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The
Festival of British Archaeology
To celebrate the 2013
Festival of Archaeology the CALCH project
provided an exhibition, guided walks and
storytelling around Herbert's Quarry. There
was also a CALCH on site. Around 80 people
attended the event over the weekend. |
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Digital
Media Workshop
A workshop led by volunteer
Colin Jones provided an introduction to
film making and digital media with the
aim of creating a video record of CALCH
project events. |
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Family
Art Workshop
A family art workshop
with local artist Katie Jane Vickers was
held at the Black Mountain Centre in Brynaman.
The children (and parents!) created “mixed
media pieces” using mud, lime and stone
from the mountain itself, as well as charcoal,
pencils, and paint. We hope to display
this work in the future. |
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Prynhawn
Da feature
The Welsh language magazine
TV programme Prynhawn Da filmed a 5 minute
news item on the CALCH project and inviting
people to visit the quarries. |
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Tycroes
Scouts Group
With a visit to the quarry
and and indoor workshops, CALCH worked
with Tycroes Scout group to enable the
Scouts to achieve their ‘Heritage Activity'
and ‘Artist Activity' badges. |
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Llanddeusant
Youth Hostel Open Day
CALCH joined in at the
Llanddeusant Youth Hostel Open day with
a hands-on model kiln for budding lime
makers! The Open Day was very busy despite
the rain and the model kiln activity was
and very popular! |
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Work
Experience
Work experience students
from Local schools undertook field survey
and recording of kilns with CALCH. |
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Volunteer
Research
Dedicated CALCH volunteers
visited Carmarthen Records Office to research
the lime industry, turnpike trusts, the
Rebecca Riots and furnace bricks. |
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Llangadog
Lime Heritage Discovery Day
In May we held a Lime
Heritage Discovery Day on Llangadog common
as part of the Fforest Fawr Geopark Festival.
Even though the weather was miserable many
hardy visitors came to learn about the
lime heritage of the Black Mountain through
displays, talks, storytelling, children's
activities and walks. |
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Fieldwork – March
A hardy group of six local
volunteers helped with making a detailed
record of lime kilns and the office block
building where conservation work will take
place. Despite the terrible weather – snow,
gale force winds and driving rain, much
was achieved and the help was greatly appreciated! |
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Fieldwork – May
In May, with better weather,
our volunteers returned and we completed
records of the kilns and office block.
Small trenches were excavated on the top
of three kilns which were earmarked for
conservation works later in the year. |
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Conservation
Work
The work to repair and
make safe the three largest and most complete
kilns and to reduce the walls of the office
block building and engine house was started
during the summer. Good progress was made,
but inevitably rain set in, and the work
will need to be completed in the spring. |
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Walks
and Talks
Various walks and talks
were held throughout 2013 for interested
local people as well as groups such as
The Brecon Beacons Park Society; Burry
Port and Brecon U3A groups; Pembrokeshire
Industrial Heritage Group; Welsh
Industrial History Panel; Ammanford Probus,
Llandeilo Civic Trust, Dyfed Family History
Society; Carmarthen Archaeology Day; Mynydd
Du Graziers Association. |
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Calch attended
several heritage events including the Royal
Welsh Show, the Dyfed Family History Society
and the Llanelli Heritage Festival. |
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Other
events
A poster display on CALCH
and the Black Mountain lime industry was
displayed at the Llanelli Heritage Festival,
the Dyfed Family History Day in Gwbert,
the ‘Back to Yesterday' event at the Black
Mountain Centre in Brynamman, the Royal
Welsh Show and the National Association
of Mining History Organizations symposium
in Aberystwyth . These were well attended
events and good opportunities to raise
awareness about the project. |
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Schools
Programme
In 2013 Sarah, our Council
for British Archaeology Bursary placement,
embarked on a busy schedule of site tours
and classroom workshops, to raise awareness
about the Black Mountain Quarries among
local schools, and to help us develop an
education package that will enable teachers
to use the quarries for teaching a variety
of subjects, or just a fun day out for
their pupils. Over three hundred pupils
took part, including Dinefwr Home Education
Group, Llandovery Prep School, Llandeilo
CP, Tycroes School, Ysgol y Bedol, Amman
Valley School and Penrheol School. During
their visits pupils learned about the Black
Mountain's industrial heritage, followed
with classroom sessions on subjects ranging
from history, chemistry and art. Some great
masterpieces were produced! |
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A lot of
work has also been going on reporting on
all the documentary research, survey work,
excavations and the designing and developing
of interpretation panels, waymarkers for
the self-guided trails, booklets and leaflets
etc. There is a lot still to do in 2014! |