Talley Abbey.

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T A L L EY   A B B E Y

Talley was founded in the 1180s by Rhys ap Gruffydd (‘The Lord Rhys’, native ruler of the

south Wales kingdom of Deheubarth) for the monks of the Premonstratensian order.

Visit Date August 2022

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Originally Colonised by a small group of canons from the house of St John at Amiens in north-east France. Talley Abbey was the first and only abbey in Wales for the Premonstratensians, monks who were also known as the ‘White Canons’ from the colour of their habit. 

The Order was founded in 1120. In 1126, it received papal approbation by Pope Honorius II.

The Abbeys history is not a tranquil one but was something of an unholy struggle.

Abbot Peter of Whitland abbey, envious of the Talley estates launched a hostile takeover of the land and there was a legal battle between the White Canons and the rival Cistercians he supported.

 

The plans to construct a grand church at the heart of their new abbey were interrupted for nine years.

The White Canons did eventually win but the financial cost was great and with little help then coming from Lord Rhys' they were almost bankrupt, and it is unlikely the full church was ever completed.

There were 4 individual chapels within the structure. The remains of two can be seen in the image above.

The first war of independence in 1277 won by Edward I ensured that the Premonstratensian lost their Welsh sponsorship and the remote Talley only just survived being sustained by income from the churches it served.

The abbey was dissolved by Henry VIII and the structure was mined by the villagers for stone to build much of the present village and the church next to the abbey. The Abbey as can be seen is now in a quite ruinous state, but the majesty of the tower can still be seen.

The beautiful white church on the site now is Eglwys y Plwyf Talyllychau (Talley Parish Church).

The Abbey was once claimed to be the site of the grave of the medieval Welsh poet Dafydd ap Gwilym.

The two lakes near the abbey ruins, which were used for fish farming to support the community of monks run alongside the church and abbey and add to the natural beauty of the site.

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SN 63273 32774 Altitude: 369 ft

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This is a fine ruin in a beautiful small little village and is a must if in the area.
There is a small car park for 2 or 3 cars outside the abbey walls. It is a great area to explore and stroll and the terrain is very flat and easy. A visit to the church is also a must. There is a small community cafe and toilets alongside the site.

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Captain Cat.

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C a p t a i n   C a t 

A sculpture in Swansea

Here we see a sculpture which seems to encompass two elements of the Welsh history and culture of this area.

The statue erected in the heart of Swansea's maritime quarter is of a sailor looking out and ringing a bell.

The statue is named Captain Cat sculpted by theWelsh sculptor Robert Thomas .

Commissioned by Swansea City Council on 1st March 1990.

Visit Date August 2019

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The sculpture does at first glance seem just to refer back to the maritime past of Swansea, but the character here has more significance.

Captain Cat is one of the main characters from possibly the best-known piece of literature to come out of Wales, "Under Milk Wood" by Dylan Thomas. Under Milk Wood was written as a radio drama and was broadcast in 1954.

Subsequently, in the 1972, the story made it to the silver screen being made into a movie starring one of the all-time greatest actors to come out of Wales Richard Burton.

An additional version and then was remade in 2015.

Captain Cat although old and blind is one of the play's most important characters, He observes and comments on the goings-on in the village from his window as he can recognize the different characters by the sound of their footsteps.

CAPTAIN CAT

"The sleepers are rung out of sleep

with his loud get-out-of-bed bell"

from

Under Milk Wood

by

Dylan Thomas

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his statue is in the maritime quarter of Swansea. 

There is lots of parking and the closest is the marina car park (51.61679855131115, -3.936364737297523)which is just a 2 minute walk from the site.

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Coetan Arthur

  

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C o e t a n  A r t h u r

Coetan Arthur (also known as Arthurs Quoit).

 A dolmen on the southwest coast of Wales 

on the St. Davids's head peninsular, 

in county of Pembrokeshire, Wales.

This impressive megalithic tomb dates from 

between 4000 to 3000 BC.

The dolmen, which is formed by two vertical 

megaliths erected to support a flat capstone,

is partially collapsed, but still impressive nonetheless.

Visit Date August 2022

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There are many ancient burial sites around the southwest of Wales

These burial sites are often marked with three or more uprights and a large capstone. Often this is all that is left of the site which would originally be covered with earth. This upright/capstone structure has been called a Dolmens or often also referred to here in Wales as a Cromlech, but my understanding is that Cromlech can also refer to a circular stone structure.

This structure should not be confused with Carreg Coeten Arthur which is also in Pembroke, and which will be covered in another blog soon.

The St Davids headland is full of ancient remains including signs of ancient field patterns, Neolithic enclosures, and defensive banks and ditches.

Perhaps the most impressive part of the burial chamber is the massive capstone, which is roughly 6m long and 2.5m wide. The upright stone supporting it (known as an orthostat) is about 1.5m high.

The site here overlooks Whitesands Bay at St. Davids and has a good view but is far enough from the main cliff not to be to battered by any storms that hit the coast.

It has been reported many visitors to the site that they found the site hard to find. I suspect that if you were only casually walking the coast path that this could be true but I found that the site could be seen from quite a distance when walking east to west which seems to be the most natural direction to be walking.

These ancient sites often have a legend attached to them and this one is no exception. The legend for Coetan Arthur states King Arthur himself chucked the stones from nearby Carn Llidi.

Note: The terms Dolmen, Cromlech and Quoit are often used to describe this sort of neolithic site.

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51.90450867492426, -5.308083153876568

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SM 72527 28056 Altitude: 162 ft

Additional information.
Visiting is easy, head to Whitesands bay car park (51.897174093111616, -5.2940221280185105) this is a caravan and camping park and is easy to get to.

There is good facilities for the park, there is a charge for parking.

The walk is around 1mile from the car park but is not flat it is undulating.
Before you descend to the path to Pothmelgan beach (there is a small crossing) you can see the site to the northwest. You can then either take the steep path directly to the site of take the coastal path around the head and then on to the site.

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Port Eynon Salthouse

  

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P o r t  E y n o n  S a l t h o u s e

On Port Eynon Point, on the Gower peninsular, overlooking the bay are the surviving remains of the sixteenth-century Port Eynon Salt House.

Much of what survives today owes to the excavation and subsequent protection of the site.

As well as other valuable industries such as coal, iron, lime and fisheries salt is perhaps overlooked but the Salthouse at Porth Eynon is a reminder of this important and valuable commodities production.

Visit Date August 2022

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The complex is of three stone-lined chambers, with walls approximately one metre thick with stone-flagged floors set into the beach at the foot of a low cliff.

The main building still visible today was used for occupation and storage while the three large chambers closest to the beach were used for salt production.

At high tide, the seawater would enter the beach chambers where it would be stored in a holding tank.

 

The water would be pumped into the Panhouse where large iron pans would be heated by coal furnaces and the water would slowly evaporate. The forming salt would then be skimmed off for storage in the northern building to dry completely.

In the 1500s salt was a valuable commodity not least for the preservation of foodstuff. At this time the British Isles imported much of its salt from France, however, during the mid-1500 the English and French were often at war, so the supply was inconsistent, and the cost grew exponentially and so it became clear that salt produced at home was needed.

The first of the new salt works were set up in 1566 at Dover, Southampton, and on the Essex coast. In the same year, works were established at Blythe near Newcastle, and in the following year, similar concerns were set up in Suffolk and in another part of Essex.

Much of the records of the salt production largely ignored Welsh salt production, but there are records of the salt production that started in mid-west Wales near the Dyfi estuary.

The first knowledge of a salt house at Port Eynon is also mentioned in a document of 1598. It would seem Welsh salt houses of the later 16th century were amongst the most advanced of their day. The value of the salt is perhaps shown by the fact that the site was fortified during the 17th century, with the inclusion of musket loops within the thick walls. It appears, however, salt production ceased around the mid-17th century.

Of course, this is Wales and therefore myths and legends always surround such buildings and this site is no exception.

This site has attracted some interesting stories about its history. The historical annotation of the Lucas family claimed the building was erected in the mid-16th century and fortified by John Lucas who apparently also fortified Culver Hole (previous blog here) connecting the two via an underground passage. From this stronghold, aided by a group of lawless men, he engaged in piracy, resisting all attempts by the authorities to dislodge him. It is also said that 7 generations later another John Lucas found a rich vein of paint mineral and exported it from his base at the Salt House but shortly after his death the building was ruined in a storm. Although interesting this history was later shown to be a fabricated family history written by the Rev. Dr. J. H. Spry during the 1830s in connection with a family lawsuit over the ownership of the property.

Later in the building's life, some of the buildings were demolished but occupation continued in the main house. The most recent was the use of the northern end as oystermen's cottages, which were finally abandoned circa 1880.

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SS 46942 84634 Altitude: 13 ft

Additional information.
Visiting is really easy as in Port Eynon there is a large public car park (51.54431040120058, -4.2118757381346805) which is adjacent to a caravan and camping holiday site. There is also public toilets and a café, shop and take away.
The walk is around 600 metres from the car park and is easy and flat.
Just walk through the camping site and past the Youth Hostal.

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Culver Hole

   

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C u l v e r   H o l e

Legends and tales of smugglers and pirates.

The rugged coast of South Wales has seen many shipwrecks and is well was well known for its rough and dangerous coastlines. What better place than these unwelcoming bays to try and bring booty and contraband ashore away from the H. M Customs men? This well-hidden man-made structure is surrounded by the mystery and legends of ancient pirates and smugglers that came ashore on the South Wales coast.

Visit Date August 2022

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"Culver Hole" is well hidden and difficult to access so it is understandable that it is easy to pass by and not notice it from the cliffs above.

It is accessible by the low tide and it is quite a distance down the cliff to get to it. Or perhaps possible along the beach from the small port of "Port Eynon", easier, of course, if you are on a small boat.

Given its location, it is perhaps unsurprising that so many tales and legends of smugglers are related to it.

The structure of the site settled in its small cove which is only around 4 meters wide consists of a 16m high wall which is 3.6meters thick at the base.

One such legend states that it was used by a powerful local brigand, John Lucas who used it as a storehouse for his ill-gotten gains. There is also a tale that there was a tunnel, big enough to ride a horse through, for over a quarter of a mile to a local "Salthouse" (more on that in another blog).

While it might be true that "Culver Hole" was used in the 17th Century by these dangerous and ruthless men the original use of the structure is more mundane.

The structure, built in the 13th or 14th century is listed as a Dovecot on Coflein (a catalogue of archaeology sites, buildings and monuments in Wales) and that is most likely what this structure is.

Internally it has around 30 tiers of nesting boxes cut into the walls and a narrow stairwell.

It might seem very strange for a dovecot to be placed here and so it is but in the times when this was built doves, pigeons, and their eggs were an important source of food.

The name also would support this as the name Culver derives from the old English word Culfre which means pigeon.

Even given all this, there are still some oddities about this structure. Firstly it seems strange that the holes are so big. Normally you would have a door on a dovecote but the windows are very large for a dovecote, also the location of a beach seems strange. 

There are some historical mentions of the site.

There is some thought that it may have been attached to a castle at some time and there are records of "The Castle of Port Eynon" being mentioned in a lawsuit in 1396.  but there is no evidence of a castle on this site. 

There is a minister's account dated 1429 of a dovecote in the clyve at Penard,

Also, the aforementioned John Lucas is found in a document that states he is said to have repaired a stronghold called Kulvered Hall.

Whatever the uses of the "Culver Hole" it must have seemed a very bleak place in a winter storm, however, there can be no denying that its location on a good day is breathtaking.

Thank you for visiting this blog.

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Culver Hole can be visited but must be done so with great care and at low tide.

About a quarter of a mile from here there is a large public car park (51.54431040120058, -4.2118757381346805) which is adjacent to a caravan and camping holiday site. There is also public toilets and a café, shop and take away.

You can walk from the car park alongside the camp site until you reach the Youth Hostal. The path then takes you right and up the side of the hill but a better course is to walk on to the "Salt House". From here you can look up to the hill and see the marker stone in the last image. If you take the footpath up to this and then go along the cliff for a few hundred yards until you see a stone coast path marker. The path is just opposite this but is narrow and steep. The last few yards are difficult as you will be climbing down the rocks at the bottom. It is passable with care.

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Penmaen Burrows Burial Chamber - Dolmen.

 

Visit date 08-2022.  

View showing entrance passage

There are many ancient burial sites around the southwest of Wales and I took a recent visit to Penmaen Burrows on the Gower peninsular to try and find one of the lesser known minor Neolithic burial sites.

These burial sites are often marked with three or more uprights and a large capstone. Often this is all that is left of the site which would originally be covered with earth. This upright/capstone structure has been called a Dolmens or often also referred to here in Wales as a Cromlech., but my understanding is that Cromlech can also refer to a circular stone structure.

Close up of front of dolmen

It stands around 50 feet above the shoreline in a bowl near a sand dune. It consists of two rectangular chambers and a 2-metre leading passage.

The main chamber is about 4 metres long and around 2 metres wide.

There are a number of uprights possibly 6 or seven and a large capstone made of some sort of sandstone conglomerate.

Side view of entrance

The capstone has been displaced somewhat with the passing of time and sits at an obtuse angle.

The chamber would have been more than 1 metre high.

The second chamber is almost buried again.

investigations were carried out in 1860 and 1881 and the remains were cleared in 1893 down to the original ground surface.

Most of what was uncovered has been reclaimed by the blowing sand from the coastline.

View from rear showing capstone

At the site were found some bones and artefacts which consisted mainly of late debris in the filling of blown sand, including human jaw fragments, animal bones and a piece of a bone tool handle. Bones were found beneath two internal paving slabs that were left in place while `three small pieces of brown pottery lay on an early surface.

View of conglomerate showing quartz content

Some of the conglomerate stones have a lot of quartz in them but are in tact. There have been many burial sites where the stones can be seen pitted where the quartz has been removed.

The burial site is around 1.5 km to the southwest of Penard Castle which is on the other side of the bay which I visited on an earlier trip and can be seen here.

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Although it is possible to walk here from The Cliffs Bay, the easiest route is from the west side of the burrows.

Here the site is easy to find just 20 minutes from the small car park which has parking for around a dozen cars (51.575623411575215, -4.1279809835289045) it does get busy with hikers and dog walkers. The pathway is well signposted from here and the path taken will pass a old stone building and then through a set of gates. A few hundred metres further there is an offset crossroads in the path. The first on the left goes to a secondary mound of stone but the second path on the right takes you through the hedge and into the clearing where the dolmen is found.

My visit was at the Hight of summer and the vegetation was perhaps at it's most vigorous. It might be easier to find in the winter.

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Parc Slip Mining Memorial.

 Visit Date 03-2019. 

Parc Slip in the village of Tondu was one of many small coal mines that scattered the south Wales valleys at the end of the last century.

This area was very poor in monetary terms was very rich in community and in these small villages people were very close.

At 8.20 am on Friday 26th August 1892 when 146 men and boys were working in the mine the unthinkable happened, there was an explosion in the mine.

Fathers, sons and brothers, 112 in all, lost their lives that day leaving sixty women widowed and 153 children without a father.

Many heroes came to light that day helping the community, one such man was a local doctor Frederick Twist who managed to reach the men below ground and, despite a high risk of further collapse and at great risk to himself he tended the injured and stayed with them until they were all brought out.

Mr Granville a local historian tells "Everybody was eventually brought to the surface," "Fifteen of the horses that died underground were also brought out - there was only one which was too difficult to reach. That's how carefully they went about it."

The mine was closed in 1904 and this memorial stands in a local nature reserve which is now on the original site of the mine.

The stone memorial fountain is made up of 112 stones – one for every person who lost their life.

An annual memorial service is now held on the anniversary of the disaster to remember all who were affected by the event.

I have two additional references for this place the first is a newer memorial that has been placed on the site since this visit.

this can be found on my blog here

And the second is a reference to another sculpture of s miner and son close to the site and that blog is  here

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Google Search reference: Parc Slip Memorial

What Three Words reference : ///ranks.fixed.rally

The site is easy to find just 15 minutes from M4 motorway at junction 46

The car park //////joystick.plod.painting
Google Maps (51.54538490015156, -3.6143532913911733) is free and there are toilets and a café nearby.

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