Gwent Police work with partner agencies to protect Forgotten Landscapes of Torfaen, Monmouthshire and Blaenau Gwent

Crimes including fly-tipping, the illegal use of off road vehicles, vehicle and scrap metal thefts were targeted during a one day operation in Gwent.

On Sunday 24th June, Gwent Police joined forces with local councils in Blaenau Gwent, Torfaen, Monmouthshire and Rhondda Cynon Taff as well as the Forestry Commission and Brecon Beacons National Park Authority and the Treadlightly Trust to enforce laws that protect the Blaenavon World Heritage Site and its surroundings.

The operation covered a large area of countryside from Brynmawr down to Abertillery and Cwmtillery over into Monmouthshire around Clydach and right down to the Blaenavon and Pontypool areas of Torfaen.

PC Rob Maddocks who organised the operation, is seconded as Landscapes Crime Officer to specifically tackle problems in the project area following concerns raised by local residents and walkers about the illegal use of off road vehicles, fly tipping and grass fires.

He explained, 'My role is to raise awareness of landscape crime as well as tackling offenders. Many members of the public don't fully understand the law in relation to off road vehicles.  The operation on Sunday was to educate members of public about the law and give them a chance to change their actions. Anyone found driving illegally in these areas in the future will be dealt with.'

On Sunday the operation had the following results;

• 6 Section 59 warnings - this means that if anyone is found riding or driving illegally again in the next 12 months, their vehicle will be seized
• 42 verbal warnings and educational leaflets given out
• 24 new fly tipping sites were identified and referred for clean up operations

PC Maddocks added, 'We will continue to carry out operations such as this on a regular basis to bring offenders to justice and improve the local area for residents and visitors to this beautiful part of the world.'

Duncan Green, Chairman of The Treadlightly Trust says, 'Multi agency working is key to reducing illegal off - road vehicles and helping people understand how and where they can use their vehicles responsibly.'

The Treadlightly Trust is a charity that sets out to protect motorised recreational access opportunities through education, partnership working and conservation initiatives. For more information on the work of the charity, visit http://www.treadlightly-uk.org/

Volunteer Rangers 'Dig' Archaeology

A successful archaeological training/work day was held on 18^th June at the Hills Pit Chimney site.  Most of you will remember that one of the first projects in the FLP scheme was to make improvements to the chimney and to part of the retaining wall around the adjacent cottages.  Dr Amelia Pannett from Archaeology Wales talked us through the monitoring form to be used to keep a watchful eye on archaeological sites and oversaw us as we uncovered the rubble from the cottages.

Through the day we made contact with archaeologist Natalie Ward and Community Development Officer Hugh Price from the Brecon Beacons National Park Authority. 

Amongst volunteers it was nice to be joined by some new faces – Elaine and David Savage (Wye Valley AONB volunteers) as well as Joyce Compton (a retired archaeologist) and Dorothy Astbury (organiser of Caerleon Young Archaeologists) who have been attending an FLP lifelong learning class.  Keith, Michael, Jeff and Marilyn also did a sterling job!

The fine weather made a big difference while everybody got stuck into the task.  It was a real team effort to make headway on defining the walls of the cottages and collecting the original stones together.  It is hoped that these stones will be used to rebuild the retaining wall behind the cottages.  However there are a few more days of clearance to make it more worthwhile – so more chances for others to get involved! To get involved contact Volunteer Co-ordinator Sarah at sarah.lewis@torfaen.gov.uk

Pupils Give Canal Workshops Top Marks

Pupils from nine primary schools in Monmouthshire, Newport and Torfaen have been enjoying a range of outdoor educational activities centred on the Monmouthshire and Brecon canal.

Woodland walks, narrow boat trips and a variety of science-based experiments were rounded off with a picnic lunch on the canal bank at Goytre Wharf.

The special workshops, which ran for three days, were organised jointly by the Forgotten Landscapes Partnership and the Fourteen Locks Canal Centre as part of an on-going programme of events marking the canal’s 200^th anniversary.

The Canal and River Trust (formerly British Waterways)) laid on a bridge-building exercise and a study of water-loving invertebrates while Keep Wales Tidy challenged pupils to consider the impact of litter on the environment.

Monmouthshire County Council’s countryside team and the Forestry Commission focused on wildlife habitats as part of an hour-long woodland walk and volunteers from Monmouthshire and Brecon Canal Trust provided information about the canal, past and present, on boat trips in the ‘Edith-Elizabeth’.

“It’s a very special experience to move silently and slowly along a canal on the same eye-level as the ducks! “ said one Trust member.

Forgotten Landscapes Education and Interpretation Officer Ceri Cadwallader said: ‘We’ve had great feedback from both the children and their teachers. It’s great to see so many children enjoying the waterway during its anniversary year.’

There were divided opinions, of course, on the best activity of the day. Seven-year-old Carys from Llanfair Kilgeddin insisted it was ‘building a home for a hedgehog,’ while schoolmate Max thought it was definitely the boat trip – his first.

“It’s been a wonderful opportunity for all of them,” said teacher Mrs Sara Scriven. “They’ve learnt about everything from animal habitats and safety issues to how boats float!”

The activity days were possible thanks to all of the organisations who gave up their time to get involved, and also thanks to support from the Heritage Lottery Fund.

FLP's stock is rising

Over the summer we have been entertaining a number of high profile visitors.  In late May a party of more than 50 volunteer rangers travelled from 2 National Parks in Belgium and France to see what we have been up to over the last 2 years.  They were taken on an archaeology walk to see the conservation work we have been doing and they splashed about at the Garn Lakes reedbed creation site helping to plant more reeds.  They were impressed and have invited us to visit them next year so that we can exchange even more ideas.  One of their initiatives is to train volunteer wardens as guided walk leaders.  These leaders are trained up to become very knowledgeable about specific trails and they take parties of up to 25 walkers out for half a day.  The charge per party is 60 Euros.  This covers the volunteer warden’s costs and provides much needed income to help care for and promote the heritage landscape.  If you are interested please drop our volunteer coordinator a line: sarah.lewis@torfaen.gov.uk or call her on 01495 742335.



European National Park Volunteer Wardens enjoying the mud as they plant reeds



We have also been selected for inclusion in a Heritage Lottery Fund film which will promote the Landscape Partnership Programme as part of the launch of its new strategy.   This is a real honour as only 9 landscape partnerships from across the UK have been selected for inclusion.

HLF has also recently appointed a new chair for its Welsh Panel.  Dr Manon Williams visited in June, met the team and some of our volunteers and was shown the wide range of activities FLP is engaged in.

Finally, Sarah Lewis entertained a party of Polish visitors who are hoping to establish volunteer schemes along the lines FLP is developing in collaboration with The Conservation Volunteers (Formerly BTCV).

 Then, of course, there’s Garn Lakes Country Fair, the National Eisteddfod, Abergavenny Good Festival……….

Goytre Wharf Eco-Day

Due to poor weather conditions the Goytre Wharf Eco-day has been cancelled. We hope to re-arrange the activities later on this summer. Please contact the Forgotten Landscapes Team for further information –

ceri.cadwallader@torfaen.gov.uk or 01495 742944.

Volunteer Rangers update and NEW opportunity to help!

FLP is now looking for ‘Landscape Ambassadors’ - friendly volunteers to welcome visitors at various locations over the summer and get some feedback on their experience.  All you need is one or two days to spare over the summer and to be enthusiastic about the stunning Blaenavon World Heritage Site (BWHS) landscape with it’s important wildlife and heritage features.  A workshop for anyone interested will be held on Friday 22^nd June 10am -12.30pm at the Blaenavon World Heritage Centre and will include lunch.  Please book by calling 01495 742335.

The BWHS Volunteer Rangers group continues to grow steadily and four teams now support FLP’s work.  The practical conservation team have worked tirelessly to help install signage for 10 heritage trails over the winter and assisted with controlled burning for heather moorland management.  The dry stone walling team now has qualified volunteers carrying out regular wall repairs and new recruits are preparing for an assessment later this year.  An active team is now monitoring wildlife regularly and others are running activities for the Junior Rangers Club, such as fossil hunts and bird box making.  To date the gift of time from the BWHS Volunteer Rangers totals a staggering 3365 hours! 

For information about all volunteering opportunities go to www.visitblaenavon.co.uk, call 01495 742333 or email: sarah.lewis@torfaen.gov.uk.

New Heritage Trails for Autumn 2012

Over the last 12 months Forgotten Landscapes, working with Torfaen Council and the Brecon Beacons National Park, has upgraded 64 km of footpath to create 10 new heritage trails.  Each is named to reflect an aspect of the area’s globally important heritage.  ‘Forging History’ tells the story of the long lost forge at Garn Ddyrys which used to employ over 300 people; ‘Spoil to Spectacular’ explains why industrial spoil is important as a historic landscape feature and how nature is slowly recolonizing these previously bare and hostile features; ‘Heather and Heritage’ explains how the common land was traditionally managed and what is needed to bring it back into good condition for farming and wildlife such as the red grouse: Human Endeavours looks at the industrial archaeology and includes treasures such as Pwll Du tunnel, the Engine Brake Wheel and Hill’s Pit chimney to name a few.

Each trail has been designed to be as family friendly as possible and takes no more than 1.5 hours to complete – unless you stop for a picnic or a drink at a wayside pub…!

Later this year we will be holding an event to promote these new trails.  If you, or your group, would like to help us test them beforehand please contact the Forgotten Landscapes Volunteer Coordinator on 01495 742333 or email sarah.lewis@torfaen.gov.uk