Yat</b><br />
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Looking across to SymondsYat West<br />
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<a href="http://www.symondsyateast.co.uk/" style="background-color: white; text-align: left;">Symonds Yat East</a><span style="background-color: white; text-align: left;"> is a small hamlet on the edge of the river. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; text-align: left;">Just downstream, a stretch of rapids is popular with canoeists.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIxa750rQJ-9TdCYJGKz3WJxBBM9vyJ59pw5KD9pFGYLVHmMqB-kqXNOsK1KIf2E6He3v7f4wzmnWxmhAJTQbLRh8Fz_ymrYqVIXpaurIEuFyaRtyGH4qegy_0yvrgDfF3pNeCgUjHMh4/s1600/IMG_1894.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIxa750rQJ-9TdCYJGKz3WJxBBM9vyJ59pw5KD9pFGYLVHmMqB-kqXNOsK1KIf2E6He3v7f4wzmnWxmhAJTQbLRh8Fz_ymrYqVIXpaurIEuFyaRtyGH4qegy_0yvrgDfF3pNeCgUjHMh4/s1600/IMG_1894.jpg" height="424" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Photo by <a href="http://wyedean.co.uk/staff">Wye Dean Canoes</a></i></td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsoieVx8C5h2aVCWp3oIIxBiibtO-uh_W_4Ll-swDtAPIodbvpD1NI6QLiQY39UOz6kB8lpW6SNu9AbmKgjxrk2VWgrjlK1J4oUNZD8Wl5O2mGkaUQiQ2pO35vLh80fov5yoIwitIjeQY/s1600/1385165_10151895394656492_1893705543_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsoieVx8C5h2aVCWp3oIIxBiibtO-uh_W_4Ll-swDtAPIodbvpD1NI6QLiQY39UOz6kB8lpW6SNu9AbmKgjxrk2VWgrjlK1J4oUNZD8Wl5O2mGkaUQiQ2pO35vLh80fov5yoIwitIjeQY/s1600/1385165_10151895394656492_1893705543_n.jpg" height="482" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b>The Saracens Head</b></div>
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<b><br /></b>A welcome stop on your walk for delicious homemade food and drink (I know cos we've tried it) is the <a href="http://saracensheadinn.co.uk/">Saracen's Head</a> at Symonds Yat East. It gets very busy in the summer and at weekends so booking is advisable.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Photo by Saracens Head</i></td></tr>
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<b style="background-color: transparent;">The Hand Ferry</b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbGD8-2R3jZGgfsmOAbKhGXXSLmmXLxxt6whfaICKPILPCBOQWTwXQycdLu2Dy-1tGnS4XHim_xK5S3nsDke5D73qLJiz75gOtykQKrc_mCKt0Q16VKoyALpVOiFZYBbwtJKGwxAv_DFA/s1600/hand-ferry-at-the-bottom-of-Symonds-Yat.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbGD8-2R3jZGgfsmOAbKhGXXSLmmXLxxt6whfaICKPILPCBOQWTwXQycdLu2Dy-1tGnS4XHim_xK5S3nsDke5D73qLJiz75gOtykQKrc_mCKt0Q16VKoyALpVOiFZYBbwtJKGwxAv_DFA/s1600/hand-ferry-at-the-bottom-of-Symonds-Yat.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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If you want to walk back partway down the opposite bank from Symonds Yat West, to The Biblins Bridge you have the option (when river conditions are suitable) of taking the small 'chain/hand' ferry service across the river from near The Saracen's Head Inn.</div>
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The small pedestrian ferry (dogs can go) is hand hauled across the river via a chain strung from one bank to the other. In 1800 there were 25 hand ferries between Ross and Chepstow very much like this one They were introduced in Roman Times to link the forts of the Doward and the Yat and have served Military, Civilian, Tourist and Horse traffic over the years. Of the 25 hand ferries only two remain, this one at The Saracen's Head and one further upstream at <a href="http://www.yeoldferrieinn.com/">The Old Ferrie Inn</a>.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>The chain ferry in action in the early 1900's</i></td></tr>
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<b>The Peregrines</b></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>The Yat Rock Peregrines with young - RSPB photo</i></td></tr>
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This route is not called The Peregrine Path for nothing. As you walk keep a look out for the pair of <a href="http://www.rspb.org.uk/wildlife/birdguide/name/p/peregrine/index.aspx">Peregine Falcons </a>that nest in the crevices of <a href="http://wyedeantourism.co.uk/discover/all/i-4442-Symonds_Yat_Rock">Yat Rock </a>high above Symonds Yat East. They raise their young between April and September each year when you can see them hunting for small birds, ducks and pigeons. There is an RSPB viewing platform on the top of Yat Rock accessed from the road, with magnificent views along the Wye Valley route where you are now walking. The fantastic scenic views from Yat Rock and other viewpoints along the river and from the river itself, are what give the Wye Valley its reputation as the birth place of British tourism. As you walk the Peregrine Path you are walking in the footsteps of many thousands of people who have enjoyed its scenery before you.</div>
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<b>The Wye Tour</b></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">The Wye Valley, classed today as an area of outstanding natural beauty, rose to fame in the mid to late eighteenth century when thanks to the influence of John Egerton who first started the trend of taking people down the river in boats in 1745. Some years later, in 1782 the publication of a guide book <i>'Observations on The River Wye'</i> by Rev William Gilpin, further promoted and reinforced its popularity as a destination for sightseeing, romantic poets and picturesque artists, some of the most notable being </span>Pope, Coleridge, Wordsworth, Thackeray and Turner<span style="background-color: white;">. During the height of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wye_Tour">Wye Tours</a> popularity in the early nineteenth there were 8-10 pleasure boats carrying 'tourists' on the Wye between Ross and Chepstow everyday.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption"><i>The River Wye at Tintern Abbey 1805 - <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/arts/yourpaintings/artists/philip-james-de-loutherbourg">Philip James de Loutherbourg</a><br />part of the Fitzwilliam Museum Collection</i></td></tr>
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<i><i>These waters, rolling from their mountain-springs</i></i></div>
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<i><i>With a soft inland murmur. – Once again</i></i></div>
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<i><i>Do I behold these steep and lofty cliffs,</i></i></div>
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<i>That on a wild secluded scene impress</i></div>
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<i>Thoughts of more deep seclusion; and connect</i></div>
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<i>The landscape with the quiet of the sky.</i></div>
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<i> </i>William Wordsworth 1798</div>
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<b style="background-color: transparent;">Reference Sources</b></div>
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<a href="http://www.forestry.gov.uk/forestry/EnglandGloucestershireWyeValleyWyeValleyWoodsSymondsYatRock">Symonds Yat Rock</a><br />
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<a href="http://www.visitforestofdean.co.uk/g_wye_tour">The Wye Tour and The Picturesque</a><br />
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<a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/artsandculture/3066900/The-Wye-Valley-Riverside-of-the-Romantics.html">The Wye Valley Riverside of The Romantics</a><br />
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<a href="http://www.shmoop.com/tintern-abbey/poem-text.html">Lines Composed a Few Miles above Tintern Abbey</a>, on Revisiting the Banks of the Wye during a Tour, July 13 1798, William Wordsworth<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsAPiUTeQoJuboHDH89kRgbl-SfzPi0g0WDtrXKLhW_W_-ZFgDJW-wCsq9z-ooCHQV_7dCcoOpd-Yw2VLbQrYudkTLD_s2SHlQnhT8dC3Sw6AWRF2yoae8o8FCUTLmndOquLky3ehViIY/s1600/1451437_10151915356276492_90414794_n.jpg" height="481" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="640" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; text-align: start;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>On our return walk, back near Hadnock Halt they were harvesting apples in a nearby orchard for cider!</i></span></span></td></tr>
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Usk Chirpshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10495761272802720293noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9129638928201856751.post-56162269473926668022014-02-05T15:54:00.001-08:002014-03-17T11:38:21.097-07:00Usk Bridge<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3CwYPIsxq6hjTQfbmXGbaHcozJBjofUvPnOOzu_07PHQrCcz68Ff45Gb8S7LtEtzVVEByp6Odt3QVDDYXrrI-67_-cbZkaGwhVQf2dMv8Scv0hn3Me_TNvKdK72fIYYMM9VDbtz2nfDo/s1600/usk068.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3CwYPIsxq6hjTQfbmXGbaHcozJBjofUvPnOOzu_07PHQrCcz68Ff45Gb8S7LtEtzVVEByp6Odt3QVDDYXrrI-67_-cbZkaGwhVQf2dMv8Scv0hn3Me_TNvKdK72fIYYMM9VDbtz2nfDo/s1600/usk068.jpg" height="208" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Postcard of an old painting of Usk Bridge </i></td></tr>
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<i>"The Walk brings me presently to a graceful stone bridge spanning the river Usk, which here so bends and curves that it is out of sight above and below, forming almost a complete circle."</i><br />
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<i><a href="http://sikes-sykesfamilies.rootsweb.com/w-w-sikes.htm">Wirt Sikes</a> 1881</i></div>
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<i>"Usk bridge is an ideal place on which to stand and stare, not at the traffic but up and down the lovely river."</i><br />
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<i>Fred J. Hando 1964</i></div>
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Approaching from the direction of Pontypool or Llangybi, traffic enters Usk over its bridge. It is thought that a bridge has existed across the River Usk at this particular point from 1100. Fred Hando remarks that <i>"The name 'Bridge Street' in ancient documents indicates that from,early days a crossing existed where the present bridge stands"</i>. Usk historian, Geoff Mein shows evidence of a bridge across the Usk in medieval times, within the Will of <i>Nigel Chepstow </i>dated 1383, in which money was bequeathed for the repair of Usk Bridge.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgwJaqoNM2MCOBaW_1xvChZv6KLV0uf-yCx1z_zG474GUoQiqqlJv7QArJq2QQE2IPfzkqN1QFIMBEZTpNtib3lix9pGE9iIHCmHJ5HzRN4tmQBoy9E2Y0jjGAvYt8FIIptvv2FYsSf3w/s1600/61IdNj2U6jL._SX450_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgwJaqoNM2MCOBaW_1xvChZv6KLV0uf-yCx1z_zG474GUoQiqqlJv7QArJq2QQE2IPfzkqN1QFIMBEZTpNtib3lix9pGE9iIHCmHJ5HzRN4tmQBoy9E2Y0jjGAvYt8FIIptvv2FYsSf3w/s1600/61IdNj2U6jL._SX450_.jpg" height="259" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Saxton's Map of Monmouthshire 1577</i></td></tr>
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<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christopher_Saxton">Saxton's</a> map of Monmouthshire in 1577 shows a bridge across the river in the approximate position it is in today. Another local historian,<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_Bradney"> Joseph Bradney</a>, who wrote extensively about Monmouthshire between 1904-1933, describes how prior to 1750, the bridge was a wooden one which got into a very bad state of repair. The residents of Usk petitioned wealthy local peers and landowners for a contribution towards building a new one. Eventually sufficient money was raised and work on the new stone bridge began, designed and overseen by church minister and architect <a href="http://wbo.llgc.org.uk/en/s-EDWA-WIL-1719.html">William Edwards</a>. It was likely completed around 1756. Hando refers to a copy of the '<i>Gloscester Journal' </i>dated Nov 25 1755 which he had in his possession which contains an advert for a bridge builder, which states <i>"whereas the old Wooden Bridge over the River Usk leading into Usk is quite decayed and the Inhabitants are determined to have a New Stone-bridge, any person or persons of skill or Knowledge in Bridge building....... will be treated with on that subject."</i><br />
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Here is an excerpt from a petition by the residents of Usk to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Hanbury_Williams">Sir Charles Hanbury Williams, Knight of The Bath</a> and son of the wealthy iron-master <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Hanbury_(1664%E2%80%931734)">John Hanbury </a>for money to complete the building work. Their lengthily worded petition makes a strong case and an emotional plea for the <i>"benefit and utility" </i>of building a stone bridge and the <i>"hardship"</i> and <i>"burden"</i> of affording it:<br />
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<i>" And we Beg leave to Represent Unto your Excellency that the said Town and Burrough of Usk is an ancient Corporation And that which the publick wooden Bridge in the said Town over the River of Usk by reason of the heavy Carriages, Great Floods happening in the said River, and the carriage of Lime and Coal by farmers passing over and across the said Bridge, the same had lately gone very much into Decay and in a most ruinous Condition ......... Your Petitioners were therefore advis'd to have a stone bridge built ....but... were quite unable to do so without the kind assistance of some generous, well dispos'd, and benevolent persons."</i><br />
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The new stone bridge consisted of five arches and was very narrow with a steep approach on either side and recesses built into the piers into which pedestrians could leap for safety. This beautiful painting by Turner in 1798, held by the <a href="https://www.blogger.com/Usk,%20Monmouthshire,%20Seen%20from%20across%20the%20River:%20Five-Arched%20Bridge%20in%20Foreground">Tate Gallery</a> features the new bridge.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtPCMhvJ3WVoeOGFAKl6xGYOYnhM7sztOGxmKMqvBS3A0AXItGPgYJubRomSM4JORJvjAv8MfCHmqjveNJUuoavl2rQ7PPlyytEitCCuEIxwKZJTaJlfq-29MjhzoRB4pKbz-VP9lFH28/s1600/1622442_10151852672131881_1341579152_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtPCMhvJ3WVoeOGFAKl6xGYOYnhM7sztOGxmKMqvBS3A0AXItGPgYJubRomSM4JORJvjAv8MfCHmqjveNJUuoavl2rQ7PPlyytEitCCuEIxwKZJTaJlfq-29MjhzoRB4pKbz-VP9lFH28/s1600/1622442_10151852672131881_1341579152_o.jpg" height="406" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption"><i>Usk, Monmouthshire, - seen from across the River: Five-Arched Bridge in Foreground <br />Painting by J.M.W Turner 1798 -<a href="https://www.blogger.com/Usk,%20Monmouthshire,%20Seen%20from%20across%20the%20River:%20Five-Arched%20Bridge%20in%20Foreground">part of the Tate Gallery collection</a></i></td></tr>
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<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Coxe">William Coxe </a>wrote about Usk Bridge in his <i>'Historical Tour Through Monmouthshire' </i>in 1801: <i>" A stone bridge of five arches is built across the Usk, from which the mountains in the neighbourhood of Abergavenny present themselves with considerable effect".</i><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnHod7ulzIQ52c434KqFHhXjNzkTuFj0QqJvuqRXRkE8Z14N3QtmY0NjWtcrWpQrzrIYaxDfXpBfvmYeg9oXD9etq00wtqNdpDiJWE9XEXzvWxzqOH-FRJxvns6oAabqsySlSvyR339tw/s1600/unnamed+(18).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnHod7ulzIQ52c434KqFHhXjNzkTuFj0QqJvuqRXRkE8Z14N3QtmY0NjWtcrWpQrzrIYaxDfXpBfvmYeg9oXD9etq00wtqNdpDiJWE9XEXzvWxzqOH-FRJxvns6oAabqsySlSvyR339tw/s1600/unnamed+(18).jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Drawing of Usk Bridge from Coxe's 'Historical Tour Through Monmouthshire' </i></td></tr>
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Bradney writes that by 1835, the bridge had once more gotten into quite a bad state of repair and was <span style="font-family: inherit;">strengthened and widened by four feet on either side by Morgan Thomas of Lalston, during 1836. The widened bridge incorporated a footpath to improve the safety of pedestrians. During 1877 floods destroyed two of its arches, which were later replaced. </span><br />
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A mix of old and recent images of Usk Bridge<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN7PfNp5u5DywzsixWFxf_aljG9y7x2lsYIXYM4v9D7Ca3HEZHsxWFnmDl_igoO2ULMnOkv63VvLP6nDgvn6-gp5lptpxNcrRCldsStHO_kwf30jhOjTZzSdFymEOGAJYIRr_jdzz-XII/s1600/Town_of_Usk_and_River_from_Llanbadoc_Rock_(3375616).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN7PfNp5u5DywzsixWFxf_aljG9y7x2lsYIXYM4v9D7Ca3HEZHsxWFnmDl_igoO2ULMnOkv63VvLP6nDgvn6-gp5lptpxNcrRCldsStHO_kwf30jhOjTZzSdFymEOGAJYIRr_jdzz-XII/s1600/Town_of_Usk_and_River_from_Llanbadoc_Rock_(3375616).jpg" height="336" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: #f9f9f9; font-family: sans-serif; line-height: 19.200000762939453px; text-align: start;"><i>Town of Usk and River from Llanbadoc Rock 1860 - National Libray of Wales</i></span></td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4JxQebBrquub3-ldcolgToGm23AriM_fk5inKgQVtbCk5Qyh4VIbo3OgxVMKeUWbi2oujuuUhenzrfRJECQNFOx5E6giXon1ODioynCqwBY1VLWxcd7S_F7IhwMlpdCLB9w6J-LQDw9o/s1600/uskbridge.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4JxQebBrquub3-ldcolgToGm23AriM_fk5inKgQVtbCk5Qyh4VIbo3OgxVMKeUWbi2oujuuUhenzrfRJECQNFOx5E6giXon1ODioynCqwBY1VLWxcd7S_F7IhwMlpdCLB9w6J-LQDw9o/s1600/uskbridge.jpeg" height="298" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjXnVo4QzTkJg5_7biIPBh6GCx_s7G7m-DN8NbMwDl3cW6IF8mUivUDiFJVMPZVK3ED7mkzwNuX0sMV5uQ2jI5lIY84ZJXf4nXiv_WnYfSSkp8q7omPo2lsg0F_bXtduDQDPXVhTqq4bc/s1600/usk189.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjXnVo4QzTkJg5_7biIPBh6GCx_s7G7m-DN8NbMwDl3cW6IF8mUivUDiFJVMPZVK3ED7mkzwNuX0sMV5uQ2jI5lIY84ZJXf4nXiv_WnYfSSkp8q7omPo2lsg0F_bXtduDQDPXVhTqq4bc/s1600/usk189.jpg" height="195" width="320" /></a></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Drawing by Fred Hando 1964 view from Woodside</span></i></td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyA-sl-DUk-HveUQiRM5Zudvjun5HrINdcwCqixa8cRdJbGiyUHOlquoP5jyRaYsrG-Wn9uTHwnPxjt11WEpgydx5KWtAtInjDOzSw_aWLEJ4w9nT7RIhJ8OaXiWlaah10n5xoL8yxiP8/s1600/usk060.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyA-sl-DUk-HveUQiRM5Zudvjun5HrINdcwCqixa8cRdJbGiyUHOlquoP5jyRaYsrG-Wn9uTHwnPxjt11WEpgydx5KWtAtInjDOzSw_aWLEJ4w9nT7RIhJ8OaXiWlaah10n5xoL8yxiP8/s1600/usk060.jpg" height="193" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Looking towards the bridge from the Conigar Walk </i></span></div>
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Usk Bridge 2013/14</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdNl34qyZtV0ndmzN9fSRXzL_sfOGbTLx0C5pgByO1SR0V-HCmItCWFbH5J6isfywz0pLZwwzFxcb7gd9C5wrEz3IvsK_MV7ejm8CQ9e39ilK48H7eZaCthd_LKgcs8OMyqaXPJnd2w1Y/s1600/unnamed+%25289%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdNl34qyZtV0ndmzN9fSRXzL_sfOGbTLx0C5pgByO1SR0V-HCmItCWFbH5J6isfywz0pLZwwzFxcb7gd9C5wrEz3IvsK_MV7ejm8CQ9e39ilK48H7eZaCthd_LKgcs8OMyqaXPJnd2w1Y/s1600/unnamed+%25289%2529.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Looking towards the bridge from the Conigar Walk </i></span></td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFm4YfiWvJQsXH1H98z_UTW1lw5XnuXx-Lv4r-2yZEUGOnruzghr29BQhnf95L9KuaRTjMm9Jsmv0xcKQ3i7_O4NRUZKsF6MMALCebZDJWaHDa0YHo0623b3S1pyoGdM7IQ_AMx662oSg/s1600/unnamed+(3).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFm4YfiWvJQsXH1H98z_UTW1lw5XnuXx-Lv4r-2yZEUGOnruzghr29BQhnf95L9KuaRTjMm9Jsmv0xcKQ3i7_O4NRUZKsF6MMALCebZDJWaHDa0YHo0623b3S1pyoGdM7IQ_AMx662oSg/s1600/unnamed+(3).jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieCF1YtCQboVX9sYL3cM6tS67ji5cVbEKTIP5ts1Epa5a30YSCYuFMiTc8gJ-ORpsvc20M75-h4fIq3eUaMgRX_nJzME7aYEkoltM2WKYIFwiQ-ohj9HRqJoQc6UaLRGuyNJ8r3HtAE6o/s1600/unnamed+(6).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieCF1YtCQboVX9sYL3cM6tS67ji5cVbEKTIP5ts1Epa5a30YSCYuFMiTc8gJ-ORpsvc20M75-h4fIq3eUaMgRX_nJzME7aYEkoltM2WKYIFwiQ-ohj9HRqJoQc6UaLRGuyNJ8r3HtAE6o/s1600/unnamed+(6).jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjouxv2fAN7wuICSjd4uCYm-IAoTaZKL_wZrIzXZ65rKcp6ULoMCEuWJhxSeJjTx0nF7QY32_W_hBcBggQ9EygRid86mszwUtekbjV63imZmem5V5UrtXkZ6zykWTap9UC7MEcAnTGWtPY/s1600/unnamed+(4).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjouxv2fAN7wuICSjd4uCYm-IAoTaZKL_wZrIzXZ65rKcp6ULoMCEuWJhxSeJjTx0nF7QY32_W_hBcBggQ9EygRid86mszwUtekbjV63imZmem5V5UrtXkZ6zykWTap9UC7MEcAnTGWtPY/s1600/unnamed+(4).jpg" height="200" width="150" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggw-fQA7NmDRz8ZIFMJj8bjQZQdM9kzVW-6l6jHT4tPFNeY5RPHeujbDEGrbO9FkBDrc5v2Ua7AbteRffVkDY-yPFvDj3tpKsdfoInTBPjV3bjBeHGHYwGVkmBNsm7lQ_2UiVMyqDJjm0/s1600/unnamed+(2).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggw-fQA7NmDRz8ZIFMJj8bjQZQdM9kzVW-6l6jHT4tPFNeY5RPHeujbDEGrbO9FkBDrc5v2Ua7AbteRffVkDY-yPFvDj3tpKsdfoInTBPjV3bjBeHGHYwGVkmBNsm7lQ_2UiVMyqDJjm0/s1600/unnamed+(2).jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>View from Woodside</i></td></tr>
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Views from the footpath on the Bridge </div>
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<i>Towards town </i> <i>Downstream</i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSfLoCwAQxZwsVE_I69wKVposFn31hThzM4p5sfwElC1-CyowUB6AiBKWXXXYFRY5CWG0N-BXSDCKrv21O7aTjNGFBbFr_d9nKX9iteT9ERHEz-nN4uyB78mWOSpC9YAS-PRAdLg2Sylo/s1600/unnamed+(8).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSfLoCwAQxZwsVE_I69wKVposFn31hThzM4p5sfwElC1-CyowUB6AiBKWXXXYFRY5CWG0N-BXSDCKrv21O7aTjNGFBbFr_d9nKX9iteT9ERHEz-nN4uyB78mWOSpC9YAS-PRAdLg2Sylo/s1600/unnamed+(8).jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1BvZHF_ERQISHE6OqfixS1J5wdNgLQZMv_yHS1FxSB7znXsNxk1tJdj8K4N5A6kJtbSVSXW-ByTswQrQkXeuknZJga4qtOihp37zJjxBKTyBeGbyW-9arVNhOcAznunn3cKaO9ZhPzhM/s1600/unnamed+(7).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1BvZHF_ERQISHE6OqfixS1J5wdNgLQZMv_yHS1FxSB7znXsNxk1tJdj8K4N5A6kJtbSVSXW-ByTswQrQkXeuknZJga4qtOihp37zJjxBKTyBeGbyW-9arVNhOcAznunn3cKaO9ZhPzhM/s1600/unnamed+(7).jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
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<i>Upstream</i></div>
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Usk Bridge at sunrise Autumn 2013</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOM3EpiRM8_U933ZsDnaIhGJvyKt2SHXYgbZR_QDUXUNbLM2efr5JetoqnkT5ExsVx7WxWZsUOG7bytrjS9Z25wDe1381Q1NvO_fEUX5_FPPyB7Q78qx2mRXJQRNAcBXsCwfT3wF-KxLk/s1600/unnamed+%252815%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOM3EpiRM8_U933ZsDnaIhGJvyKt2SHXYgbZR_QDUXUNbLM2efr5JetoqnkT5ExsVx7WxWZsUOG7bytrjS9Z25wDe1381Q1NvO_fEUX5_FPPyB7Q78qx2mRXJQRNAcBXsCwfT3wF-KxLk/s1600/unnamed+%252815%2529.jpg" height="482" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>From the Conigar Walk</i></td></tr>
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<b>The problem with lorries</b></div>
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Unfortunately over the last few years in particular, Usk Bridge has suffered repeated damage to one of its corners on the Woodside, side of the river. Despite there being a lorry weight restriction, some huge articulated lorries still regularly cross the bridge. The damage is constantly being repaired with the area being cordoned off for safety, creating a single track road causing chaos and upheaval to traffic with the use of traffic lights. On occasion, the repaired section has been knocked back down again within days of completion.<br />
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<b>The Bridge Toll House</b><br />
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A nice feature to look out for as you cross the bridge when leaving Usk, is the old Toll House. The Bridge Toll House is one of five toll gates that were set up in Usk by the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turnpike_trust">Usk Turnpike Trust </a>in around 1760 to pay for road improvements through tolls. The creation of this trust was due to the work of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valentine_Morris">Valentine Morris </a> of Piercefield, Chepstow, who was responsible for promoting the first <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turnpike_trust">Turnpike Bill</a> in Monmouthshire, resulting in over 300 miles of road improvements in Monmouthshire and Gloucestershire in the 1760s. Usk Historian, David Lewis, describes a complicated system for charging tolls in 1847, with a system of varying charges made according to carriage width and nature of load and type of animal. Salesmen, peddlars, horses, cattle and sheep all had different rates.<br />
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<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Drawing by Fred Hando 1964</span></i></div>
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The Usk Bridge Toll House 2014</div>
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<b>Bridge Street</b><br />
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The street running off Usk Bridge is aptly called <i>'Bridge Street'. </i>It is Usk's 'main, high' street containing most of its shops and businesses. Geoffrey Mein provides evidence of the street called 'Bridge Street' in its current position in an unpublished Burgess Roll of Usk dated September 1570. <br />
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David Lewis points out in his study of <i>Early Victorian Usk,</i> that in the early nineteenth century there were a wide variety of commercial premises in Bridge Street, including two chemists, a grocers, a general shop, a drapers, butchers, agricultural merchant, bakery, printers, lathe cleaver, undertakers, wheelwright, watchmaker, shoemakers, building tradesmen, laundress, book sellers, a bank, solicitors and seven public houses.<br />
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I have included some images of Bridge Street taken recently, the 1960s and back to Edwardian/Victorian times (although there are no exact dates with them you can 'guess' by the clothes and modes of transport). The oldest images are first.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiszDGsHssv7mEUTBFcj8y5e03DquJQtJop3nVqgEVsatNtJ-T3X8uBv7sw6l7AeqCluBVqsmvQ8lnHonkQiGyRVwnv8Si1iD5_ZYjPtcmI2Id3L9RWB7S-rYm5d1VCQ1_cHdoQOIFqQIQ/s1600/usk023.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiszDGsHssv7mEUTBFcj8y5e03DquJQtJop3nVqgEVsatNtJ-T3X8uBv7sw6l7AeqCluBVqsmvQ8lnHonkQiGyRVwnv8Si1iD5_ZYjPtcmI2Id3L9RWB7S-rYm5d1VCQ1_cHdoQOIFqQIQ/s1600/usk023.jpg" height="198" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i>View along Bridge Street from Usk Bridge</i></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQknGbW0cX9WEKLhubNelrlKmsn3nwJ5EUhriqrc4B5FouLp7FQNJg_Zv21xuhbZdFj4VfpDDKMYjD2GaHpDqo_AOau4PbklI4yBv4cGII98nrm3nyfkIw8D-jj5ETjgYpQ87UBXq9pX0/s1600/usk027.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQknGbW0cX9WEKLhubNelrlKmsn3nwJ5EUhriqrc4B5FouLp7FQNJg_Zv21xuhbZdFj4VfpDDKMYjD2GaHpDqo_AOau4PbklI4yBv4cGII98nrm3nyfkIw8D-jj5ETjgYpQ87UBXq9pX0/s1600/usk027.jpg" height="193" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>View along Bridge Street from The Three Salmons end</i></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2gEowKSO9WGl0KCWJ1LWROBA6wUTiSADKetLIJyK59T8ki3DYR15FuYV8BbScsp9-AfF50gU2LH4OwXwnFXDn6FXWU2PbADwfkCxCmF5PVzCIOda2cLtSWTxqmyG5b0DjE0P9_BC1IYw/s1600/old1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2gEowKSO9WGl0KCWJ1LWROBA6wUTiSADKetLIJyK59T8ki3DYR15FuYV8BbScsp9-AfF50gU2LH4OwXwnFXDn6FXWU2PbADwfkCxCmF5PVzCIOda2cLtSWTxqmyG5b0DjE0P9_BC1IYw/s1600/old1.jpg" height="226" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Otter hounds meet outside The Three Salmons</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcqNy3hCe4Z9T7h77jNSFUoNIIyhGUgT9cJr8lU4Ua_jZRizL8W7dR1GmhhPEEEzqPGrc9k8FeV5-Q-8zvv96uJoRVGen4azgMNY7X1eECza7l-Zk4JKk2t5p1qG_UDALeeX4T0EtO5Tw/s1600/usk025.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcqNy3hCe4Z9T7h77jNSFUoNIIyhGUgT9cJr8lU4Ua_jZRizL8W7dR1GmhhPEEEzqPGrc9k8FeV5-Q-8zvv96uJoRVGen4azgMNY7X1eECza7l-Zk4JKk2t5p1qG_UDALeeX4T0EtO5Tw/s1600/usk025.jpg" height="195" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>View along Bridge Street from Usk Bridge</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7Ci5lcTa8BRtZsVVVpGTg3J0YKPQVp_yPdqJBEN1weC-E5Hc8h6ww0K9_r-rKMxgnaQWJMjqUVpZKyId2WSDw3weE8zPVnRKCgPnO2PhrI2mLJckMUsWypfRUMwRLCuKb1ixl0zjE8c0/s1600/usk_002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7Ci5lcTa8BRtZsVVVpGTg3J0YKPQVp_yPdqJBEN1weC-E5Hc8h6ww0K9_r-rKMxgnaQWJMjqUVpZKyId2WSDw3weE8zPVnRKCgPnO2PhrI2mLJckMUsWypfRUMwRLCuKb1ixl0zjE8c0/s1600/usk_002.jpg" height="196" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>View along Bridge Street from Usk Bridge</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaxVyNbSbUaTJaYtjx3mKy7jeYCfF9WSbp_Z2X1h8zcX02QXGilADTOqgwDkedGe98_mfC85sibMV9g_OigxEoM9skRpa58HMiG6WzoWUV52gz67umBkaIQ9Hmm51_j-3VzfyBrSfeAZ4/s1600/usk029.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaxVyNbSbUaTJaYtjx3mKy7jeYCfF9WSbp_Z2X1h8zcX02QXGilADTOqgwDkedGe98_mfC85sibMV9g_OigxEoM9skRpa58HMiG6WzoWUV52gz67umBkaIQ9Hmm51_j-3VzfyBrSfeAZ4/s1600/usk029.jpg" height="204" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>View along Bridge Street from The Three Salmons end</i></td></tr>
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<b> Coming up to date 2013/14</b><br />
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Adjacent to Usk Bridge, Usk Police Station regularly wins prizes for it's floral displays<br />
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The Three Salmon's Hotel at the top end of Bridge Street</div>
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Centre of Bridge Street Dec 2013</div>
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<span style="text-align: left;">Usk Remembrance Day Parade Nov 2013 entering Bridge Street from New Market Street Usk Retained Fire Service members marching in the foreground </span></div>
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Feb 2014</div>
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Comparing these recent photos with the older ones above them, you can see how many of the buildings in and around Bridge Street remain although they may have changed use. For example, what was the <i>'Cardiff Arms' </i>pub (formerly<i> 'The Pelican'</i>) is now a hairdressers, <i>'Burlesque'</i>. What was<i> 'Bunning's'</i> hardware store (formerly the site of the Japanning Works in Victorian times) is now a carpet shop, <i>'Designer Flooring Usk'</i>.<i> 'Bunnings Building Supplies' </i>are still open, but they operate from a yard just around the corner in New Market Street opposite what was <i>'Latham's Butchers' </i>shop - now a hairdresser's <i>'Prime Cuts'</i> - which also wins prizes for it's floral displays and you can see why in this photo taken August 2013! <br />
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Other former 'commercial' properties are now residential dwellings and other buildings have been demolished and the sites redeveloped including the '<i>Beaufort Arms' </i>(later known as <i>'The Bridge Inn'</i>) which once stood on the bottom corner of Bridge Street opposite the Police Station on the site of what became a Council yard and is now the <i>Usk Bridge Mews</i> residential development. In a later post I will look at some of these properties in greater depth including some of the many Inns that Usk once had which have now closed.<br />
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<b>Usk Town Trail</b><br />
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<b><br /></b>As you might expect, Usk Bridge features on the Usk Town Trail map which provides residents and visitors to Usk with a numbered trail with interesting facts, to follow around the town. I will be featuring other points of interest on the Usk Town Trail in other posts over the coming months. The bridge also has an information plaque set in the footpath.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8kjA1FMQ7W6R_b8hWPJVDHHwAeNAmTGsUCE6lWMJ7VlGqJSfONQ4Sgce5lgHX9XLMRDGE3sCNf0DxtmKgRCKhXQk_UtdTm3DDGaNkDmBPElkFLEbfukf2QWEODbzFFcdAbn0sYNoL-7U/s1600/unnamed+(1).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8kjA1FMQ7W6R_b8hWPJVDHHwAeNAmTGsUCE6lWMJ7VlGqJSfONQ4Sgce5lgHX9XLMRDGE3sCNf0DxtmKgRCKhXQk_UtdTm3DDGaNkDmBPElkFLEbfukf2QWEODbzFFcdAbn0sYNoL-7U/s1600/unnamed+(1).jpg" height="200" width="149" /></a><br />
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<b>Reference Sources</b><br />
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A special thank you to <a href="http://bevbanfield.tripod.com/">Bev Banfield </a> for allowing reproduction of postcards collected by her late father Roger Banfield - some of these are from the wonderful <a href="https://mail.google.com/mail/ca/u/0/?ui=2&ik=5e9de66c84&view=fimg&th=143f2c9725a403f4&attid=0.1&disp=inline&safe=1&attbid=ANGjdJ-z-wrtIZ94RmVvSzPCt5fIHLpBdde4GjIGH0qQ1T0MBk0iThLZiAYunSUqkDkoWDoz0ld7QxHj7lCAVDWArM0WoXGuN5Q-vT-mzKLcodkYlC5-bDP2FfyNXhw&ats=1391348367032&rm=143f2c9725a403f4&zw&sz=w1198-h442">Francis Frith Collection</a><br />
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A Historical Tour Through Monmouthshire - Archdeacon William Coxe 1801<br />
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Black's Picturesque Guide to South Wales and Monmouthshire 1876<br />
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Rambles and Studies in Old South Wales - Wirt Sikes 1881<br />
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A History of Monmouthshire, The Hundred of Usk - Joseph Alfred Bradney 1921<br />
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Here and There in Monmouthshire - Fred J Hando 1964<br />
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Norman Usk The Birth of a Town - A.G. Mein 1986<br />
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A Portrait of Usk - Anne Leaver 1989<br />
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Early Victorian Usk - David R Lewis 1982<br />
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Usk Castle, Priory and Town - Jeremy K. Knight and Andy Johnson 2008<br />
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<a href="http://www.monmouthshiregreenweb.co.uk/UskCivicSociety/">Usk Civic Society</a> - Usk Town Trail<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnA69_O41aQuv6X2a-eYJFCDm9NwBudFmkClsS3aKYIFCY6z_VpRSM_hk9roiDY5nHeo1eTD8mIqXxnNrHv9k7Ucd9ORv0yq522Em47Ag0t4-MBUmgei-6LJs3zmxsgPvr7HNkRVTJOqE/s1600/photo+2+%25288%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnA69_O41aQuv6X2a-eYJFCDm9NwBudFmkClsS3aKYIFCY6z_VpRSM_hk9roiDY5nHeo1eTD8mIqXxnNrHv9k7Ucd9ORv0yq522Em47Ag0t4-MBUmgei-6LJs3zmxsgPvr7HNkRVTJOqE/s1600/photo+2+%25288%2529.JPG" height="481" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Usk Bridge - River in Flood - Christmas Eve 2013</i></td></tr>
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<br />Usk Chirpshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10495761272802720293noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9129638928201856751.post-14577091855092130402014-01-31T09:36:00.001-08:002014-01-31T10:01:19.529-08:00From a 'Wiseman's' Church to 'Mr Pym's Bridge'I am still in the process of writing up some walks retrospectively. This week I'm taking a look back at another lovely walk in the Usk Valley between Usk and Abergavenny that we did in November. This short, easy, riverside walk near The Bryn, is part of<a href="http://www.uskvalleywalk.org.uk/"> 'The Usk Valley Walk'</a> and has beautiful views of the River Usk, The Blorenge, Sugar Loaf and Pen Cerrig-calch and Table Mountain at Crickhowell, in the distance and some interesting features along the way.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_J6cmhBAfd1gjFVIfLO-AKVpfQzfaHziv4sy3Wc4hIqefxC1o2TsJZB1qhHsbjtHSMKKYft0KsLVXOa4w06q-zQmrE6e8a3SFYzw0f3ncM8yQXYBASl8cEN7M8Fj33fQmgtpJkflJdGA/s1600/1459076_10151961175506492_1356221565_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_J6cmhBAfd1gjFVIfLO-AKVpfQzfaHziv4sy3Wc4hIqefxC1o2TsJZB1qhHsbjtHSMKKYft0KsLVXOa4w06q-zQmrE6e8a3SFYzw0f3ncM8yQXYBASl8cEN7M8Fj33fQmgtpJkflJdGA/s1600/1459076_10151961175506492_1356221565_n.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
The walk starts from a path which runs alongside St. Cadoc's church at Llangattock Juxta Usk. St Cadoc also known as C<i>adoc 'The Wise' </i>(<i>Cattwg Ddoeth</i> in Welsh)<i>,</i> is one of the most important early Welsh Saints who spent many years living in Monmouthshire. A large collection of his maxims and moral sayings were included in Volume III of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Myvyrian_Archaiology">Myvyrian Archaiology</a>. Cadoc was a contemporary of St David (Dewi Sant) and was a strong contender for the title of patron saint of Wales which David was awarded.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBxDtPjv2ChrfssZQ8B4KjwvxZqqXWqt79XGvLJRF2OGeOpLm8EvpIWU7673w9RotWeVtwtMBqm9TupJ2MSn-o19Exs6eS8o6UD41-43D5LRqBhO5FGs1N_SLuB2xcknjxRXnU5MrILNE/s1600/cadog.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBxDtPjv2ChrfssZQ8B4KjwvxZqqXWqt79XGvLJRF2OGeOpLm8EvpIWU7673w9RotWeVtwtMBqm9TupJ2MSn-o19Exs6eS8o6UD41-43D5LRqBhO5FGs1N_SLuB2xcknjxRXnU5MrILNE/s1600/cadog.gif" height="320" width="154" /></a> </td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAB9qqLLv2UMHKfJDJ5r6at-JapacNaUzuoNInuu4-xjWUMCmAXtGLeB9Fz3uktSkgua3FBw17y5OLoE5gE2OmmOC2btt89Qgu2nwXRINvaj2Yp2RwppzQ84MLMYcE1W420RxAXEi_Hqk/s1600/220px-St_Catwg_in_Catwg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAB9qqLLv2UMHKfJDJ5r6at-JapacNaUzuoNInuu4-xjWUMCmAXtGLeB9Fz3uktSkgua3FBw17y5OLoE5gE2OmmOC2btt89Qgu2nwXRINvaj2Yp2RwppzQ84MLMYcE1W420RxAXEi_Hqk/s1600/220px-St_Catwg_in_Catwg.jpg" height="200" width="127" /></a></div>
<i>St Cadoc</i></td></tr>
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Born in 497 Cadoc was the son of Gwynllyw, a local king (commemorated by St. Woolos cathedral, Newport), and his mother Gwladus was the daughter of Brychan, king of Brycheiniog (Brecon). Cadoc was responsible for spreading Christianity across much of Wales and England and as far away as Ireland, Scotland and Brittany. Cadoc is often shown with a mouse and a pig depicting two of the most famous stories associated with him. The mouse is a reference to the story that during a famine Cadoc saved his followers from starvation by observing a mouse and following it to a secret store of grain. The pig is a reference to the story that one day near Cardiff in the district of Glamorganshire, Cadoc was chased by an armed swineherd from an enemy tribe. As he ran through the woods looking for a place to hide, he came upon a wild boar, white with age. Disturbed by his presence, the boar made three fierce bounds in his direction, but Cadoc's life was spared when the boar miraculously disappeared. Cadoc saw this as a 'holy sign' and he built a monastery on the site at Llancarfan. Another animal that features in pictures of Cadoc is the Stag. Legend has it that when the monks were building the monastery at Llancarfan two stags came out of the forest to help with hauling the timber. There are many other stories associated with Cadoc and they show that he did not always turn the other cheek in a 'Saintly', Christian fashion. Dr Madeliene Gray, University of South Wales, tells of his violent, vengefulness and bad temper, how he had a run in with St David and also King Arthur and how he destroyed his parent's marriage by insisting they swore a vow of celibacy. The story goes that to quell their desires the couple bathed in the ice cold river Usk. Sadly Gwynllyw and Gwladus ended up being forced to live apart, a sorry end to their marriage, for a couple who were madly in love with each other and who had eloped over the mountains from the court of Brycheiniog. Cadoc was martyred when he was killed in the act of worship at Weedon in Northamptonshire by Saxon invaders. There are several other churches in this area of South Wales dedicated to Cadoc The Wise.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvapBapZA3fA6lywi_Fd6NEljML1m7Rgwp8rlq_Pw7w5mAxmRSyZ6zUPP4yZRRQ3VzhbXAa9crOyiVDc6r0rWDbBUNRuPSkwTibx3o1_mDwmZCCaikzeLdtrd6yB6LYfPYBAXxDAiScdQ/s1600/AP_2005_1178.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvapBapZA3fA6lywi_Fd6NEljML1m7Rgwp8rlq_Pw7w5mAxmRSyZ6zUPP4yZRRQ3VzhbXAa9crOyiVDc6r0rWDbBUNRuPSkwTibx3o1_mDwmZCCaikzeLdtrd6yB6LYfPYBAXxDAiScdQ/s1600/AP_2005_1178.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Ariel view of St Cadoc's - by Coflein</i></td></tr>
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St Cadoc's Church at Llangattock Juxta Usk is described in Kelly's Directory of Monmouthshire in 1891 as, <i>"an ancient building of stone in the Norman style, consisting of chancel, nave, south aisle, south porch and a western belfry containing 1 bell: there are 120 sittings. The register dates from the year 1597; the earlier records are much decayed. The living is a rectory, tithe rent-charge £233, gross yearly value £350, with 100 acres of glebe and residence, in the gift of the Marquess of Abergavenny." </i> The Old Rectory is the cottage you can see adjacent to the church and is apparently haunted by a friendly ghost. However, the rectory described by Kelly is Penpergwm House, a newer, much bigger and grander rectory built in 1845 and now used as a nursing home, which you pass on the road to The Bryn. When the church was built the course of the River Usk would have flowed far closer to it than it does today.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsS89MimRdYNDzmef6GEtiYCtuRno8Ilr4w_gVI0PA3uoFoscJXPIMRE54dQFYSDQKuzvz9FtqGKHR6iaT3GVmp7rDq0qiRhJ3G-FI9W9-rp3i3EdDv-lN-HGEQ877Uid5wpAK1SvABAE/s1600/1467309_10151961173036492_229900751_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsS89MimRdYNDzmef6GEtiYCtuRno8Ilr4w_gVI0PA3uoFoscJXPIMRE54dQFYSDQKuzvz9FtqGKHR6iaT3GVmp7rDq0qiRhJ3G-FI9W9-rp3i3EdDv-lN-HGEQ877Uid5wpAK1SvABAE/s1600/1467309_10151961173036492_229900751_n.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a>From the way marked gate near the church, proceed straight ahead across the field until you reach the river bank and turn right under the railway bridge over a way-marked stile. From there you simply follow the course of the River Usk through a series of gates and stiles.<br />
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Dogs enjoy this walk for the swimming opportunities it provides, but be sure to keep them under close control and on a lead if necessary as there are usually sheep and cattle grazing.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsuuqp5QI1voVNYfSBTIFvwBEnoTUgxf75XAiZ72ZoXF0DfHpkGAiffVWb98Vd8Ghn0ThUEkiWH7XCpp8o5wAzYVRmvVjTlyWkWtT-9ouZ4a4AyUjNdJXomT6eLfahTyAmo0BZ4SaYQ5E/s1600/1452273_10151961175371492_1510268228_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsuuqp5QI1voVNYfSBTIFvwBEnoTUgxf75XAiZ72ZoXF0DfHpkGAiffVWb98Vd8Ghn0ThUEkiWH7XCpp8o5wAzYVRmvVjTlyWkWtT-9ouZ4a4AyUjNdJXomT6eLfahTyAmo0BZ4SaYQ5E/s1600/1452273_10151961175371492_1510268228_n.jpg" height="150" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3nfUIDofFTnFre9MxP5XGkwQkKjAZ2t5Hs4pSNMATcDjxavzyU5nmfCt-tN6Rb5IJvvs6IS742TyLwfP3CSTLBHJhyphenhyphenm3C7igxStVPDfEwKR9qjcchv-BJjvmwcUNWBtf1u9CCE7-Sy1g/s1600/1488115_10151961172901492_52866872_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3nfUIDofFTnFre9MxP5XGkwQkKjAZ2t5Hs4pSNMATcDjxavzyU5nmfCt-tN6Rb5IJvvs6IS742TyLwfP3CSTLBHJhyphenhyphenm3C7igxStVPDfEwKR9qjcchv-BJjvmwcUNWBtf1u9CCE7-Sy1g/s1600/1488115_10151961172901492_52866872_n.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a><br />
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The stunning vale of Usk</div>
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There are some beautiful trees and dramatic stumps on this walk!<br />
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Animal or human grave under a tree near one of the gateways? We weren't sure, but it has the inscription LL on it. It is most probably a dog or a horse. but whatever/whoever is buried here it makes a lovely, very picturesque final resting place. If you happen to know, do leave a comment below.<br />
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A lovely view of the Blorenge from here.</div>
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At the corner of one of the fields you will notice a World War 2 Pillbox. The remains of several brick Pillboxes, built in 1940, can be seen in various locations along the River Usk. They were part of a chain of defences set up to hinder German invasion. Inside soldiers armed with machine guns were placed, ready to open fire through the small window slits. It is thought that some of the pill boxes may now be used as roosting places for lesser horseshoe bats which is quite a nice thought, but we didn't see any in this one. As you can see I'm accompanied on most of my walks by a '10 year old'!!!!</div>
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The River Usk flowing through the meadows with the mountains as a backdrop is very beautiful, even on a grey day in November! Archdeacon William Coxe wrote about the beauty of this area in 1801 in his '<i>Historical Tour of Monmouthshire': </i><br />
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<i>"rich meadows sink into an oval vale, interspersed by the meandering Usk and skirted by a range of gentle elevations, dotted with numerous seats, churches and hamlets; beyond these rise in grand succession, hills and mountains which combine the varieties of light and shade, and vie in the contrast and singularity of their forms. The extremity of the vale is closed by the Clytha hills, mantled with wood; the elegant and wooded swell of the Little Skyrrid is backed by the majestic top of St Michael's mount: the gloomy and irregular mass of the Black mountains bound the distant horizon; to these succeed the russett summits of the Gaer and Brynaro, the four Pen y Vale Hills which form beautiful undulations above the town of Abergavenny, and are crowned by the Sugar Loaf. Beyond the Sugar Loaf, the perspective of the Vale of Usk terminates in the rugged crags in the vicinity of Crickhowel; opposite towers the magnificent Blorenge, and joins the chain of hills which stretch to Pont y Pool. In no part of Monmouthshire are the forms of the mountains more beautifully contrasted</i>"<br />
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So here are the mountains referred to by Coxe - below - left to right The Blorenge, with the crags of Pencerrig-calch and Table Mountain in the far distance at Crickhowell in the centre and The Sugar Loaf on the right. Out of shot further to the right is The Skirrid also known as St Michael's Mount or Holy Mountain. I'm sure all these peaks will feature somewhere, further along the line in posts of their own.</div>
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Fred Hando writes in 1951 that this area of the Usk Valley near Llanover, was in 1946, considered for the building of a giant coal powered, power station. What a good thing that thanks to strong local opposition, including from Hando himself, this was successfully averted - to destroy such a beautiful place would have been a travesty.<br />
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Dewi disturbed a buzzard feeding on a large, dead salmon on the rivers edge!</div>
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Continuing along the course of the river, eventually you will reach the bank opposite the boat house and St Bartholomew's Church at Llanover.<br />
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The small suspension bridge spanning the river here is privately owned and unfortunately there is no right of way over it. It is known as <i>'Mr Pym's Bridge'</i> - the original bridge here was built for Leslie Pym local land agent for the Llanover and Llanarth Estates and Conservative MP for Monmouth 1939-1945. A descendant of leading Parliamentarian "King Pym" (<a href="http://bcw-project.org/biography/john-pym">John Pym</a>) opposing King Charles 1 rule without parliament, Leslie Pym lived at nearby <a href="http://www.penplants.com/">Penpergwm Lodge</a>, which is now quite a renowned garden. He was father of Francis Pym, Foreign Secretary for Margaret Thatcher during The Falkland's War in 1982.<br />
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The Llanover estate, village and church on the other side of the bridge, has a lot of interesting history and deserves a blog post of its own, which I shall certainly do at a later point, but as you look across to St Bartholomew's Church it is interesting to think that buried there is <i>'Big Ben'</i> - Sir Benjamin Hall MP who gave his name to the famous '<a href="http://www.parliament.uk/about/living-heritage/building/palace/big-ben/building-clock-tower/great-bell/">Big Ben'</a> bell in Westminster. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Benjamin Hall</i></td></tr>
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Benjamin Hall was the Commissioner of Works responsible for the installation of the 'Great Bell' in 1856. The story goes (although there is no official record of this) that Hall delivered a long speech to the House of Commons on what to name the bell. Hoping to end the long speech someone quipped, "<i>Why not call it Big Ben?"</i> Anyway, whether the story about the bell being named after local man, Ben Hall is fact or fiction, it's a nice thought to think the human 'Big Ben' lies in the church yard on the opposite bank.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Installation of 'Big Ben' in 1856</i></td></tr>
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From here we retraced our steps back to St. Cadoc's Church.<br />
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Autumn leaves in the river with a promise of spring in the trees in the form of tightly formed catkins. In this shallow pool with the leaves on the edge of the river were tiny, juvenile fish which we thought might be salmon fry.<br />
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Molly is modelling a bark 'helmet' - a perfectly hollowed out piece of bark that we found on the river bank which I brought home to use in flower arranging!.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: start;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">The old telephone box at The Bryn decorated for Halloween!!</span></i></span></td></tr>
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<b>Further Information</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">
This walk starts from St Cadoc's Church, Llangattock Juxta Usk near The Bryn, which is just off the B4598</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Raglan - Abergavenny Road</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">The turning for 'The Bryn' is signposted near </span><a href="http://www.the-king-of-prussia.com/index" style="font-family: inherit;">The King of Prussia Pub</a><span style="font-family: inherit;"> at </span><a href="http://www.penpergwmhouse.org.uk/contact-us" style="font-family: inherit;">Penpergwm House NP7 9AE, </a><span style="font-family: inherit;">now a nursing home.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Go past Penpergwm House and across the bridge over the A40.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Then follow the lane, bearing left and then right at the telephone box through the village until you reach the end of the lane. Take care it becomes very narrow.</span><br />
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Park on the roadside near Church Farm or in the Village Hall car park nearby.<br />
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Walk down the lane until you pass the church entrance on your right then go straight ahead to the gate and through into the field and follow the walk as above.<br />
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This is a relatively flat, easy, walk across closely grazed river meadows - there may be animals grazing so keep dogs under close control<br />
<b><br /></b><a href="http://map.coflein.gov.uk/index.php?action=do_details&numlink=307301&cache_name=cG5tcnNuYW1lLGhhZm9kIGNvcHBlcndvcmtzX3NlYXJjaHR5cGUsYWR2YW5jZWQ%3D">St Cadoc's Church - Map of location </a><br />
Map Reference: SO30NW Grid Reference: SO33020964<br />
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<b>Reference Sources</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
Historical Tour Through Monmouthshire - Archdeacon William Coxe 1801 (1904 Edition)<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Of course at the end of the walk <br />there is usually coffee and cake!</i></td></tr>
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Kelly's Directory of Monmouthshire 1891<br />
<br />
Journeys in Gwent - Fred J. Hando 1951<br />
<br />
Exploring Gwent - Chris Barber 1984<br />
<br />
The Gwent Village Book - Gwent Federation of Women's Institutes 1994<br />
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Llanover Country - Chris Barber 2004<br />
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Walking in the South Wales Valleys - Mike Dunn 2012<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.parliament.uk/about/living-heritage/building/palace/big-ben/building-clock-tower/great-bell/">Parliament UK - The Great Bell, Big Ben</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://map.coflein.gov.uk/index.php?action=do_details&numlink=307301&cache_name=cG5tcnNuYW1lLGhhZm9kIGNvcHBlcndvcmtzX3NlYXJjaHR5cGUsYWR2YW5jZWQ%3D">Coflein - Royal Commission on The Ancient and Historical Buildings of Wales</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.allsaintsbrookline.org/celtic_saints/cadoc.html">Celtic Saints - Saint Cadoc</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/madeleine-gray-lives-st-cadoc-1846984">Madeleine Gray: The lives of St Cadoc and St Winifred - Wales Online 2011</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cadoc">Wikipaedia</a><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">While I haven't actually been to the moon, the rock formations on this part of the South Wales, Glamorgan Heritage Coast are pretty amazing and for me anyway, have a 'lunar like' feel to them. Around the corner from the more commercialised seaside and industrial port setting of Barry, </span>at low tide, on a sunny afternoon in November, Cold Knap provided a rather unexpectedly, tranquil, strange and beautiful setting to explore.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg2mbStkUrW6l8D8yiF2CoDItHEEIQ3ewKuolcTechaYjZCp99nLo0yKz8_gWZx2b4KFnGTI7VV4bJlo2wiVEeSGhtdd-CgN6zazmX3LhyBXrBq7sIMs3jhvF7Mmkt2Sf2gm-Eff3YsDE/s1600/2011_02_23_20_14_28.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg2mbStkUrW6l8D8yiF2CoDItHEEIQ3ewKuolcTechaYjZCp99nLo0yKz8_gWZx2b4KFnGTI7VV4bJlo2wiVEeSGhtdd-CgN6zazmX3LhyBXrBq7sIMs3jhvF7Mmkt2Sf2gm-Eff3YsDE/s1600/2011_02_23_20_14_28.jpg" height="205" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: start;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Th Knap Lido - Post card by Tuck DB cards</span></i></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">The pebble beach at </span><i style="font-family: inherit;">'The Knap',</i><span style="font-family: inherit;"> as it tends to be known locally, is popular with anglers and surfers. At the Eastern end, nearest Barry, in the 1940's it had a very popular open air lido which was surrounded by beach huts. However, the use of outdoor lido's declined in popularity and it closed in 1997. A regeneration project in 2004 saw the disused lido filled in and replaced with manicured gardens. However, for our walk we headed to the Western side of Cold Knap beach away from the houses (and ice cream vans in summer), and on to what is a completely unspoiled and pretty unique area.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Located on the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bristol_Channel">Bristol Channel</a>, this stretch of coastline has the second highest tidal range in the world, at about 15m. For this reason you should be careful about not getting cut off under the cliffs at high tide. Although the beach is pebble, at low tide a strip of sand is exposed. On a clear day there are good views across the Bristol Channel to the islands of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sully_Island">Sully</a>,<a href="http://www.steepholm.org.uk/"> Steep Holm</a> and <a href="http://www.flatholmisland.com/">Flat Holm</a>, and the Somerset coast, 15-20km beyond. This is a busy shipping channel with plenty of container ships to be seen heading up or downstream, or simply waiting for the tide to take them to the docks at Bristol, Newport, Cardiff, Barry or Sharpness.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXA0dUkhSrKR1QX5dTfTASNDLosskYso_AjeEWWrnNiQZmpbAMlGtarW8hUb6yKoG-7AdvPFT3YqVW9kzysZgE9gJEUgAl9FwZOJ7L1zkvMiqVvNQ9dQFv_0Kq6hUHa1KMhLagbWgMa7o/s1600/74935_10151936403851492_393314707_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXA0dUkhSrKR1QX5dTfTASNDLosskYso_AjeEWWrnNiQZmpbAMlGtarW8hUb6yKoG-7AdvPFT3YqVW9kzysZgE9gJEUgAl9FwZOJ7L1zkvMiqVvNQ9dQFv_0Kq6hUHa1KMhLagbWgMa7o/s1600/74935_10151936403851492_393314707_n.jpg" height="481" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Looking from the car park at The Knap towards the Porth Kerry headland</i></td></tr>
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As you move across the beach you begin to realise that the most amazing thing about this place is the rock formations.</div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">This area is a total paradise for anyone interested in geology. It provides a text-book example of horizontal sedimentary geology. You are walking on a sea eroded, 'wave cut' <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lias_Group">Lias Limestone</a> outcrop laid down in the Jurassic era 135 to 180 million years ago. </span></div>
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The cliffs are made up of clearly visible, alternating layers of grey limestone and black shaley, mudstone and the limestone platforms on which you are standing have been cracked open and exposed by the action of the sea washing away the alluvial sediments where they were deposited onto the eroded carboniferous limestone surface. Here endeth the very interesting geology lesson (given to me by Jez who studied the subject as part of his degree)!<br />
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Jez and I both thought this particular section had a 'Roman' feel to it. The slabs of rock in the wave cut platform you can see Molly walking on, reminded us of a Roman road leading to a rock 'altar' set in the cliff side - where you can see Jez and Dewi sitting. There are caves cut into the cliffs but these surfaces are unstable so take care - really you should stay back from under the cliffs to avoid potential injury from slabs of falling stone.<br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Although none of this is man made, our sense of a 'Roman' presence is perhaps not surprising, when you realise that Cold Knapp was in fact a small Roman port in the Third Century or early Fourth Century AD. There are Roman remains on display near the entrance to the car park. A building of 22 rooms, arranged around a central courtyard, with cellars and what may have been a watchtower, were excavated. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">From the 'altar' continue walking across the pebbles towards the headland.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">At the Western end you will reach Porth Kerry Beach, which lies at the bottom end of <a href="http://www.barrywales.co.uk/porthkerry.htm">Porthkerry Country Park</a>. A popular place for families and dog walkers, the area belonged to and was farmed by, the Romilly family from 1412, until it was sold to the local council in 1929 when it became a public park. The park and adjacent coastline is overlooked by an impressive railway viaduct, built in the 1890s to carry coal to Barry Docks. The viaduct is still in use. At this point you can hear, but not see, aircraft taking off from Cardiff Wales Airport which is just around the corner at Rhoose. Planes coming into land can be seen approaching from the South East over the Bristol Channel. From here we walked along the path at the edge of the country park until it met the pebble line, and then continued along to the headland, before retracing our steps back across 'the moon' to Cold Knap.</span><br />
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Looking back from the headland at Porth Kerry towards Cold Knapp, with <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sully_Island">Sully Island </a>in the distance on the right<br />
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A picnic on the beach in November!<br />
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The Bristol Channel coastline can be very beautiful!<br />
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<b>More information </b></div>
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Parking and public toilets are available alongside the beach at Cold Knap. There is a popular cafe and coffee shop in Cold Knap village.</div>
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The walk involves walking across large pebbles and rocks which can be difficult and it therefore demands strong footwear - walking boots recommended! </div>
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Be sure of tide times before attempting this walk <a href="http://www.tidetimes.org.uk/barry-tide-times#axzz2rSUtaIwv">Tide times</a></div>
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Dogs are not allowed on the beach May 1st - Sept 30th.</div>
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<a href="http://www.britishbeaches.info/cold-knap-barry-vale-of-glamorgan/">Directions to Cold Knap</a></div>
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<b>Reference Sources</b></div>
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Glamorgan and Gwent, A Guide to Ancient and Historic Wales - Elisabeth Whittle 1992</div>
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<a href="http://www.visitwales.com/explore/south-wales/glamorgan-coast"><br /></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.visitwales.com/explore/south-wales/glamorgan-coast">Visit Wales - The Glamorgan Coast</a></div>
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<a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/wales/nature/sites/walking/pages/se_barry.shtml">Weatherman Walking - BBC Wales </a><br />
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Usk Chirpshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10495761272802720293noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9129638928201856751.post-55704453354545490572014-01-21T22:20:00.001-08:002014-01-24T09:44:07.469-08:00A Horseshoe and a Wishing Well<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdkyV8ZU9nLjYwvBi8Oru0m6XmP7EaKC5s7GopV5Nl5HugRBspXLbb1zLYYVPhNyJoavqDwA0DLbcD_ONbYk2Y0TDaGEJ7-rQRrFlXRHWGe9gx_J7KE65rm7Rt5_SIG0416dMyqxSGx38/s1600/Holy+Well+Walk+Jan+2014+120.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdkyV8ZU9nLjYwvBi8Oru0m6XmP7EaKC5s7GopV5Nl5HugRBspXLbb1zLYYVPhNyJoavqDwA0DLbcD_ONbYk2Y0TDaGEJ7-rQRrFlXRHWGe9gx_J7KE65rm7Rt5_SIG0416dMyqxSGx38/s1600/Holy+Well+Walk+Jan+2014+120.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
A rare sunny Sunday this winter saw us heading out for what proved to be a stunning walk to<i> 'The Holy Well' also </i>known as <i>Ffynnon Angaeron,</i> situated in a beautiful hidden, wooded valley on the lower slopes of Mynydd Garn Wen. Mynydd Garn Wen is on the South Eastern edge of the <a href="http://www.visit-brecon-beacons.co.uk/brecon-beacons-national-park.shtml">Brecon Beacons National Park</a> and at 1,394 feet at the OS trig point on the ridge, is one of the highest ridges in Monmouthshire.<br />
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The walk starts from a way marked sign and stile opposite <a href="http://thehorseshoeinn.org/">The Horsehoe Inn </a>at Mamhilad which provides good food and drink before or after your walk. If you use the pub you can park in their car park. Walking boots are recommended.<br />
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This is a good walk for dogs, but you will need to keep them under close control on a lead in the fields, where there are sheep and possibly other animals grazing. Once you reach the woods they can run free.<br />
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Looking from the stile, ahead and to the right, the walk route you will follow runs in a diagonal line down the bank to the stream, through the gate and between the trees at the bottom and continues the same line across the fields to where the conifer trees run down to join the other woodland.<br />
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Heading down the bank from The Horseshoe, you will come to a stream and a tree with some large stones in front of it - pass these and go through the gate. </div>
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After going through the gate, continue walking in a diagonal line up the bank and across the fields through two more way marked gates/ stiles, towards the tree line in the distance.<br />
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As you walk you will also have a view of <a href="http://www.torfaen.gov.uk/en/LeisureCulture/ParksandOpenSpaces/Folly-Tower/The-Folly-Tower.aspx">The Folly</a> in the distance up on the Garn Wen ridge to your far left - but due to the bright sunlight from that direction at the time I was unable to photograph it. As we walked we heard and saw buzzards circling overhead.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Looking back towards The Horseshoe in the distance across the fields</i></td></tr>
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Continuing in a diagonal line across the field, you will eventually reach a mountain stream, which on the day of our walk, was in full flow due to heavy rainfall and could be heard roaring long before we reached it. Turn left when you reach the stream and follow its course until you come to a fence line across the edge of the wood.<br />
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When you reach the edge of the wood turn right and ford the stream to the opposite bank where there will be a way marked stile on your left to take you up a small path into the wood.<br />
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In January, wellies, although not as comfortable, or as good for walking in as boots, were an advantage for dealing with the very muddy gateways and water soaked fields and also for fording the fast flowing stream - in summer the water level and speed is far less.<br />
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When you cross the stile, follow the path straight up the hillside through the wood keeping the stream on your left. It is safe to let dogs run free once you are up in the wood, but keep in mind that there are sheep in the surrounding fields so you must keep them under control.</div>
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Even in winter the thickly wooded valley has a 'wild', 'magical' almost 'jungle' feel to it with a lot of beautiful mosses, ferns and huge trees. An advantage of visiting after prolonged rainfall is the stream is pretty spectacular as it tumbles down the hillside through the wood.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5qdUajWtfsVH77lD-gJMCM0JMATXKT3hRvsdT8KAdMNb9uphuBFTB5ouML_ltMyw3VBj7hhPPK7mZwf5pRTh87BhGQNIdcmYxBNuhQ4lgwYyfAxCqjBYVWtzvowY38tmzOUK0ALI4AhE/s1600/Holy+Well+Walk+Jan+2014+082.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5qdUajWtfsVH77lD-gJMCM0JMATXKT3hRvsdT8KAdMNb9uphuBFTB5ouML_ltMyw3VBj7hhPPK7mZwf5pRTh87BhGQNIdcmYxBNuhQ4lgwYyfAxCqjBYVWtzvowY38tmzOUK0ALI4AhE/s1600/Holy+Well+Walk+Jan+2014+082.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
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After a fairly short climb passing some magnificent ancient beech trees and moss covered evidence of ruined dwellings and quarrying, which indicate there may have been a small village here many years ago, you will eventually reach a stile marked <i>'Holy Well'.</i><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Jez stops for a rest with Dewi and Molly</i></td></tr>
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Climb the stile and continue straight ahead, for just a few more yards up the path until you get to the well which will be on your left adjacent to the stream.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">T<i>he stream was running very fast down the hill past the well</i></td></tr>
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'The Holy Well' - Ffynnon Angaeron looks a bit like an old, dilapidated stone fireplace on the edge of the stream. The opening into the well faces the stream. Alongside is a huge stone which you can sit on.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Ffynnon Angaeron - The Holy Well</i></td></tr>
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There are references to Ffynnon Angaeron dating back to the 14th Century when it was called the Ffynnon Rhufeinig meaning ' Roman Well' and Ffynnon Ofuned meaning 'Wishing Well'. Frances Jones describes the well as a 'pin well'. In Roman times bent pins and brooches were used as votive offerings and thrown into such wells and a secret wish would be made, often with regard to curing an ailment, bringing good luck, marriage, fertility or to ward off evil spirits. When the well was cleaned out in 1890 many bent pins and a brooch were found in it. Aside from its use as a holy or wishing well, Ffynnon Angaeron would also have provided a valuable source of clean drinking water for local people who would have walked to the well daily to collect fresh water. In 1873 there was a major local dispute over rights of access to the well when the land owner Rev Thomas in a fit of pique that some local children were not attending the school he ran, denied access to the families concerned and filled the well in. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>The water running from the spring into the well catchment chamber is very clear and cold</i></td></tr>
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After visiting the well you have the option of retracing your steps back down the hillside as we did (having a <a href="http://www.uskchirps.blogspot.co.uk/2013/12/meet-dog-team.html">14 year old dog </a>walking with you restricts how far and how steep you can go unfortunately) or, if you want a longer walk, you can continue climbing up the path through the wood, which will eventually bring you up onto the Garn Wen ridge. It is worth the walk to the top simply for the panoramic views it offers. Once at the top you then have the choice of turning left and walking for about a mile towards the Garn Wen trig point and from there along to The Folly and after visiting The Folly, returning down the old Roman Road and on to the lane that emerges near <a href="http://www.waterwaysleisure.com/place/the-star-inn-mamhilad/">The Star Inn</a> and back to The Horseshoe Inn that way (see my earlier blog post for details of<a href="http://www.uskchirps.blogspot.co.uk/2013/12/a-walk-to-folly.html"> a walk to The Folly and The Roman Road</a>). Turning right when you reach the ridge, would take you across to the hillside above <a href="http://www.gooseandcuckoo.com/">The Goose and Cuckoo Inn</a> which sits above the village of Llanover and from there dropping down through the lanes to return to The Horseshoe Inn from the opposite direction.</div>
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So... having given alternatives for longer routes, back to the particular walk we did. Having retraced your steps down through the wood, once you reach the bottom of the path, just before you get to the stile, turn right to cross the stream where the two streams merge into one and proceed ahead up the track into the forested area. <br />
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Before heading up the forest path drop down the bank to your left to stream level as I did to look at the waterfall emerging from under the path you have crossed. Stunning!!<br />
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Walk a few hundred yards up the forest track through the conifers, before leaving the track and heading left through the trees for a short distance until you find the fence line with the field.<br />
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Bear right along the fence line with the fields on your left until you reach a waymarked stile.<br />
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Climb the stile and turn right across the top of the field until you reach another stile. Then retrace your steps to <i>'The Horseshoe'</i> down across the fields - the views as you emerge from the woods at this point across the Monmouthshire countryside are really wonderful!<br />
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I am sensing that doing this beautiful walk with good luck charms in the form of a 'Horseshoe' and a 'Wishing Well' at either end of it is sure to bring me good luck and being only a short distance from where I live, I'll be heading back here again very soon!<br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #002020;"><b>How to find The Holy Well</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #002020;">Ffynnon Angaeron - Map Ref: </span><a href="http://www.multimap.com/maps/?zoom=15&lat=51.740188776512&lon=-3.0180783212533&dp=904&loc=GB:51.740188776512:-3.0180783212533:14" style="background-color: white;" target="_blank" title="View a map of this location on Bing Maps (new window) - zoom in to see 1:25000 OS map"><span style="color: #b45f06;">SO298051</span></a></span></div>
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The Horseshoe Inn at the start of the walk - <a href="http://thehorseshoeinn.org/directions/">directions</a></div>
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<b>Reference Sources</b><br />
<div style="outline: rgb(0, 0, 0); padding: 0px 0px 10px;">
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Mysterious Wales - Chris Barber </span>1982<br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Exploring Gwent - Chris Barber 1984</span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br /></span>
The Holy Wells of Wales - Francis Jones - 1954<br />
<br />
Sacred Wells: A Study in the History, Meaning, and Mythology of Holy Wells Gary R. Varner 2009<br />
<br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Wellsprings Fellowship - <a href="http://wellspringsfellowship.wordpress.com/about/">Welsh Wells Society</a></span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br /></span>
<a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/local/southeastwales/hi/people_and_places/nature/newsid_8140000/8140906.stm"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Weatherman Walking - </span>BBC Wales</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.megalithic.co.uk/" style="background-color: white; color: #cc4411; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.790000915527344px;">Megalithic Portal</a><br />
<br /></div>
<!-- Blogger automated replacement: "https://images-blogger-opensocial.googleusercontent.com/gadgets/proxy?url=http%3A%2F%2F4.bp.blogspot.com%2F-PoV1rzxPKBU%2FUt1k9tseWlI%2FAAAAAAAACkk%2Fap0wePJh1uw%2Fs1600%2FHoly%2BWell%2BWalk%2BJan%2B2014%2B120.jpg&container=blogger&gadget=a&rewriteMime=image%2F*" with "https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdkyV8ZU9nLjYwvBi8Oru0m6XmP7EaKC5s7GopV5Nl5HugRBspXLbb1zLYYVPhNyJoavqDwA0DLbcD_ONbYk2Y0TDaGEJ7-rQRrFlXRHWGe9gx_J7KE65rm7Rt5_SIG0416dMyqxSGx38/s1600/Holy+Well+Walk+Jan+2014+120.jpg" -->Usk Chirpshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10495761272802720293noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9129638928201856751.post-72581130740891855712014-01-19T01:28:00.001-08:002014-01-25T09:48:45.892-08:00The Mari Lwyd<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1lLqdmjdHKSicyYeYwDXFmAO4-5hqBJguBUGk_kozFuwrC85jlj0vN6OOofQK68QUnWRu9m3KDr31VDU3GACIGqGtHHGnZyBcujQXsPgDEmTIeF2L6qHRgnIeShaJFcbkHLW-FWSP2xU/s1600/Mari+Lwyd+2014+109.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1lLqdmjdHKSicyYeYwDXFmAO4-5hqBJguBUGk_kozFuwrC85jlj0vN6OOofQK68QUnWRu9m3KDr31VDU3GACIGqGtHHGnZyBcujQXsPgDEmTIeF2L6qHRgnIeShaJFcbkHLW-FWSP2xU/s1600/Mari+Lwyd+2014+109.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a>This weekend I went along to the truly fantastic <a href="http://chepstowwassailmari.co.uk/">Wassail Mari Lwyd</a> event in Chepstow which provides an excellent showcase for one of Wales' oldest folk customs,<i> 'The Mari Lwyd'</i>.<br />
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The Mari Lwyd or Y Fari Lwyd - meaning 'Grey Mare' or 'Grey Mary' is a midwinter / New Year tradition in Wales, linked to the house to house <a href="http://www.uskchirps.blogspot.co.uk/2014/01/twelfth-night.html">wassailing</a> 'good health /luck bringing' custom.<br />
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The Mari Lwyd is essentially a large puppet head, made from a mare's skull mounted on a pole, over which a white sheet is draped. Cloth ears may be sewn on to the sheet and ribbons and bells are attached as decoration to the protuding skull. Coloured glass or other shiny material is fitted into the eye sockets. The jaw is usually wired so that it can be operated to make it 'snap' at people. The skull on the pole is carried and 'operated' by a man hidden under the sheet.<br />
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The Mari Lwyd is then 'lead' by its reins or a chain in a procession from house to house. Parties accompanying the Mari Lywd, often dressed in costume or disguise with masks or blackened faces, chanting, singing or shouting insults or exchanges at each door visited, in the hope of being invited in and given food and drink. Entry is not guaranteed as the occupants of the house throw songs or insults back in a 'contest' or 'pwnc'. The insult/song contest sometimes goes on for a very long time until the Mari gets invited in. On entering the house the Mari often proceeds to wildly chase any girls present snapping at them with its jaws until a gift of food and drink (and/or money) is offered.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhusQnL4LP1crw3ZF9sYjnXSNdxYQYXSpc7dOz-rfbp1lFRvsPljpZxxiMopsVMepSXT8wHehEGSlEYrMeHuj-UbXkcAyalFOERptt5U0UZEz3ElrB867t-7xgbUS4Y9tev3qoZzgSIN2w/s1600/images+(3).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhusQnL4LP1crw3ZF9sYjnXSNdxYQYXSpc7dOz-rfbp1lFRvsPljpZxxiMopsVMepSXT8wHehEGSlEYrMeHuj-UbXkcAyalFOERptt5U0UZEz3ElrB867t-7xgbUS4Y9tev3qoZzgSIN2w/s1600/images+(3).jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>The old Post Office at Llanover has an unusal painting <br /> over the door of the Mari Lwyd commissioned <br />by Lady Llanover in 1860</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIWzd2wY3KBUCTmZqum4y4Ks6viZhNlo_22RKJjpAfMWn-W8yVtRG_Gs4yH20j_WBZdtddUyWDnY6cHEVUCLi-cbakAFwunWmhhnRrhP2cklfAqeiOJdIH1CL-TbeBWfQJiFJftPpqqgs/s1600/unnamed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIWzd2wY3KBUCTmZqum4y4Ks6viZhNlo_22RKJjpAfMWn-W8yVtRG_Gs4yH20j_WBZdtddUyWDnY6cHEVUCLi-cbakAFwunWmhhnRrhP2cklfAqeiOJdIH1CL-TbeBWfQJiFJftPpqqgs/s1600/unnamed.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Fred Hando's 1951 drawing of the painting on</i><br />
<i> Llanover Post Office, depicting a visit by the Mari Llwyd</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiks5IyGB8B-hVbrlWsRTFZe2IAVICcRJw9NQHpCrav79YjmqijwgvZwY1sgrDhuwvRdJBnnAXq4PUcOvrBuJL6AqbztTERHJLVp8RqLZoNltMGGnVeKyo5c8hiVFp7cbM5w9S4C-0cOs/s1600/rhiannon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiks5IyGB8B-hVbrlWsRTFZe2IAVICcRJw9NQHpCrav79YjmqijwgvZwY1sgrDhuwvRdJBnnAXq4PUcOvrBuJL6AqbztTERHJLVp8RqLZoNltMGGnVeKyo5c8hiVFp7cbM5w9S4C-0cOs/s1600/rhiannon.jpg" height="200" width="146" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Celtic Goddess Rhiannon</i></td></tr>
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The tradition of the Mari Lwyd is pre-Christian. It has been linked with the horse goddess <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epona">Epona </a>(her name meaning<i>'Great Mare'</i>), who features in Gaulish,Celtic and Roman inscriptions and also with the Celtic goddess <a href="http://paganwiccan.about.com/od/celticdeities/p/RhiannonProfile.htm">Rhiannon</a>, who has a strong association with horses. An interesting aside to this, is that the famous Fleetwood Mac song '<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=py3w5fttedA" style="font-style: italic;">Rhiannon</a><i>' </i>is based on the <a href="http://www.sacred-texts.com/neu/celt/mab/mab20.htm">Mabinogion</a> legend of Rhiannon who, in the story of her pursuit by Prince Pwyll before she marries him, is featured riding a pure white horse with magical qualities. Another story is that the Mari Lwyd represents the horse turned out of the stable in Bethlehem to allow the Virgin Mary a place to give birth to Jesus. The horse has since roamed the countryside looking for alternative shelter. This story is perhaps reflected in the alternative translation of the Mari Lwyd as <i>'Grey Mary', </i>rather than<i> 'Grey Mare'. </i>Abergavenny writer, Chris Barber, refers to this story and feels that what started as a pagan custom, may have been taken over by the early Christian church to form a 'cult' linked to the Virgin Mary which died out during the Reformation.<br />
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In folklore the horse features as a symbol of strength and fertilty. White or grey horses, real and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_horse_(mythology)">mythylogical </a>(such as pegasus and unicorns), and other animals such as white hart (deer) or white hares, were seen as having 'special', 'sacred' powers and the ability to cross to, or communicate with the 'underworld'. Such animals have been revered in folk stories, songs and art for thousands of years.The most striking examples of white horse symbolism, can be seen as giant figures carved into chalk hillsides around the UK. The oldest of these 'chalk horses' is the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uffington_White_Horse">Uffington White Horse </a>in Oxfordshire, which is 3,000 years old. However, most of the other chalk horses that are still visible have been created in the last 300 years. The use of an animated, dead horse's skull in the Mari Lwyd ritual, is symbolic with death and rebirth - and its use in a mid-winter wassailing custom, synonymous with the 're-awakening' of the countryside's fertility after winter.<br />
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Customs involving horse skulls, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Horse_worship">horse worship</a> or <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Horse_sacrifice">horse sacrifices</a> have featured in many cultures around the world. In the UK our aversion to eating horse meat may well be linked to old customs like the Mari Lwyd which feature the horse as a 'special, 'sacred' animal. Other areas of the UK have traditions at different times of the year using symbolic horses heads which include<a href="http://www.hoodening.org.uk/"> 'The Hooden Horse of Kent'</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/'Obby_'Oss_festival">'The Padstow Obby Oss'</a>,<a href="https://www.blogger.com/"><span id="goog_1342105711"></span>'The Poor Owd Oss of Nottinghamshire' <span id="goog_1342105712"></span></a>and '<a href="http://www.folkmusic.net/htmfiles/inart359.htm">Soul Caking'</a> in North Wales and Cheshire.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px; text-align: start;"><i style="color: #444444;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">A Mari Lwyd group at Llangynwyd, Maesteg in 1919</span></i></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">The Mari Lwyd was most common in the South Eastern parts of Wales,
in Gwent and Glamorgan. A letter printed in the "Monmouthshire
Merlin" newspaper, gives the following account in a letter printed on
Saturday, December 29th, 1838:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;"><i>"With regard to the pastime of the horse's head mentioned in
your last paper, I am happy to say it continues to delight young and old every
winter, in the parts of Gwent about Pontypool, Govilon, Abergavenny and the
mountainous district generally. The parties going about with the horse's head
are denominated Merry Lhwyd, who sing Welsh songs and dance, the great
amusement consisting in the spectre horse's antics, he being well skilled in
frightening the maidens, who, peeping through the half opened door are put to
flight by his gambols these most interesting relics of past ages, are so little
prized that they are scarcely known to exist by the higher classes of
Wales."</i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">The custom lost favour somewhat, due to the growth of the Welsh
Methodist Churches and Temperance movement during the Industrial Revolution,
when customs associated with revelry and drunkeness were frowned upon.
Christmas Carolling became far more common and Mari Lwyd practices faded away
to all but a few villages during the early part of the 20th century.Writing in
1951, Fred Hando in 'Journeys in Gwent', discusses the Mari Lwyd in Caerleon
with some old residents of the village, who refer fondly to the tradition that
had not taken place for 20 years.</span></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="text-align: start;">Watch a </span>BBC video of The Mari Lwyd in Llangynwyd 1966</span></i></td></tr>
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Another short BBC Wales video about the history of the Mari Lwyd custom can be <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p012qpr8">viewed here</a><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">In more recent times a re-surgent interest in folk traditions has seen the revival of the Mari Lwyd in some parts of Wales. An initiative by </span><a href="https://www.trac-cymru.org/index.php/en/" style="font-family: inherit;">Trac - Folk Development Wales </a><span style="font-family: inherit;"> has provided funding to educate children and communities about the Mari Lywd to preserve the tradition. </span><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ptel9C3Zhg" style="font-family: inherit;">Watch a video about this</a><span style="font-family: inherit;"> initiative (worth watching to see some really great moves by the 'mare' in this). Examples of Mari Lwyd groups operating in South East Wales include Cowbridge, Llantrisant (near Maesteg), Llanvihangel Tor Y Mynydd and also at St Fagans (National Museum of Wales). Chepstow's Wassail Mari Lwyd event has for the last few years, combined several midwinter customs such as Wassailing, Mumming and The Mari Lwyd, into a January festival day featuring these old traditions albeit in a rather less 'traditional' but high profile way, this is helping to preserve the tradition of the Mari Lwyd.</span><br />
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<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Watch a video of the Chepstow Wassail and Mari Lwyd 2013 (my photos from the 2014 event below).</span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Video by Stewart Charters </span></i></div>
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<b>The Chepstow Wassail Mari Lwyd January 2014 </b></h3>
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An incredible eight Mari Lwyd's in one place!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>The Chepstow Mari </i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwqFkDvcOd0KH0ng_xBcRP6aJuK8tLXA8Vz2JTrDWSO7YVNSZIEORgBgnO5GWxv2zcybzXlX3h2hDvke0eaZnJ_JN4_UIscSo-1YWE_qe7doTe3X3FexpmlFRzrXoFarH9ZpOljt_Iwvs/s1600/Mari+Lwyd+2014+103.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwqFkDvcOd0KH0ng_xBcRP6aJuK8tLXA8Vz2JTrDWSO7YVNSZIEORgBgnO5GWxv2zcybzXlX3h2hDvke0eaZnJ_JN4_UIscSo-1YWE_qe7doTe3X3FexpmlFRzrXoFarH9ZpOljt_Iwvs/s1600/Mari+Lwyd+2014+103.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Cardiff Mari beautifully decorated</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrPHPDE2EcEtGna1WeQwNQvRTR9bMBwMwjhJT1RYTz5nS9E2Jjl36WbaSTJ_8zbpsEuTeJtn2fXMjNg9k_y1Q8bdyVqfbJcjtbclLI8BqBumUInYF0JEpPLe69A9BMd0uG2GTQrHqoLaM/s1600/Mari+Lwyd+2014+107.JPG" height="320" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="240" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Swansea Mari - a smaller Mari made from <br />a Gower Pony skull</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiF1TN2LsnrE21fTQQwt3yhBH9dL3b7UDQM6Bu6A8km5Q7pFPkmsb4YpEznR3r0_0bX98XoC90M9hQctkmf9DNw16LEpKs8zt5Q3UD0xUeG5xFPP7Q1aSUOxQgAPla4sSCDGAzE3_IJfI/s1600/Mari+Lwyd+2014+109.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiF1TN2LsnrE21fTQQwt3yhBH9dL3b7UDQM6Bu6A8km5Q7pFPkmsb4YpEznR3r0_0bX98XoC90M9hQctkmf9DNw16LEpKs8zt5Q3UD0xUeG5xFPP7Q1aSUOxQgAPla4sSCDGAzE3_IJfI/s1600/Mari+Lwyd+2014+109.JPG" height="400" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Mari from Carmarthen getting a cheeky <br />drink off Louise from Chepstow - </i><i>this Mari is<br /> from the Trac project - see above</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Gloucestershire version</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJqCAPAXFF_JAQXnk-er_7JLJjaXoEQlPROKD6ht5ppLuUn66oOHtrM56QS86BtsDrnrwfFBKDuRAPahe7nIoWtcHdmGXzmoRWVlsJuh_CIqRZQtPAHN8HvPUIaO-vyApO6DT5f3RVulc/s1600/Mari+Lwyd+2014+139.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJqCAPAXFF_JAQXnk-er_7JLJjaXoEQlPROKD6ht5ppLuUn66oOHtrM56QS86BtsDrnrwfFBKDuRAPahe7nIoWtcHdmGXzmoRWVlsJuh_CIqRZQtPAHN8HvPUIaO-vyApO6DT5f3RVulc/s1600/Mari+Lwyd+2014+139.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>This big, handsome Mari had travelled all the way from <br />Lands End in Cornwall - it proved to be a very talented <br />mover and dancer</i></td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHvFv8v3YbLTZ9w9bWerq3XRt1Jeq_J4JS5K2IOernbQ2ahF5ypKDaM1dmjjme4wMDyCazer-h1oRqvuh2DzSVPYwpYN9dDZUeKLEpzZW_0GDvnzOF1y4q2-1EX1lTSOfgPI4CV3KJhuc/s1600/Mari+Lwyd+2014+118.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpQk97xXVPdfNiAp3NCUVMQl2_FJr9DhQgxvoK4wtSIrCAOT_sOLZAremcXHHjVk86f1Dom6qHzX7RUjyThe5-rkMSpltc1pF2GdGF8uyJQtwjKbZ016TSEeOGbe-gFCXkMo1mGJqm_t0/s1600/Mari+Lwyd+2014+228.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpQk97xXVPdfNiAp3NCUVMQl2_FJr9DhQgxvoK4wtSIrCAOT_sOLZAremcXHHjVk86f1Dom6qHzX7RUjyThe5-rkMSpltc1pF2GdGF8uyJQtwjKbZ016TSEeOGbe-gFCXkMo1mGJqm_t0/s1600/Mari+Lwyd+2014+228.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Mari from Pembrokeshire</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfp0lt_qns8FEtGwN_2O3OE4duSQuR0rSQP8i2rz5bjeJnJ2Q1HN2R9yZCCmmXRK6rqjEG64oXAnndAfmtP6mrO6aC0X7q3K-29n42UeRJix7vphkgs1tjDp1XQwmOQHmveBnluBrOJfU/s1600/Mari+Lwyd+2014+175.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfp0lt_qns8FEtGwN_2O3OE4duSQuR0rSQP8i2rz5bjeJnJ2Q1HN2R9yZCCmmXRK6rqjEG64oXAnndAfmtP6mrO6aC0X7q3K-29n42UeRJix7vphkgs1tjDp1XQwmOQHmveBnluBrOJfU/s1600/Mari+Lwyd+2014+175.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Another Monmouthshire Mari from Llanfihangel Tor y Mynydd</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX92u2yCcfQ2NTQNbImnnn3zNajqEfmVSFgI2xBPb8s6XabQ5edqSS-zeLYJ_TfIPiGsErRxYp616nn8az2otCmHaUCcMP4-pEadL3SxjiqeZ5FZCPZ9PGG3cmawgyNjP_W_UFkcug-PQ/s1600/Mari+Lwyd+2014+214.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX92u2yCcfQ2NTQNbImnnn3zNajqEfmVSFgI2xBPb8s6XabQ5edqSS-zeLYJ_TfIPiGsErRxYp616nn8az2otCmHaUCcMP4-pEadL3SxjiqeZ5FZCPZ9PGG3cmawgyNjP_W_UFkcug-PQ/s1600/Mari+Lwyd+2014+214.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>The <a href="http://www.ournottinghamshire.org.uk/page_id__842_path__0p31p34p239p.aspx">'Poor Owd Oss'</a> from Nottinghamshire</i></td></tr>
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The <a href="http://www.gloschristmas.com/wassail/gloucestershire-wassail-3/">Gloucestershire 'Broad' or Bull </a>traditionally accompanies the Gloucestershire Waysailers (the local word for wassailing)!<br />
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<a href="http://uskchirps.blogspot.co.uk/search/label/Traditions">Wassailing</a> the apple tree in the garden at the Chepstow Castle Inn<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>The Wassail Master directs proceedings</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Putting the wassail toast in the tree</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>'The Gloucestershire Waysailers' (the local word for wassailers) with their 'Broad' </i><br />
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<i>The <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Green_Man">'Green Man' </a>played by Rob Hickman gets a tune from a 'Pig Horn'</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Some of the 'Widders' dancers with the Green Man</i></td></tr>
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<b><br /></b>Some very colourful and energetic dancing in the streets of Chepstow - <a href="http://www.thewidders.co.uk/">The Widders Border Morris</a><br />
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The Mari's gather near the Wye Bridge - some of them dance to entertain the crowd<br />
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A new annual Mid-Winter 'custom' linked to the Wassail Mari Lwyd festival has begun in Chepstow. A large crowd gather to follow the Mari's across the River Wye for a meeting between the Welsh and English, at the centre of the old Wye Bridge, - the two sides challenge each other - there is much 'roaring' and noise, it could be war but thankfully peace reigns - the toast of 'WASSAIL!' is shouted on both sides and everyone shakes hands, kisses and makes friends!!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Dancing on the centre of the Wye Bridge</i></td></tr>
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Then it's back across the bridge to Chepstow with our new friends from England!<br />
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The Mari's group for the 'Pwnc' at the entrance to Chepstow Museum - songs are sung, verses are chanted on both sides of the door and eventually the Mari's are granted entry - plenty of mulled cider awaits them!<br />
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<b>Mari Lywd Verses</b><span style="font-weight: normal;"><i> (dated 1893 by Fred Hando)</i></span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Music making in The Chepstow Castle Inn</i></td></tr>
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<i><br /></i>
<i>From inside the house</i><br />
<br />
What, ho! Morganwg's happy land<br />
Is full of corn and barley<br />
What, ho! is your request - demand?<br />
Answer! We grant short parley<br />
<br />
<i>From the Mari Lwyd party outside</i><br />
<i><br /></i>Honest men are we, who sue<br />
Favours many, money due<br />
To the Mari Llwyd from you!<br />
<br />
<i>From inside the house to end the contest</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
Come in, come in, and sit at ease<br />
Ye merry sons of Cymru<br />
Here's sweet metheglin, here's cream cheese<br />
With milk, cream cakes and flummery!<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>Reference Sources</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOwdj8sDxG04AJU_BFKBCP6B07ukadqOBjRgP_gGDpALINEeeAvGZ-kcQQ04lK8jwmuZFtyCEhJuyDQDcBvdKLK1MS1hgZW7xzwQMBbUJfMMAO4mYw2uZRxDQC-kSDZ1ITJIO8WZo5CXM/s1600/Mari+Lwyd+2014+140.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOwdj8sDxG04AJU_BFKBCP6B07ukadqOBjRgP_gGDpALINEeeAvGZ-kcQQ04lK8jwmuZFtyCEhJuyDQDcBvdKLK1MS1hgZW7xzwQMBbUJfMMAO4mYw2uZRxDQC-kSDZ1ITJIO8WZo5CXM/s1600/Mari+Lwyd+2014+140.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a><br />
The Customs and Traditions of Wales - Trefor M. Owen 1991<br />
<br />
Journeys in Gwent - Fred J. Hando 1951<br />
<br />
Llanover Country - Chris Barber 2004<br />
<br />
The Mabinogion - Lady Charlotte Guest 1877<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.folkwales.org.uk/mari.html">Folk Wales</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.thewidders.co.uk/">The Widders Border Morris</a><br />
<a href="http://www.museumwales.ac.uk/en/279/"><br /></a>
<a href="http://www.museumwales.ac.uk/en/279/">The National Museum of Wales</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://welshjournals.llgc.org.uk/">The National Library of Wales - Welsh Journals online</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/groups/944820@N20/">The Mari Lwyd on Flickr</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://clivehicksjenkins.wordpress.com/category/mari-lwyd/">The Mares Tale - Art</a><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Mark Tyler with his banjo on the Wye Bridge</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQvwNiGDJk_BzbmTRqbASW_JJuiSxOYCMDRfvfmugxADJH_f1mE7YT5fXPduzE-6e_15zr-Be0C2HCmYCEPdCj8hrgiiuC0UgVejA8VnOf9cjI0XS-GystNYhcM_DRy4u2oEkW5OEGjKM/s1600/Mari+Lwyd+2014+114.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQvwNiGDJk_BzbmTRqbASW_JJuiSxOYCMDRfvfmugxADJH_f1mE7YT5fXPduzE-6e_15zr-Be0C2HCmYCEPdCj8hrgiiuC0UgVejA8VnOf9cjI0XS-GystNYhcM_DRy4u2oEkW5OEGjKM/s1600/Mari+Lwyd+2014+114.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>'The Widders' have fantastic costumes</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Kelly and Laura from 'The Widders' enjoy a chat</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTn01elTx74qc0NdIL0FiUh0C-2fYm7bXJp4WEz4UykcDbIkEu0IwAxAIL4Y8Kd0-hDsndi9L4YLanmakXgXuKSdd9Qvfxpn8IrxioIOQYBFJhjH6fO6fF7vNKUoyAny5-HTB7aWEbYzk/s1600/Mari+Lwyd+2014+141.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTn01elTx74qc0NdIL0FiUh0C-2fYm7bXJp4WEz4UykcDbIkEu0IwAxAIL4Y8Kd0-hDsndi9L4YLanmakXgXuKSdd9Qvfxpn8IrxioIOQYBFJhjH6fO6fF7vNKUoyAny5-HTB7aWEbYzk/s1600/Mari+Lwyd+2014+141.JPG" height="400" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Mick 'Widder' (Lewis) - founder of The Widders Border Morris group</i><br />
<i>and main organiser of the wonderful </i><i>Chepstow Wassail Mari Lwyd event </i><br />
<i>Well done Mick!</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i><span style="font-size: x-large;">WASSAIL!!!!!!!!!</span></i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-Au52ZbArVJ52cgcajNhiTAGvyzzZSzONjluWHNAsj7r0AvH9qZbYOgZasaScynHLZ9-JWFGPwf31sRf_nr6tDjoDA2FAxbDE1QACcA3Q9IhFbowXDgLYxmEhTbHjgWX9-rQtowBUD3c/s1600/download.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-Au52ZbArVJ52cgcajNhiTAGvyzzZSzONjluWHNAsj7r0AvH9qZbYOgZasaScynHLZ9-JWFGPwf31sRf_nr6tDjoDA2FAxbDE1QACcA3Q9IhFbowXDgLYxmEhTbHjgWX9-rQtowBUD3c/s1600/download.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>The cromlech at Gaerllywyd</i></td></tr>
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The name 'Gaerllwyd' translates as <i>Grey Fortress</i> from the Welsh, but the area is also know as 'Garnllwyd' meaning <i>Grey Cairn</i>. This is perhaps a more accurate description of the area, as located in a privately owned field, close to the crossroads at Gaerllwyd, are the ancient stones of a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neolithic">Neolithic </a>burial chamber known as a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dolmen">dolmen</a> or <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cromlech">cromlech</a>. Dated to around 4,000 years BC the cromlech at Gaerllwyd comprises a large capstone (long since broken and displaced) measuring over 12ft long which would have been supported by three upright stones. Based on what is known about other similar sites in the UK and Europe, the cromlech would very likely have been covered over either with earth, or with a cairn of smaller stones to form a tumulus or <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tumulus">barrow</a>.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Although broken and displaced the 12ft capstone is still impressive</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>How the cromlech might have looked before the<br />capstone was displaced - this one is in<br /> North Wales</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIqUoZN_6shrlt_SgQzqd08N-ty0moRhWZPGSWAtrLOJK_1crufp_-BJsfPY7qLUaCXiwLr0dHH0ajSpBE3RJO8Sj0yBbfzbJlBQqIai_9Ek4gSNOKumcw7Rqpq6PsP4_82mLmnTC-LfY/s1600/gaerllwyd-cromlech.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="134" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIqUoZN_6shrlt_SgQzqd08N-ty0moRhWZPGSWAtrLOJK_1crufp_-BJsfPY7qLUaCXiwLr0dHH0ajSpBE3RJO8Sj0yBbfzbJlBQqIai_9Ek4gSNOKumcw7Rqpq6PsP4_82mLmnTC-LfY/s200/gaerllwyd-cromlech.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Drawing by <a href="http://www.aenigmatis.com/mjp-artwork/gallery-1.htm">Martin Powell</a></i></td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: transparent;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Monmouthshire writer and historian Fred Hando wrote about Gaerllwyd in 1944:</span></span></div>
<i>"Near the Chepstow - Usk Road in the parish of Newchurch, is a truly impressive cromlech known as Gaer Llywd. The huge covering stone which, although now broken, is still 12 feet 6 inches long and 5 feet wide was supported on a number of stones, five of which are still standing. The whole structure when complete measured roughly 20 feet by 10 feet and was parallel to the road being directed towards the Midwinter Sunrise point.</i><br />
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<i>It is not yet certain why such importance was attached to sunrise and sunset horizon points. It may well be that this race of people, who we know tilled the ground as well as tended their flocks, would require advice as to the times of sowing and cropping, and that this advice could be given by those knowledgeable ones who could 'read the signs'."</i><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVH5Ex84LDWySalzfL9ZqOapV9uxg66ChOK5Xo_6h46IAUNlOReibhnamOY6tBNqpvhHPhHpPJ2Xph1Pj28mTwcXCfUF8xeCBvC3WwQG-h9cP84vGBBG2s6Y7rHCfxFSKSK-6Jb7rXQNQ/s1600/download+(1).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVH5Ex84LDWySalzfL9ZqOapV9uxg66ChOK5Xo_6h46IAUNlOReibhnamOY6tBNqpvhHPhHpPJ2Xph1Pj28mTwcXCfUF8xeCBvC3WwQG-h9cP84vGBBG2s6Y7rHCfxFSKSK-6Jb7rXQNQ/s320/download+(1).jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Ariel photo of the cromlech </i></td></tr>
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The alignment of the cromlech may then, have been linked to ancient agricultural practices as well as used for veneration of the dead and ceremonial purposes. To appreciate the impact of this <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Megalith">megalithic</a> construction on the landscape 6,000 years ago, you need to imagine the ridge at Gaerllywd as open heath land devoid of modern day structures such as houses, power lines, roads and hedges - it would clearly have made quite an impression, placed in clear view on what may have been an ancient route running from the Severn Estuary across to The Black Mountains.<br />
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<b>Gaerllwyd Chapel</b><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEAmqTNWcHOx5ZXyQuI06cJbXqJ9tEHFYTzpThXQkSQb6lrX6CJrLTbKww_KbRSDrc6lY_GND8lPfFeLw4y_zNEVi0ZuaS7ga4G7CE0H5cDjp2RZXOc_JsTbzaOHG269C3V349hTJgvmA/s1600/unnamed+(21).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="146" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEAmqTNWcHOx5ZXyQuI06cJbXqJ9tEHFYTzpThXQkSQb6lrX6CJrLTbKww_KbRSDrc6lY_GND8lPfFeLw4y_zNEVi0ZuaS7ga4G7CE0H5cDjp2RZXOc_JsTbzaOHG269C3V349hTJgvmA/s200/unnamed+(21).jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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Still in use today, the tiny chapel with its small graveyard at Gaerllywd, was established as a Calvinist Methodist Chapel in 1842. From 1851 it was also used as a school. It transferred to the Prebyterians before eventually being taken over by the Baptists.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Gaerllywd Chapel and adjoining cottages</i></td></tr>
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I find it an incredible thought that the location of Gaerllwyd has been used as a place for people to connect through acts of worship and burial for over 6,000 years.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOPEJTyxm4jJZlO7Rw8SDq6NDazhu5eCvWqJFbUfCQofki1LLzOtmGQzuS55Z7qSb5isUrQVq3g0XpispMGM7tHexHndoPd42DsEYrAE-qq8CaL7wC9S5WeV3vdV99V47zqVBTsLdNHTs/s1600/unnamed+(10).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="296" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOPEJTyxm4jJZlO7Rw8SDq6NDazhu5eCvWqJFbUfCQofki1LLzOtmGQzuS55Z7qSb5isUrQVq3g0XpispMGM7tHexHndoPd42DsEYrAE-qq8CaL7wC9S5WeV3vdV99V47zqVBTsLdNHTs/s400/unnamed+(10).jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
Views of the crossroads at Gaerllwyd from different directions. The old red telephone box near the chapel is a Grade 2 listed building.<br />
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Even on a grey and misty day, the ridge at Gaerllwyd provides stunning views over the Monmouthshire countryside. Although these photos were taken in January, the fields are still very green due to relatively mild weather and heavy rainfall.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Looking towards Gaerllywd from the lane to Devauden</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>View from the ridge at Gaerllywd</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbzOJ43FDrXU9Gj_XI-cK9z7mcTYGlnBhfxad_RJsK9DE49i2P4t_nHl-XD8mjSCAT6JgEFWgLxIj-Yh7XyjNjyCsjHF50jL74fDWBT5qTfdLY6Z7ZthU2e-ZO7U4S67NORqziTYPnG5U/s1600/unnamed+(23).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="296" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbzOJ43FDrXU9Gj_XI-cK9z7mcTYGlnBhfxad_RJsK9DE49i2P4t_nHl-XD8mjSCAT6JgEFWgLxIj-Yh7XyjNjyCsjHF50jL74fDWBT5qTfdLY6Z7ZthU2e-ZO7U4S67NORqziTYPnG5U/s400/unnamed+(23).jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Curious cattle at Gaerllwyd</i></td></tr>
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<b>Reference Sources</b><br />
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The Pleasant Land of Gwent - Fred J. Hando 1944<br />
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<a href="http://www.coflein.gov.uk/">Coflein - The Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Wales</a><br />
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<a href="http://www.megalithic.co.uk/">Megalithic Portal</a><br />
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<a href="http://www.shirenewtonlocalhistorysociety.co.uk/">Shirenewton Local History Society</a>Usk Chirpshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10495761272802720293noreply@blogger.com0