Wednesday 9th September 2015
At the last indoor meeting 24 members enjoyed a talk by Graham Levins of the Welsh Mines Preservation Trust. Graham commenced by taking us to a variety of mines around Mid and West Wales. With some super photos, we were shown around the mines, above ground, and then descended into the mines themselves. He talked about his and the group’s involvement with the preservation of mining history in Wales.
Graham then went on to describe the celebrations surrounding the 400th anniversary of Sir Hugh Myddelton’s new river in London. In September 1613, the self-taught civil engineer brought clean drinking water to London through a new river to the heart of the city. The group visited the mines Sir Hugh was associated with in Mid Wales. Part of this included holding a short service at the site of the derelict chapel that Sir Hugh built for his miners C.1620. This was done in memory of his work, and the miners that worked there almost four hundred years ago.
The club would also like to express their thanks to Graham for the collection of minerals he has kindly donated.
The next indoor meeting will be on Wednesday 16th September when Tony and Michele will hold an evening on rocks. This will include how a volcano erupts , fractional crystallisation, the development of normal and reverse grading, tubidity currents and more.
Wednesday 5th August 2015
Our next meeting will be on Wednesday the 19th of August where guest speaker Graham Levins will give his talk on “The Mines of Central Wales: our industrial heritage”
Monday 20th July 2015
On Wednesday 15th of July 20 members and visitors attended the “Building Stones of Llanidloes” walk led by Michele Becker and Colin Humphrey. The group looked at the chapels, church, town hall, bank and short-bridge where a description of the type of building stone used, it’s geology and the history of the building was given. The talks focused on the inter-relationship between the use of stone and brick as building materials and the historical changes in the town.
Fossil Day with Joe Botting and Lucy Muir Sunday 26th July – Meet at the Commodore Hotel at 11am. The day will consist of talks on graptolites and the Llanfawr Lagerstatte. This will then be followed by a field trip to Llanfawr quarry (in Llandrindod) to find and identify graptolites to species level, in order to work out the age of the rocks.>
Joe and Lucy are also willing to identify any fossils you would like to bring with you. Don’t forget a packed lunch.
Sunday the 9th August. Andrew Jenkinson will take us round the Stiperstones, looking at "The making of a landscape"
Time & venue - 10.30 a.m. at the Auction Yard car park, Station Street, Bishop's Castle.
A circular itinerary, sharing cars, to look at sites illustrating the geological history of the area from the south end of the Long Mynd, across to the Stiperstones ridge, north to Snailbeach and return to Bishop's Castle for 4.30 to 5.00. Bring a packed lunch.
On the 19th August, Graham Levins, of the Welsh Mines Society, will talk on “The Mines of Central Wales: our industrial heritage”.
Sunday 31st May 2015
At the last indoor meeting Chris Martin ( Clwyd-Powys Archaeological Trust,CPAT) gave a very interesting talk on the evolution of CPAT from its inception in 1975 to the present day. CPAT is one of four Welsh archaeological trusts, with most of its work being in the Clwyd-Powys area.
CPAT commenced for the recording of archaeological information obtained from excavations which then evolved to include all other types of archaeological data. The data was, at first, kept on paper records but then became computerised and known as the “ Historical Environmental Record”. Information for the records was obtained from a wide range of sources, including old maps, OS records, aerial photography and much more. The record itself covers many areas, including,standing stones, iron-age enclosures, Medieval castles, agricultural buildings and defence and industrial remains. More recently, not only the sites are recorded but the environment in which they are located is also recorded. Therefore information about turnpikes, strip fields and canals now appear in the record.
Chris then went on to explain the methodology of record collecting. There are two different methods used:Firstly, The registry of landscapes of outstanding and special historic interest in Wales and historic landscape characterisation. This looks at the historic content of the landscape and gives purely a narrative story. Secondly, the historic landscape aspect known as LANDMAP. This looks at the surviving historical elements in the modern landscape. It looks at different aspects within the landscape and then produces a digital map. Both of these methods were developed by Cadw, CCW (Countryside Council for Wales) and the Welsh Archaeological Trust. All the information gathered can be used to provide advice to planning authorities, farmers, landowners, and environmental organisations.
All the above was brought together by looking at the report produced on the Historic Settlements in Flintshire.
The next indoor meeting will be on Wednesday 17th June when Tony Thorpe will give a talk entitled: “Concretions and How they Form.”
Sunday 10th May 2015
The next event will take place on Wednesday 20th of May where guest speaker Chris Martin (CPAT) will deliver his talk “Historic Landscapes in Wales: the work of Clwyd Powys Archaeological Trust”