Heritage Summer School - One day to go!

Our heritage summer school starts tomorrow with a guided walk of the town led by local Green Badge guide Eifion Davies. The walk starts from Blaenavon World Heritage Centre at 10am. Following join Frank Olding and John Van Laun to dicover industrial archaeology in the uplands - departing from Blaenavon Ironworks at 12.30pm.

There will be a range of events taking place all week. For the full programme see our website  http://www.visitblaenavon.co.uk/en/ForgottenLandscapes/Learning/Heritage-Summer-School.aspx

Heritage Summer School

Tuesday 22nd May - Friday 25th May 2012

Join us for a week of walks, talks and workshops at Blaenavon World Heritage Centre.

• Discover life in the Iron Age with Prof Ray Howells
• Join archaeologist Frank Olding and historian and author John Van Laun on a walk through the Industrial Landscape
• Meet staff from the internationally renowned Univeristy of Wales Newport School of Photography
• Learn how to complete a habitat survey with our own Commons Officer, Alvin Nicholas.

The full programme is now available on our website. Places are limited - phone 01495 742333 or email blaenavon.tic@torfaen.gov.uk to book.

Dragon's Teeth

The Forgotten Landscape micro hydro system 'the Dragon's Teeth' in Blaenaon is now up and running.  It is producing 'green' electricity and earning income through the feed in tariff scheme.  We will be leading a walk on 24th May at 7.00pm.  If you would like to come along to learn more about how a similar system may benefit you or your community group / business please book a place by contacting the World Heritage Centre on 01495 74333 or email: blaenavon.tic@torfaen.gov.uk

We are also hoping to raise some additional money to conduct a feasibility study which will identify additional sites.  Collectively these could generate enough income to really help conserve the globally important heritage landscape. 

Discover Your Heritage

Get out and about and discover the remarkable heritage and environment of Blaenavon World Heritage Site with one of our FREE community courses - less than a week to go!
 

• Tuesdays, 6.30-8.30pm: The story of Blaenavon World Heritage Site

• Thursdays 10am -12noon: Exploring Heritage in the Field

• Thursdays 7-9pm: Botanical Heritage

Courses start week commencing 23rd April. Ful details available on our website or by emailing the Forgotten Landscapes Partnership

Lending nature a helping hand

The green slurry contains seeds that will stimulate new growth

Coity Tip, a small nature area next to Big Pit Mining Museum, has in recent years suffered extensive damage as a result of illegal off-road biking. Although the turf has now been fenced off, the damage already inflicted has left it unable to recover.

In an attempt to restore the vegetation, Big Pit Mining Museum in collaboration with the Forgotten Landscapes decided to repair the damage, employing a modern technique called hydroseeding: A semi-liquid mixture consisting of seeds suspended in water and animal dung was spread across the area through a big, high-pressure hose. The slurry protects the seeds from wind, rain erosion and bird attacks while providing a nice, moist environment for the seeds to germinate in. It is a very efficient and cost-effective way of generating growth, more-so than the traditional way of scattering seeds across an area.

FLP scheme manager, Steve Rogers, expressed his optimism about the project: “It is a terrific way to improve the opportunity for the plants to re-establish. Next year we will be able to see how successful the project has been”.

Crucial Crew and the countryside

Looking after the environment is a crucial part of what the Forgotten Landscapes Project is all about. That’s why Ceri Cadwallader and Rob Maddocks from the project have been helping staff from the countryside teams at Torfaen and Monmouthshire councils to teach children about outdoor safety and run workshops on the Countryside Code.
The wider project is called “Crucial Crew” and aims at providing school children with crucial knowledge on fire safety, internet safety, first-aid and drug & alcohol awareness.
The whole thing is organised by Gwent Police and is set to run over a period of 3 weeks.
Almost 2.000 children from every primary school in Torfaen and every secondary school in Monmouthshire are going to take part in the fun and learning.
For those of you who are interested in learning more, visit Countryside Code’s website.

Remembered Landscapes

Digital Storytelling Workshops

The local people of Blaenavon had the chance to leave their mark on the history of the area in a workshop hosted at the World Heritage Centre. The focus and end result of the workshop was a personal story from each individual presented as a short audio recording accompanied by still images. Part of the workshop was also introducing the participants to the basics of computer operating systems, audio recording and photography.

The locals were encouraged to tell a story from their life in Blaenavon with subjects ranging from landscape sites to notable family members and bustling streets. The important thing was the personal narrative and the focus on emotions and memories rather than facts and figures.

Chris Morgan from the University of Glamorgan guided the group through exercises and games to trigger their memory while providing guidance on the technical side of things.

The workshop was part of a wider effort launched by the Welsh Government, called "Communities 2.0". The programme aims to lift people out "digital exclusion" and help them to enjoy the benefits of increased use of digital platforms such as mobile phones, computers and the internet.

The stories will soon be available for everyone to enjoy on our website.