Canal festivities

2012 marks the Monmouthshire and Brecon Canal’s 200th birthday. Originally built as a passageway for coal and iron, it now supports a flourishing leisure industry and is a cherished haven for nature and people. Winding its way through 49 miles of breathtaking countryside, the canal passes through Blaenavon World Heritage Site on its way from Brecon to Cwmcarn.

Celebrations will kick off on Friday 10 February with an event at Pontymoile basin. On this day churches along the length of the canal will ring their bells, just like they did when the canal originally opened in 1812.

There are plenty of opportunities for you to take part in the celebrations with a whole host of events taking place throughout the year: from guided walks and cycling to canoeing, concerts and parades.

For further information have a look at British Waterways' leisure website, Waterscape and the Monmouthshire and Brecon Canal’s own Facebook page.

We will also keep you posted on forthcoming events on the Forgotten Landscapes' Facebook page and here on the blog, so keep an eye out!

WORLD OF DISCOVERY

New courses available in Blaenavon World Heritage Site

　

If you’ve ever wanted to learn more about the history or landscape of the local area then this is your chance. Join one of the brand new FREE courses on offer in the World Heritage Site. Choose from:

UPLAND CONSERVATION
Tuesday evenings 7-9pm, starts Tues 24th January
Gain a greater understanding of why our uplands are so special, learn more about the wildlife which has made its home here, and discover the challenges of conservation in the upland environment.

COMMUNITY HERITAGE

Wednesday evenings, 7-9pm. Starts Wed 25th January

Learn more about the life in Blaenavon through the ages and discover new ways of capturing and bringing the past to life.


All courses will be held at Blaenavon World Heritage Centre. For more information visit our website or call 01495 742333

Community Archaeology Project Success

The first Forgotten Landscapes Community Archaeology course has just been completed. A committed bunch of enthusiasts learnt how to survey and record archaeological sites in the World Heritage Site with a focus on Hill's Pit chimney and cottages and the Pwll Du Tunnel southern entrance. Find out what they discovered in the new year when an exhibition of their work will be on show at Blaenavon World Heriatge Centre, and on February 26th when the group will lead a guided walk  to explore local archaeological sites.

Forgotten Landscapes Project on BBC Wales

PC Rob Maddocks has spoken to BBC Wales about the challenges he faces as Landscape Crime Officer with the Forgotten Landscapes Project. In the first 8 months in the job Rob has had considerable success in tackling fly tipping, arson and off road biking problems in the World Heritage Site. To see full details of the interview please click here

JUNIOR RANGERS

 SUNDAY 17^th APRIL 2011, 10.30am – 12.30pm

© Crown copyright (2011) Visit Wales

If you love wildlife and enjoy the outdoors then the World Heritage Site Junior Rangers is the club for you. The club is open to children aged 7-11 years old. We meet once a month for a range of environmental activities. During 2011 we will be learning bushcraft skills, hunting for fossils, tracking wildlife, pond dipping and helping out with practical conservation tasks.

Our open day is the perfect opportunity to try out some of the activities on offer and find out how to become a member. Meet at Big Pit for a morning of wildlife related activities. The morning is free with no booking necessary. For more information please contact Blaenavon World Heritage Centre, 01495 742333.

Children must be accompanied by an adult on this open day.

LEARNING LANDSCAPES OPEN DAY

BLAENAVON WORLD HERITAGE CENTRE

SATURDAY 2^nd APRIL 2011, 9am – 5pm

If you’ve ever wanted to learn more about the history, wildlife or geology of the area then this is your chance. Come along to Blaenavon World Heritage Centre to find out more about the brand new community learning courses on offer through the University of Wales Newport and Glamorgan-Gwent Archaeological Trust.

The Learning Landscapes Open Day will include a series of informal talks, walks and workshops. Tutors will be available at the Blaenavon World Heritage Centre all day to discuss the exciting new learning opportunities available.

Walks

Our walks programme kicks off at 9am with Blaenavon Town Tour: ‘Through the eyes of Lewis Browning’ a nineteenth century resident of the town.

From 10am - 12 noon  discover the Hidden Archaeology of the World Heritage Site on a walk with an archaeologist.

Finally from 2 - 4pm tutors from University of Wales Newport will introduce you to the Wildlife of the World Heritage Site.

Talks

Alongside the guided walks programme there will also be talks on Geology and Ecology (starting at 10am) and Local History (2pm)

All activities are Free with no booking necessary. For more information please go to www.visitblaenavon.co.uk or contact Blaenavon World Heritage Centre, telephone 01495 742333

Reedbed Update

Following on from the previous post I can now report that we're one step closer to creation of  a new reedbed in the Forgotten Landscapes area. Over 2 days (Friday 4th and Saturday 5th March) a team of volunteers and staff planted around 11,000 reed seedlings in the first phase of planting at the site - a further 13,000 reeds will be added in the summer. As the reedbed matures it is hoped that it will provide a rich habitat and encourage new wildlife to the area.

A good time was had by all - regardless of the mud! Here's what some of the volunteers had to say:

“I would recommend it to anyone, it is brilliant being able to see that you are making a difference – it is very rewarding.” (Rob Gillard)

“I feel quite privileged to have been able to help put something back into such a lovely area.” (Audrey Woodrow)

Projects such as this one can only be achived thanks to the suppport of volunteers. If you want to find out more about future volunteering  opportunities  please contact Sarah Lewis 01495 742335 or sarah.lewis@torfaen.gov.uk