Cheshire History Day
Cheshire History Day will take place on Saturday 29th October and I am delighted to be the opening speaker.
Britain
Anglesey Barracks, Snowdonia
Tucked away in an abandoned slate quarry in north Wales – once the second largest in the world – sits Anglesey Barracks. However, they’re not army barracks, and they’re not on Anglesey. These two rows of derelict houses mark an old street of quarry workers’ houses in Dinorwig Quarry. The quarry now makes up part […]
An 800 year old church ruin near Ruthin
Nestled in the hills of the Clwydian Range, just east of Ruthin, a tiny church ruin sits. With no windows, no roof, and only half the walls left, it should be a sorry sight. But is it actually a little haven for wildlife, peace and a good dose of tranquility. Old St Peter’s Church ruin […]
Exploring a 4000 year old cemetery
A 4000 year old barrow cemetery is found on the hills just a few miles from Prestatyn and Rhyl, in Flintshire. These Bronze Age monuments are quite hard to see on the ground, but there are a surprising number of them in this part of Wales, near to Snowdonia and the Clwydian Range and Dee […]
Trowels and TV at Pendinas Hillfort
Well, the final episode of this season’s Weatherman Walking is finally here – and the weather certainly showed up for this one. Torrential rain, massive gusts of wind, hail and glorious sunshine, leading to outstanding views. Just another day on top of a Welsh hillfort by the sea… In this episode, after Derek and I […]
Old Oswestry Hillfort
I was really honoured to write, along with my co-author Fiona Gale, a chapter for a recent publication all about Old Oswestry Hillfort. The book, edited by Tim Mallim and George Nash, is entitled ‘Old Oswestry Hillfort and its Landscape: Ancient Past, Uncertain Future’. Its title is a stark reminder that, for a few years […]
Sundays on BBC2
Just a reminder that UK viewers are getting the chance to watch Series 3 of Weatherman Walking, the Welsh Coast. You can now see episodes on Sunday mornings on BBC2. Filmed in 2020, not long after having Poppy, and with strict social distancing procedures, I present some fascinating features in three episodes of Weatherman Walking […]
The wonder of yew
Visit a church yard and you’d be hard pushed not to find a yew tree growing within. And they will date back a lot longer than the stone building they sit next to. Ever heard of the Seven Wonders of Wales? The yew trees of Overton-on-Dee church yard are one of them! Yew trees have […]
Going for Gold
The final episode of this year’s Weatherman Walking airs this Friday, and I’m going for gold! This week, Derek, Matt and I are in the Fairbourne area and, after meeting Derek at the start of his walk, I head for the hills in search for stories about the Welsh Gold Rush. Derek finds out about […]
Women of few words
Several words spring to mind when I think about the wonderful women in Wales’ past: strength, courage, determination, intelligence, skill. But one word often left out when it comes to the two ‘Ladies of Llangollen’ is the word ‘love’.