Wales Feed

Erddig country house

2011-12-08T10:56:38+00:00

It's a beautiful sunny and crisp day in Wrexham today (Wednesday) where I've come to record an edition of Country Focus at Erddig, the National Trust property described as the 'jewel in the crown of Welsh country houses'.

For the first time this year, parts of the main house are being opened up to the public as part of the Trust's plans to open their properties 364 days a year.

Normally the house would be in darkness, with the furniture covered in cream-coloured shrouds throughout the winter months, as part of the process which involves 'putting the house to bed'.

At Erddig, the servants areas of the house, including the hall where they ate their meals together, are open to the public, all decorated for Christmas, with clove-studded oranges, paper chains and bunches of holly adorning the long tables and corridors.

I also took a peek behind the scenes to find out what was going on at Erddig in the rest of the house.

In one of the bedrooms, two members of staff were busy giving the room a 'deep clean', dusting and vacuuming every nook and cranny and carefully inspecting for signs of the dreaded carpet beetles which can cause so much havoc in a large country house.

Further along the corridor, the state bedroom is undergoing a transformation. The furniture and even the wallpaper in this room are so delicate and precious that visitors can only look into the room through a glass box inside the door.

The magnificent bed itself dates to the 1720's and the Chinese silk wallpaper is around four hundred years old.

The glass viewing panels are now being replaced with a more modern and accessible version which will give the room added protection.

I felt quite honoured to be allowed in to the room and imagine what it was like to stay there as a guest.

Outside I met Head Gardener Glyn Smith who had given up on 'leaf duty' today because of the strong winds.

He took me to see the impressive formal gardens, complete with conical yew trees, mushroom-shaped box hedges and apple trees training along the walls.

We went via the internal courtyards which at the moment are housing around fifty wooden chalets for the Erddig Victorian Christmas Fair which is taking place at the weekends.

I asked Glyn how a Head Gardener spends his Christmas and he admitted that he'll be in watering the greenhouses on Christmas Day, making sure that everything is surviving. It seems that a house and garden like Erddig never sleeps.

The Erddig Christmas Village is open weekends on December 10, 11, 17 and 18 from 10 am to 5 pm.

For more information, phone 01978 355314 or email: erddig@nationaltrust.org.uk

Nation's favourite walk

2011-10-17T09:39:36+00:00

The National Trust have enlisted eight celebrities, including the comedian Omid Djalili, the best selling crime-writer Val McDermid and Time Team's archaeologist Francis Pryor to find the nation's favourite walk.

Representing Wales is celebrity weather presenter, Sian Lloyd who chose Powis Castle for her favourite walk.

Powis Castle, near Welshpool was left to The National Trust in 1952 by the 4th Earl of Powis. It dates back to the 12th century and was originally built by Welsh Princes.

During the Civil War, it supported the Royalist cause and was captured by Parliamentary forces in 1644. It wasn't returned to the Herbert family (who purchased it in 1587) until the restoration of the monarchy in 1661.

'Nowadays its gardens with terraces, lead statues, yew hedges and fine lawns are considered by many people to be the best in Wales'.

Sian Lloyd at Powis Castle. Image by Richard Williams - National Trust.

"I think hand on heart I would have to say the redness of Powis Castle is what appeals to me" she said.

"I know it's been described as Italian terracotta, dusky pink or whatever, but forget that, Powis Castle is a red castle, especially in autumn!"

The results will be announced in the New Year so watch the video clips and add your vote.

Grey seal pups due

2011-08-19T08:00:07+00:00

The first grey seal pups of the year are due any day now and luckily for us, Wales is one the best places in Europe to see them.

Female grey seals start congregating at special sites, called rookeries, to give birth at the end of summer and beginning of autumn and already the first few have made it ashore.

Richard Ellis of the National Trust said, "West Wales is home to 5,000 grey seals and their spread of pupping dates is wider than in any other breeding colony, although scientists are unsure why. Pups can be seen from September to December, with the most visible during October."

A grey seal pup by 'Top Sausage Lobber' on Flickr.

Despite their name, grey seal pups are born with a yellowish white coat and weigh 15 kilograms. During the two to three weeks they are suckled, the pups put on an incredible 1.4 kilograms in weight, every day.

To ensure visitors to the Pembrokeshire coast don't disturb the seals, the National Trust have issued a few guidelines to follow:

Keep well away from baby seals if you spot one on a beach, and keep dogs on the lead at all times.

Baby seals are sometimes left unattended while their mothers are away feeding. They will return, so don't assume a lone pup has been abandoned.

The RSPCA also offer some good advice on seal pups.

Some grey seal facts:

Grey seals are the largest breeding seals on our shores.

Half the world's population of grey seals live in our waters.

Seal milk is 60% fat so that the pup can put on as much blubber as quickly as possible.

A grey seal bull can be twice the size of a cow, weighing in at as much as 300 kilograms and measuring up to 3.3 metres in length.

Grey seals can dive to a depth of 70 metres to find food.

Each seal needs around five kilograms of food a day and favourite foods include sand eels, herring, skate, cod and flatfish, but they will also eat lobster and octopus.

The National Trust are offering special guided walks along the Marloes Peninsula to see the first seal pups on Friday, 26 August and Sunday, 4 September. For more information phone (01348) 837860 or visit the website www.nationaltrust.org.uk.

New Director for Wales

2011-07-08T09:43:36+00:00

The National Trust has recently appointed Justin Albert as its new Director for Wales.

Justin has had a long and distinguished career in broadcasting and documentary film production in America and since returning to Wales, has worked with Horse and Country TV, become a founder of the Hay Castle Trust and, as a consultant, undertaken a substantial review of S4C.

Justin Albert

Justin has also worked on preservation and arts projects in Merthyr Tydfil and is a direct descendent of the Mabinogion translator, Lady Charlotte Guest. He is a vice president of the Hay Literary Festival and the Brecon Jazz Festival.

Justin Albert said: "I am honoured to have the opportunity to work with the team at National Trust Wales and look forward to sharing my passion and love of my country with all who live in or visit this wonderful land."

April walks at Bodnant

2011-04-07T08:18:59+00:00

Bodnant Gardens have been in touch to promote a series of new walks around the gardens this month:

Breakfast Walk

Early risers prepare to witness the splendour of the Garden in the early morning light on Tuesday, 12 April at 7.15am. It will be rounded off with a hearty breakfast in the Pavilion tea-room - enough to wake up even those who find mornings difficult.

Plants of Interest

The Plants of Interest walk on Thursday, 21 April at 1pm is one which is sure to grow on any gardener. You will get to talk, see and learn all about special plants of interest to be enjoyed this month.

Special Interest Walk 'Principles of Garden Design'

Do you ever look at a garden and think "how on earth did they do that?" The Special Interest walk on Friday, 29 April at 1pm will allow you to hear how great gardens are designed, and even grab some ideas to develop your own garden.

http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/main/w-bodnantgarden

According to the Mabinogion...

2011-02-03T14:41:04+00:00

The National Trust has recently completed vital work to tackle erosion at an important historic site on the Gwynedd coast.

Bwncan Dinas Dinlle is a 3,000 year old hill fort, built for status and defence in the Iron Age.

The name Dinas Dinlle derives from 'Din' meaning fort and 'lle' derived from Lleu. According to the Mabinogion it was here that the warrior and magician Lleu Llaw Gyffes was brought up.

At that time, Dinas Dinlle was some distance from the coast, but the western part of the fort has now been lost to the sea, and is denoted a Site of Special Scientific Interest because the exposed cliffs show the different layers of glacial deposits.

National Trust Warden for Eifionydd, Dave Smith, said: "The erosion by the sea is not something that we can influence, but there was a deep erosion scar on the northern rampart which had been caused by walkers."

"To tackle this, we first built a footpath leading around the problem area. The path has proven popular, and has taken pressure off the eroding rampart, allowing us to repair it."

A real cliff hanger

2010-08-13T08:16:36+00:00

For fans of the ��̳ programme Coast, you'll be pleased to know that Gower is being featured again shortly, when the remarkable walled sea cave known as Culver Hole puts in an appearance.

Believed to date from the 13th or 14th century, Culver Hole is sealed off by a sixty foot high stone wall, that resembles something out of an Indiana Jones film set.

Culver Hole. Image courtesy of the National Trust:

Peppered with a few windows, the internal wall face is honeycombed with around thirty tiers of rectangular nesting boxes which would have been home to hundreds of medieval pigeons.

Pigeons were an important source of food providing meat and fresh eggs during hard times.

Head Warden on Gower Sian Siân Musgrave said: "Stories about smugglers using it and secret passages abound."

"It is also said to have been a castle at some stage, but the nesting boxes appear integral to its whole structure, so in reality it was always a pigeon house."

Culver Hole as seen from a boat. Image by Adie at Frames Photography:

Legend has it that there used to be secret tunnel connecting it with the nearby salt house at Port Eynon for smuggling purposes and that carrier pigeons were also used to send messages between smugglers.

The word "culver" derives from the Old English word "culfre", meaning pigeon or dove. With its ability to breed all year round and its quick regeneration, pigeons provided a plentiful source of red meat - given the necessary shelter and food.

As a result, large dovecotes became quite commonplace in the Middle Ages.

A steeplejack was employed to carry out work in 2008 to repair the remains of the top window and wave damage done to the bottom of the structure and most of the work had to be done between tides due to the tricky location.

Culver Hole is within a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and is a Scheduled Ancient Monument.

Over the years, I've spent a lot of time surfing the reefs in this area and had no idea this was tucked away in the cliff face, so will definitely take a look next time I'm down there.

Coast will be broadcast on ��̳ Two at 6.30pm on Saturday, 14 August or you can catch up via the ��̳ i-Player.

You can find out more about Culver Hole using the following external links:

www.explore-gower.co.uk

www.the-gower.com/beaches

www.smuggling.co.uk

Gull

Fancy some voluntary work?

2010-08-11T09:20:10+00:00

The National Trust is offering two volunteer 'taster days' this summer at Carneddau and Glyderau. Due to the nature of the work, numbers have been limited to twenty people per session.

The first event will be held on Thursday, 12 August at Dyffryn Mymbyr near Capel Curig between 9.30am - 4pm. All participants must be over fourteen years old and accompanied by an
adult.

The group will set off from Dyffryn Mymbyr lay-by (located on the A4086 -
grid reference SH695571).

Gloves and tools will be provided but you will need to bring your own rucksack with waterproof clothing, sun cream,
wellies, long trousers and a packed lunch.

The work will involve some ditch-blocking in order to help raise the water level in this rare habitat to decrease the loss of carbon and peat from the ditches. This will in turn provide a better habitat for flora and fauna to develop.

Participants for the second event - footpath maintenance at Cwm Idwal must be over eighteen.

Views over Cwm Idwal:

The event will be held on Friday, 3 September, between 9.30am - 4pm, working on the maintenance of some of Cwm Idwal's network of footpaths, meeting at Ogwen Cottage Car Park (grid reference SH649604).

Learn about the myths and legends, geology, flora and fauna of Cwm Idwal, whilst helping to maintain the footpaths.

Gloves and tools will be supplied but you'll need to bring your own rucksack with waterproof clothing, sun cream, steel toe capped boots, long trousers and a packed lunch.

For more information about these events, or other volunteering opportunities within the National Trust, please contact Sarah Worth at sarah.worth@nationaltrust.org.uk or 01766 510127.

A weekend walk for Sunday

2010-07-16T08:30:30+00:00

Stuck for something to do this weekend?

On Sunday July 18, you can join the National Trust for another guided walk from one of their 9x9x9 walking events.

This particular walk will take in the spectacular scenery along the coast from Port Eynon to Rhossili with plenty of stunning views along the way.

You'll get to learn about the local wildlife you encounter as well as the historical features dotted along this part of the coast.

Head warden, Sian Musgrave led last months walk around Whiteford Burrows:

It's a linear walk of around 11.5km so take lunch and £3 with you.

Families are very welcome but it's worth remembering that some of the paths are quite steep and narrow with the odd stile to hop over along the way.

Meet at 10.30am at Port Eynon car park or meet at 10am at the National Trust shop in Rhossili for a bus to Port Eynon (£1 charge). The walk will finish at approximately 3pm.

Booking is essential as numbers are limited. For further details or to book your place, contact 01792 390636 or e-mail gower.admin@nationaltrust.org.uk

Watch a clip about Worm's Head from the ��̳ Wales' Weatherman Walking series.

Woodland garden reveals artistic gem

2010-07-07T09:54:39+00:00

Every year, thousands of people visit Colby Woodland Garden in South Pembrokeshire, but very few know of the hidden gem that resides inside the gazebo there.

In the past visitors could only see the decorated interior by peering in through the glass. The gazebo however will be now be open daily to the public, allowing visitors to step inside and marvel at the work of talented American artist - Lincoln Taber.

In the 1970's Peter Chance - Chairman of Christie's auction house, who owned the house and garden, commissioned an unusual summer house - a striking octagonal building with a copper cone-shaped roof and golden gilded pinnacle.

The real treasure however, lies inside its eight walls.

In 1976 California born artist Lincoln Taber completed the gazebo project with what is now regarded as one of his most successful murals.

Lincoln Taber was equally at home in landscape, trompe l'oeil and mural painting. He met Dali in Spain, trained with Nerina Simi in Florence, and worked with Annigoni, before settling in England in 1967.

He decorated the interior of the Colby gazebo with amazingly detailed trompe l'oeil paintings.

A climbing clematis adorns the walls beneath which are glasses of wine and a bottle of champagne, reflecting the entirely functional purpose of the building as a place for hosting dinner parties.

Higher up he painted a series of fake quarter foil windows and a heron flying past.

The gazebo has doors opening onto the garden, and where a real door was not possible Taber painted a false one with a view of the path leading down the garden.

He also painted the ceiling with eight signs of the zodiac to represent the eight people involved in the project.

Besides the walled garden, you will also find 100's of hydrangea coming into flower as well as wild flower meadows which are attracting large numbers of damselflies, damosels and dragonflies.

Every Wednesday and Thursday throughout the school holidays there are all sorts of wild activities taking place - whatever the weather!

Contact Steve Whitehead for more details on 01834 811885.

Rodents meet royalty

2010-07-05T09:25:33+00:00

The red squirrels at Plas Newydd, Anglesey received a royal visit last week when Prince Charles popped in.

The prince was there to see for himself just how successful the re-introduction project had been in the the woodland surrounding the historic house.

Prince Charles during his visit - image courtesy of the National Trust:

Six squirrels were brought to Plas Newydd (a former stronghold for the species) in October 2008 and held in woodland enclosures for a few weeks, before being released into the woods over the winter.

A red squirrel - image courtesy of the National Trust:

They bred successfully and the squirrels can now be found throughout the estate. Some have even crossed the Menai Straits to recolonise Gwynedd.

The mixed deciduous woodland has a high canopy and great arching boughs - perfect habitat for red squirrels.

Plas Newydd is open daily except Thursday and Friday from 11am - 5.30pm.

Gull

Plight of the bumble bee

2010-05-16T22:00:26+00:00

This summer, the ��̳ joins forces with the National Trust for a national campaign, launching on Monday 17 May to investigate the plight of honeybees in Britain.

The Bee Part Of It campaign is supported by ��̳ Local, Springwatch and wildlife presenter Kate Humble, who now manages her own bee hives at home.

Bees are the world's most important pollinating insects and honey bees are worth around £200 million a year to British agriculture. Their dramatic decline in numbers recently has become a cause of global concern.

Bees, along with other pollinators like butterflies, moths, beetles, and hoverflies are crucial to the entire ecosystem.

Albert Einstein is alleged to have once said that, without bees, humanity would die out in four years - now there's a scary thought!

Perhaps Hollywood should stop making movies about apocalyptic global warming scenarios and focus on the extinction of bees instead?

As Iolo Williams recently mentioned - the biggest threat to our planet is mankind and it is us who will ultimately suffer. Nature will resume, long after we're all gone...

As part of the build up to this campaign I've been asking you to send in your best bee photos. Here's a gallery of some of the best ones so far.

All native bees have been in decline for some time and a combination of factors are believed to be responsible: habitat loss, pesticides, and disease are key.

A bee by Steve Tynant:

Recent poor summers have also caused enormous damage to honey bees: a third of all colonies were lost in 2008.

Matthew Oates, the National Trust's Chief Conservation Advisor, says: "Bee consciousness is vital and we can all help; we can do simple things like planting bee friendly plants and flowers to encourage bees into our gardens. We want more people to understand the crucial role that bees play in our food chain."

The main focus of this campaign is the honey bee, and as part of this project, Radio Wales has adopted two new hives on National Trust property.The first will be at Dinefwr in West Wales. The second hive location has yet to be confirmed.

Each hive comes with a bee keeper who'll look after the hive for the summer and hopefully deliver up to fifty jars of honey at the end of the season. I've already bought a new toaster! ;)

We'll monitor the hives progress for the duration, and you'll be able to follow the story locally on the Jamie & Louise show as well as on the ��̳ Wales Local websites.

We're also giving away packs of bee friendly flower seeds in June (details to follow), and bees will feature at the Springwatch Wild Days Out.

In the meantime, find out which species of flowers are bee friendly from the RHS website and get planting.

Bee keeping isn't just a rural operation - bees can thrive in villages, towns, and cities, as long as the conditions are right.

Bee Facts:

There are 250 species of bee in the UK consisting of bumblebees, honeybees and solitary bees.

Pollination delivers â¬14.2bn to the European economy, most of this is through bumblebees and honeybees.

Bumblebees have smelly feet. They produce oily secretions to inform other bees which flowers have already been visited

Source: The Bumblebee Conservation Trust

That's it for now. If you've got a story concerning bees in Wales then do get in touch. I can mention it here in the blog and pass on any useful information to colleagues involved in the campaign.

Gull

Having trouble identifying bees? Try the BWARS image gallery.

What a wheel

2010-05-01T08:00:11+00:00

A Roman water wheel is being unveiled at the Dolaucothi Gold Mines in Carmarthenshire, two thousand years after the Roman miners left this part of Wales.

The wheel has been painstakingly recreated by local craftsman - Harry Guile, based on an original fragment found buried in the mines during the 1930's. It took him ten weeks carving full-time, using oak from the Dolaucothi Estate.

The finds, discovered underwater in one of the mines' vertical shafts, included Roman tools, which disintegrated as soon as they were brought into the light, The original piece of wooden wheel is now on display in the National Museum of Wales, Cardiff.

"I started with drawings and photographs of the original piece of wheel, then made a full-scale template in plywood, because it's such an awkward shape to create".

"The measurements to make a perfect circle have got to be exact and I have to admit there were times when it all got quite stressful."

"By the time the final oil finish was painted on, the whole thing just came to life. The only test then was to see if the wheel held water and after that was confirmed, I felt very proud of it."

The wheel is a half-scale reconstruction of the original and measures six feet in diameter and is surrounded by a frame and staircase, so that visitors to the goldmines can try it out.

The structure was originally used by people who worked the wheel with their feet to clear water from the level where they were mining - a bit like a treadmill.

The new wheel has been installed in what is thought to be its original location, near the entrance to one of the two Roman 'adits' (tunnels) on the site.

Inside the tunnels, you can still see pick marks made by Roman miners two thousand years ago. The Roman themed season at Dolaucothi, begins on 1 May and runs until the end of July 2010.

It will include special Roman tours, giving an insight into what life was like for Roman miners as well as opportunities for children to dress up in Roman costumes and work the wheel.

You can find out more about the Romans on ��̳ Wales History.

Gull

Cooking up a storm

2010-04-07T10:40:13+00:00

A fifth series of ��̳ Two Daytime's Great British Menu has just started, and viewers in Wales can look forward to seeing three Welsh chefs being challenged to source ingredients in and around National Trust properties in Pembrokeshire, Ceredigion and Bangor.

The series kicked off with a double bill at 6.00pm on Tuesday, 6 April on ��̳ Two and the Wales round will be broadcast later on in the series.

The series will follow three chefs each week as they unearth the very finest produce from the farms, gardens and neighbourhoods surrounding their local National Trust house or countryside location.

The Wales edition will feature the following chefs:

James Sommerin from The Crown at Whitebrook near Monmouth who will be sourcing his ingredients from the National Trust property at Stackpole in Pembrokeshire.

Aled Williams from Plas Bodegroes, Gwynedd who will be working with ingredients from the 18^th century Welsh gentry estate at Llanerchaeron, Ceredigion.

Richard Davies who lives in Bridgend but who works at the Manor House Hotel & Golf Club, Wiltshire. He will be sourcing ingredients from PenrhynCastle near Bangor, Gwynedd.

After putting their culinary skills to the test in the kitchen, each dish will be judged by a former Great British Menu champion.

The eight regional winning chefs - including the Wales winner, will compete in the final round, to create a magnificent British meal that the judges consider fitting for the finale banquet for The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall.

With over 200,000 hectares of farmland, the National Trust and National Trust for Scotland are the UK's biggest farmers - providing access to a wealth of delicious local ingredients from growers, farmers and other producers linked to the estates.