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2018 Highlights - and out-takes

31/12/2018

2 Comments

 
Picture
Can you tell where they are? Top shot is the Hafod-y-llan ropeway, high above the Watkin Path. Below right is the Gamallt lead mine, below that is the Cwm Yr Afon manganese mine and finally under the tree is one of the stopes of the Bryn y Felin copper mine.
Purely subjective, of course, but I have chosen a handful of our favourite explores this year, some of which have yet to make it to these pages.  Mainly because we need to go back and take more photos...
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Behold- the work of the forestry vandals. The almost indecipherable site of the Esgair Ffraith copper mine in Mid-Wales.
2018 was our time to take a close look at Mid-Wales. I hadn't properly studied that area of Wales since my college days in the seventies, when a friend and I attempted to write a book about the architecture of the Cambrian railways. That project withered somewhat when my Mum burnt all my negs and research documents -for reasons only known to her. Never mind, Petra and I found a wonderful store of treasures waiting patiently for us!  Some places still got away...it was just too sunny to do justice to the Clweddog mines, or the Van mine. It was too overcast and wet to get decent photos of Esgair Ffraith...I'm never happy, am I? We will have to return in 2019 for those.
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Nant-y-Moch...high and dry. There's a mine, middle left :-)
Yes, 2018 was remarkable for the beautiful summer, whether that was a sign of things to come or not, I don't know. Before the heat kicked in, we did an epic stravaige to the lovely Serw quarry, coming to terms with the beautiful wildness of the Migneint. It's an area of moorland between Blaenau Ffestiniog and Bala, part of the Migneint-Arenig-Dduallt Special Area of Conservation. It's become more important than ever as the predictions about climate change are more widely understood, not that the politicians seem remotely concerned.
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The wonderful isolation of Serw.
We also managed to conquer the mighty Moel Hebog this year, after skirting around it and seeing the mountain out of the corner of our eyes wherever we went. That felt really good, tinged with regret that we hadn't said hello to the grumpy old fellow before now :-) The mines and the many prehistoric remains were fascinating.
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Moel Hebog from Cwmystradllyn on a cold day in January.
We had a couple of attempts to bunk the Lliwedd copper mine, but were forced back by the weather, and on another occasion, by my dodgy route finding. That will be one for 2019.
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The Hafod y Llan mill, on the way to the Lliwedd copper mine.
My favourite discovery this year was undoubtedly Llwyn y Betws...a place of mystery and in such a beautiful location.
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Llwyn y Betws early in January. We returned several times, it's such a wonderful, haunted spot.
So what is there to expect for 2019? We want to return to some places that weren't covered due to the weather...that slate mine on the bwlch between Y Geuallt and Allt Maenderyn for a start, and some more tasty sites near Barmouth. I've also got a desire to include more Megalithic sites on the blog, something that has fascinated me all my life. So it should be a good year, if our knees hold up!
I hope you have a great New Year with some exciting explores, wherever you are and whatever you do. Thank you for visiting the site this year and for supporting me, sharing our adventures and our findings.

Blwyddyn Newydd Dda!

Here's a selection of unseen images from explores that didn't make it to the blog this year:
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Bryn Tail mine engine house
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The Rhosydd incline from the slopes of Moelwyn Mawr.
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Mighty Dinorwig, from Glyn Rhonwy.
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Fron Boeth incline head, with Pant Mawr below.
2 Comments
Laura
3/1/2019 03:32:25 am

Oh my goodness, so you've been been a research writer and artist all this time? I guess that explains the extraordinary depth and professionalism of this site... So sorry your mom burned your research though; I can't imagine the pain :( The fact you got back out there says everything.

I was quite upset with myself for not being able to pinpoint very many of these sites, despite your assurances that you have yet to write about some of them. I thought I was keeping up better, or at least had a clue where you'd been. Apparently I've only seen a smidgen of sites you've already covered. If I could compare you with anyone it would be my mother, and that is a great honor. When she researches she nearly goes to the ends of the earth to find that one clue that will lead to solving her next genealogical mystery... When she gets done with someone's genealogy and she hands it over with a "sorry I couldn't find so-and-so, you're jaw is on the floor for the extent of research she has done and you're quite incapable of saying anything. That's the type of work I've seen here.

The Esgair Ffraith site fills me with fascinated horror. I simply can't imagine anyone doing that... Kind of like picking up a "trivial" piece of a historical site as a souvenir. It doesn't occur to people that hey, sooner or later there will be nothing left? And what do they do with it when they get home? Stick it on the shelf to gather dust? They deserve much pity, and a bit of chewing out, and then a swift.... ;)

Love your new avatar, by the way... One day it was a magenta and blue oval, and the next it was orange and coooool...

Yes to more megalithic! I'm virtual putty and practically drooling... The houses are interesting and easy to "get into" and a good many of the mining sites I've seen are intense, but the megalithics cover all the bases, in my opinion.

Although I will say the Rhosydd incline and Fron Boeth both look thrilling. I was a bit disappointed, though, by your version of "out-takes" ; I was rather expecting a photo of your tumble into the heather, for example... Or how about that time you faced off the bull? I'm sure Petra was busy taking photos while yelling at you to run, right? ;o)

Reply
Iain link
4/1/2019 02:15:43 pm

Happy New Year Laura :-) Yes, it was very upsetting when the old girl burnt my photos and notes, although she did much worse in her time :-/
I think I would like to meet your Mum, she sounds like my kind of lady! We do roam abouyt a great deal, and only a fraction of sites make it to the blog, usually because my photos are so bad! Thank you for taking such an interest, I really appreciate it and it keeps me going.
Esgair Ffraith...like so many sites, the bulldozing of the remains were put down to "miscommunication"...strange when the site was being excavated by a team of industrial archeologists and had secured an agreement with the Forestry Commission to let them get on with it and excavate the site/preserve the artefacts. This has happened so many times and the forestry always say it was a "breakdown of communications"!
Thank you for your nice comments on the avatar...Petra kept telling me I needed a proper one!
I'm glad you are keen to see some megaliths, will do my best to find some interesting ones this year :-)
Out-takes...I have done some spectacular falls, once off the slopes of Moel yr Hydd, where I did two cartwheels- I really wish that was on film...or the time I fell into a freezing bog on the Manod and had to swim out...it was February... I will tell Petra to be more vigilant this year :-) Of course, she never puts a foot wrong...thank goodness. Thanks again for your interest, it keeps me wanting to do more :-)

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