THE latest community news from Harlech

Historical Society

A STUDY of Meirionnydd’s old farming practices has delighted members of the Harlech Historical Society.

The indoor meetings of the 2017-18 season concluded last Tuesday with a talk by local archaeologist Andrew Wolfe.

The topic was entitled: The Archaeology of Agriculture in Ardudwy.

After a short consideration of the significance of agriculture for us as a species the Society looked at how agriculture got to Britain from the Middle East.

The ‘Neolithic package’ that we adopted consisted of more than just domesticated animals and cultivated plants - we also began to build huge stone monuments.

Those monuments, such as the Dyffryn long cairn, are still with us to this day – some 6000 years later.

The Iron Age saw a far greater investment in agriculture with grain crops such as wheat, oats and barley being cultivated. Also, cattle, sheep and pigs were reared.

Settlement types related to agricultural production were looked at, particularly the ‘enclosed homestead’ of which Ardudwy has many fine examples.

For the Middle Ages place and field names provide clues to the areas favoured for arable cultivation.

Also useful in this regard is the distribution of Ardudwy’s medieval bond settlements.

During the Middle Ages there was a large concentration of bond settlements between Llanfair and Egryn and this is where the flat, fertile land is to be found. Bondsmen were more likely to have been working on crop production than on animal husbandry as the herding of animals, especially cattle, was regarded as a high-status occupation and thus reserved for freemen (though there were exceptions to this).

In closing the talk Andrew showed us how the Tithe maps and schedules of the 1840’s provide a glimpse of farm life at that time.

Prior to the arrival of the railway most of the food needed locally, grain, vegetables and meat, had to be produced locally and the tithe schedules clearly reflect this.

The talk was followed by an extended question and answer session showing the audiences interest in this subject which until recently provided a livelihood for the majority of the people of Ardudwy.

Community Council

On behalf of the council, the chair congratulated the clerk, Cllr Annwen Hughes on being elected chair of Gwynedd Council for the year 2018/19.

Officers have been elected for 2018/19: chairman, Cllr Judith Strevens; vice chairman, Cllr Huw Jones.

Members of Sub Committes: Memorial Hall – Cllr Edwina Evans and Cllr Ceri Griffith; Old Library – Cllr Thomas Mort, Cllr Edwina Evans and Cllr Martin Hughes; One Voice Wales – Cllr Thomas Mort, Cllr Caerwyn Roberts and Cllr Martin Hughes; Public Seats – Cllr Thomas Mort, Cllr Judith Strevens and Cllr Elfyn Anwyl; Allotments – Cllr Judith Strevens, Cllr Caerwyn Roberts and Cllr Gordon Howie; Bron y Graig Nature Trail – Cllr Huw Jones and Cllr Elfyn Anwyl; Harlech & Ardudwy Leisure – Cllr Freya Bentham and Cllr Gordon Howie; Tanycastell School Governors – Cllr Sian Roberts and Cllr Edwina Evans (standby)

On leaving the chair, Cllr Edwina Evans thanked everyone for the honour of being able to be chair of the council for the last two years and that she had enjoyed the experience very much. She also thanked her fellow councillors for their support and also the clerk for all her work and support throughout the two years. She wished the elected chair, Cllr Judith Strevens all the best.

On taking the chair over, Cllr Strevens thanked everybody for electing her chair of the council and the retiring chair, for all her hard work.

Cllr Freya Bentham wanted to discuss the Harlech Regeneration Group following suggestions that the community council lead on the matter.

Cllr Bentham reported that she was going to send a letter to all the groups that have connection with the town in the near future asking them for a report on their activities every month and this will be reported back to the council every month.

She also stated that there was a need to set up a regeneration sub committee and this was agreed to and councillors Freya Bentham, Judith Strevens, Edwina Evans, Martin Hughes and Huw Jones agreed to represent the council on it together with one from every other group in the town.

The clerk reported that she had received an e-mail from Bethan Hughes from Gwynedd Council’s Cooperative Support Department, informing the council that Gwynedd Council had managed to secure RCDF grant money towards upgrading public toilets within certain communities and that the toilets near the Queen’s Hotel in Harlech was on this list and that work would be starting in the next few weeks.

Concern was voiced that it was not possible for Coastguard vehicles to get onto the beach because the sand had collected on the path making it impassable.

Cllr Freya Bentham agreed to contact maritime officer Barry Davies with regard to this matter.

It was made known that the Fire and Sea Festival would be taking place on 27 May on the beach.

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