Faces in the Woods II

This is the second installment of  "Faces in the woods".

New sculptures have been added in a different part of the woods.

No history or legend behind this post only this to say. 

A walk through my local woods revealed that someone had 

taken the time to carve many faces on what looks like 

drift wood and then fixed them on the trees along the pathway.

I don't know who did this or the story behind the sculptures 

but it's a pleasing sight as you walk through the woods known 

locally as Bedford park or more correctly the older name of

 "The Waun"

Visit Date April 2023

Google Reference: -

Between 51.53900948128378, -3.651105732511936

and 

51.53836570213274, -3.637004249173509

What Three Words reference: -

Between ///storybook.exile.trend and ///basics.stores.knots

OS Details: -

Between SS 85494 83592 Altitude: 65 m

and 

SS 86564 83431 Altitude:  75 m

Additional information.

The above information is the two ends of the pathway of the woods.

There is good parking here (51.53821306322769, -3.654298149309796) at Bedford park.

It is a very easy walk through the woods.

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Burry Port Lighthouse

Burry Port is a small coastal town in the South of Wales.

The harbour was built in the early 1830s and was the main port for exporting coal from the surrounding areas.

The Harbour initially was named the Pembrey New Harbour and was a larger upgrade

 to the smaller harbour just along the coast.

The harbour's name was changed by an act of parliament in 1835 to Burry Port Harbour

 and thus gave the name to the Town of Burry Port.

Visit Date August 2020

Today the harbour has been developed into the local Marina and also houses the lifeboat station.

The lighthouse was built in 1842 and was restored in the mid 1990's by Llanelli Borough Training, with the support of the Burry Port Yacht Club with Trinity House*** supplying the lantern for the structure which was officially reopened on 9th February 1996 by the Mayor of Llanelli.

The lighthouse is quite small with its walls being just 24ft high with the gallery and lantern on top.

The lantern light is visible for 15 miles and is an important landmark for the marina.

***Trinity House is a charity dedicated to safeguarding shipping and seafarers, providing education, support and welfare to the seafaring community with a statutory duty as a General Lighthouse Authority to deliver a reliable, efficient and cost-effective aids to navigation service for the benefit and safety of all mariners.

Burry Port harbour was the landing place for the first crossing of the Atlantic by a woman please see my post:-

Amelia Earhart and Burry Port

Footer:Visit Information: -

Google Reference: -
51.677500723894276, -4.2512000337731735


Google search term:
Burry Port Lighthouse

What Three Words reference: -
///kilt.origins.dynamics

OS Details: -
SN 44449 00034

Additional information.

Visiting Burry Port is very easy.
There is lots of parking here, with the closest being the harbour car park (51.680651095461656, -4.2513750336966005).


There are lots of shops toilets and other amenities close by.

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Grove Colliery

In 1849, after the establishing iron furnaces at Kilgetty 

the Pembrokeshire Iron and Coal Company 

considered the possiblity of sinking a new pit at Grove

 to mine the Kilgetty anthracite vein and provide

 anthracite to the ironworks.

Visit Date October 2023

The Pithead and Shaft

The pit would have to be sunk to a depth of 182 metres to reach the vein.

The final decision was taken around 1852 and the new pit was started and opened some time later. When the pit finally started producing coal the Ironworks was in one of its production phases.

The Pithead and Shaft

The pit, being very close to the ironworks was to be linked underground to the workings of the older Kilgetty Colliery, which it drained. It had a tramway link directly to the Ironworks and was also connected to the Saundersfoot Railway.

The shaft was described in 1859 as the largest in Wales.

Coal from Grove was not exclusively used in the ironworks but was also taken by the Saundersfoot Railway to be sold for use elsewhere.

Inside view of Pithead

The Grove Colliery was later finally connected to Kilgetty Colliery via an underground tunnel.

Grove Colliery had its' own Smithy, Carpenters' shop and Stables which housed the pit ponies.

The associated ironworks finally ceased production in 1877 and a few years later coal extraction had ceased at Grove but the 274-horsepower Cornish Beam Pumping Engine was retained for pumping water until its' final abandonment in 1900."

The Cornish Engine House

It is reported that there remains a fully equipped stable at the foot of the shaft.

Footer:

Visit Information: -

Google Reference: -
51.731820524163666, -4.696051707193539

What Three Words reference: -
///jets.demanding.losing

OS Details: -
SN 13918 07112 WAltitude:58 m

Additional information.

There is parking here for a a dozen cars or so and the place is easy to visit.
The site is now alongside a Holiday Park

Off the A477 the turning marked for Stepaside, Wisemans bridge and Amroth. Then follow the brown heritage signs for the ironworks.
Then look for direction to the pit.

There are no facilities at the site.

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Kilgetty Ironworks

 

Also known as Stepaside Ironworks, Saundersfoot, Pembrokeshire

Like many ironworks in Wales, the works at Kilgetty 

did not provide much iron during its 

intermittent operational years.

Visit Date October 2023

Iconic image of Kilgetty Ironworks

Following the successful introduction of anthracite smelting at Ynyscedwyn in 1836, Kilgetty Ironworks were established in 1848-49 by Charles Ranken Vickermann, a London solicitor, to exploit the local anthracite coal and haematite deposits.

The Cast House.

The ore was obtained largely from levels driven in the cliffs between Saundersfoot and Amroth and transported by the branch line of the Saundersfoot Railway.

The Blowing and winding engine houses

Known then by the name Pembrokeshire Iron and Coal Company by 1853 the works were at a standstill.

The Furnace Wall

In 1853 Grove Colliery was sunk just above the ironworks to provide fuel (This will be added in a further post), however production of both coal and iron was intermittent until 1859.

 

Kilns

The site's fortunes continued to be bleak and by 1862 the works were again at a standstill.

The Coke Ovens

Revived once again in 1863 five further years of poor production resulted in the complex being sold in 1873 to Bonville's Court Coal and Iron Company.

Internal detail of Coke Ovens

In its final stage, the Iron Works consisted of 2 blast furnaces, blowing engines, coke ovens, workshops and lime kilns, however, no pig iron was produced after 1874 and work ceased in 1877.

Calcining Kilns

The property and plant were auctioned in 1878. Vickermann was the successful (in fact the only) bidder.

Remains of the Smithy

The works were dismantled in 1887-89. The chimney stack above the furnaces was eventually demolished in 1909.

Additional information: Also known as Stepaside Ironworks. Stepaside is a small holiday village and Information signs at Stepaside state that Stepaside got its name when Oliver Cromwell and his army passed through on their way to Pembroke. Cromwell is reported to have asked people in his way to step aside.

Footer:
Visit Information: -

Google Reference: -
51.73398913017965, -4.693719186700272

Google Search term:
Kilgetty Ironworks

What Three Words reference: -
///broth.polka.verge

OS Details: -
SN 14087 07355 Altitude:14 m

Additional information.

There is parking here for a a dozen cars or so and the place is easy to visit.
The site is now alongside a Holiday Park

Off the A477 the turning marked for Stepaside, Wisemans bridge and Amroth. Then follow the brown heritage signs for the ironworks.

There are no facilities at the site.






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St Bridget’s Church

St Bridget's Church, Skenfrith was consecrated in 1207 and is

one of the oldest churches in continuous use in Wales.

Visit Date August 2023

The exterior of the church is a delight, with a massively buttressed, squat square tower built of red sandstone.

The tower is topped by a dovecote belfry and a pyramidal roof.

It has been restored on at least two occasions the first in 1896 and then again in 1910

The church is medieval in origin, with the earliest parts believed to date from the reign of King John (1166–1216). It has been extended firstly in the fourteenth and once again in the sixteenth century.

The interior contains the chest tomb of John Morgan, who died in 1557, who was a Member of Parliament for the Monmouth Boroughs, Steward of the Duchy of Lancaster and last Governor of the Three Castles, of Skenfrith, Grosmont and White Castle.

The font is inscribed on its east side with the date 1661 but this date is of the re-erection but is much older than this.

The font can be locked this was to prevent the common practice in days gone by of stealing the water and used in casting spells.

The lectern was commissioned in 1909 and is by the Arts and Crafts designer, George Jack, and incorporates a figure of St Bridget.

Footer:
Visit Information: -

Google Reference: -
51.87906878835942, -2.7913557263133586

Google Search term:

St Bridget's Church, Skenfrith
What Three Words reference: -
///parked.sporting.help

OS Details: -
SO 45606 20341 : Altitude:141 ft

Additional information.

There is parking here (51.87809680428079, -2.790591909573205) for a a dozen cars or so and the place is easy to visit.

Off the B4347 from Monmouth and on to the B4521 takes you to Skenfrith.

There are no facilities at the site.

The site is popular in the summer months with locals sunbathing and swimming in the river.




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Skenfrith Castle

Skenfrith Castle (Welsh: Castell Ynysgynwraidd) is an 

ancient medieval fortress with a substantial central tower.

Visit Date August 2023

Commissioned by William Fitz Osbern, the Earl of Hereford, in the early 12th century the castle comprised earthworks with timber defences.

What is left of the remains is the later constructed fortress by Hubert de Burge in the 13th century.

Built on an earthen mound this structure was one of the ‘Three Castles of Gwent’ (along with Grosmont and White Castle)

Controlling a large area of Gwent the three castles guarded the border country between The river Wye and the Black Mountains with Skenfrith Castle overlooking one of the main routes between England and Wales on the banks of the river Monnow.

 

In 1135, a major Welsh revolt took place and in response, King Stephen brought together Skenfrith Castle and its sister fortifications of Grosmont and White Castle to form a lordship known as the "Three Castles", which continued to play a role in defending the region from Welsh attack for several centuries.

Skenfrith was rebuilt in stone. In 1201, King John gave the castle to a powerful royal official, Hubert de Burgh (Earl of Kent) who destroyed the old castle and rebuilt the rectangular outer walls with the round keep and towers we can see today.

Hubert fell from power in 1232 and was stripped of the castles, which were placed under the command of Walerund Teutonicus

Walerund built a new chapel at the castle in 1244 and repaired the keep's roof

In 1267 the Castle along with the other two castles were granted to Edmund, the Earl of Lancaster

King Edward I' (20 November 1272 – 7 July 1307). In his conquest of Wales in 1282 removed much of the castle's military utility and saw the demise of the importance of the castle and by 1538, it had fallen into disuse and ruin.

In 1825, the Three Castles were sold off to Henry Somerset, the Duke of Beaufort. Skenfrith was eventually acquired by the lawyer Harold Sands, who carried out some conservation of the site; he went on to give the castle to the National Trust. Skenfrith was placed into the care of the state in 1936,

Skenfirth Castle is managed by Cadw

(Cadw is the historic environment service of the Welsh Government and part of the Tourism and Culture group. Cadw works to protect historic buildings and structures, landscapes and heritage sites) 

A visit to the castle would be enhanced by seeking out a disused mill on the south-eastern side of the castle. Much later than the castle of course dated 1867 at the 1st-floor level of the SW side; the mill continued to function until 1990 although by that time the mill had been converted to electric power.

Footer:
Visit Information: -

Google Reference: -
51.878293893054106, -2.790379413287163

Google Search term:
Skenfrith Castle

What Three Words reference: -
///parked.sporting.help

OS Details: -
SO 45697 20264 : Altitude:141 ft

Additional information.

There is parking here (51.87809680428079, -2.790591909573205) for a a dozen cars or so and the place is easy to visit.

Off the B4347 from Monmouth and on to the B4521 takes you to Skenfrith.

There are no facilities at the site.

The site is popular in the summer months with locals sunbathing and swimming in the river.




A full list of blogs can be found at my website

Read More