Appeal to save quarrymens' Cwmorthin terrace, Blaenau Ffestiniog

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rufenig
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie Topic Starter

11 years ago

A campaign is under way to save a terrace of dilapidated former quarrymen's houses from collapse.

Cwmorthin Terrace, known locally as Tai Llyn, fell to ruin after the demise of the slate industry in the valley near Blaenau Ffestiniog, Gwynedd.

Local groups Cofio Cwmorthin Remembered and Antur Stiniog are preparing an application for a £100,000 grant.

They are also trying to raise £4,800 by the end of the year for urgent repair work.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-north-west-wales-24749734

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Llion
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

11 years ago

While im in favour of capping the stone work to stop the cottages deteriorating further, i personally dont want to see new footpaths laid down going round the lake, information boards going up etc. Cwm car park is full most weekends as it is, more cars, more people, more bloody dog **** and more litter strewn everywhere. Cwn is a lovely place, whatever the weather, peacefull and tranquil, all that will be lost. I have lived in Ffestiniog all my life and these are my opinions....over to the rest of you.....

🅱Me... Back n Boogying ag wrth n modd

Teigl
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

11 years ago

I agree with Llion. It's a ruin, and it is gently returning to nature. It has been photographed endlessly and documented. Conserve it by all means, but it seems a lot of money to spend in a town that has just lost it's hospital, has very little affordable housing and fewer jobs. A few jobs might be created in prettifying the cwm, I suppose, but as Llion says, the down side will be the litter, cars, and possibly unwelcome attention across the cwm from the health and safety brigade.

If the phone didn''t ring, it was probably me.

royfellows
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

11 years ago

I think much depends on what the actual plan details are. Article says: "The money, if approved, would pay for repairs to stop the ruins deteriorating further."
This suggests consolidation work and nothing more.

We dont want to loose the place but we dont want it turning into a sanitised tourist attraction either
Right?

EDIT
Just got this off 'the other' website:
"The Daily Post also reports that they want to create a circular pathway around the lake with historical interpretation boards. Not sure how I feel about that bit."

I should have known, how naive can I be.

My avatar is a poor likeness.

Blober
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

11 years ago

Isn't the current path sufficient enough? I fail to see the point in putting a circular path around the lake, most people who go up there are either climbers, mine explorers or hill walkers/ramblers. So its not really going to benefit the average person out for a small walk.
Maybe a board with old pictures explaining a bit of the history behind the site wouldn't be too bad and I'm all for preserving the cottages, maybe some money should see its way to Rhosydd chapel as well as that cant have much longer left without any work doing to it.

FILTH - Think this is a playground? Think again...

llay101
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

11 years ago

Well put Llion!

I am all for saving the cottages but part of Cwm's charm is its percieved remoteness.

Creating paths and notice boards will ruin this.

Just waiting for the phrase "Wheelchair Access" to rear its head.

Why can't people leave things alone!

Rwy'n hoffi tyllau mawr

royfellows
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

11 years ago

"llay101" wrote:

Just waiting for the phrase "Wheelchair Access" to rear its head.

I feel sick

My avatar is a poor likeness.

Digit
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

11 years ago

"llay101" wrote:

Just waiting for the phrase "Wheelchair Access" to rear its head.

I would not worry too much about this, even if the road up from the car park were tarmaced most people would have a heart attack pushing a loaded wheel chair up it. If a motorized wheel chair could do the trip I suspect we would all consider changing to electric cars.javascript:emoticon(':lol:')

~~~ The future is not what it used to be ~~~

Tamarmole
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

11 years ago

We have had a lot of this in the Tamar Valley - it totally changes the character of the very thing that well meaning people are trying to preserve. It is very easy to destroy that intangible "something" that makes a place special. Almost impossible to get it back.

Consolidate the structures and then leave it at that. Those who want to explore and find out will,

royfellows
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

11 years ago

#10

I just had an idea.
Take a photo of one of your favourite mining sites and using Photoshop see how well you can really F it up with politically correct sanitisation and over the top health and safety, and give it the title "A glimpse of the future"
Maybe we could have a competition with some high viz jackets as prizes.
:lol:

My avatar is a poor likeness.

Digit
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

11 years ago

#11

"royfellows" wrote:
I just had an idea.
Take a photo of one of your favourite mining sites and using Photoshop see how well you can really F it up with politically correct sanitisation and over the top health and safety, and give it the title "A glimpse of the future"
Maybe we could have a competition with some high viz jackets as prizes.
:lol:

Do we really need to fake it!!!!!!!!

~~~ The future is not what it used to be ~~~

ChrisJC
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

11 years ago

#12

Leave it - let nature take its course. It will win, it is inevitable. Like Canute trying to hold back the sea......

Chris.

TheBogieman
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

11 years ago

#13

I like the idea of conserving what's left and like Mr Blober's take on what should be done.

As others have said, sanitise it and it's charm is ruined forever. There are enough paths for folk to do a circular tour - the old Conclog Tramway bed on LHS past Cwm Chapel and later tramway course / path up RHS to Rhosydd.

It's the wildness and raw beauty of Cwm that gives it it's charm for those of us that know it and for the few more who might find it. Hoards of people would spoil the isolation and raw beauty and bring the inevitable litter and other rubbish...

General tourists go to Llechwedd or the quarrying museum in Llanberis for a view of what slate quarrying / mining was all about.

Am I being a spoilsport?

Clive

Explorans ad inferos

mistericeman
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

11 years ago

#14

I'm with Chris on this one ...

As much as i Don't want to actually see it all fall down ...
I'd rather that than see some concrete topped walls and bloody information boards all over the place,If you want to see window dressing etc head over to llechwedd .

Some mines will inevitably decay to a shadow of their former selves ...thats just life .

As a parable ...i visit a lot of WWII air wrecks on the tops of various hills and it boils my **** when stuff is removed and "preserved" in some museum or other losing all sense of context in the process 😠 😠 😠

Edd
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

11 years ago

#15

Was sad to see a few more walls come down up at Rhosydd last time we were there but it is inevitable with the weather up there. I believe part of the chapel has fallen down too. Is this true?

'I started reading it with full intention to read it all and then got bored and went and got beer instead!'

royfellows
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

11 years ago

#16

If one visits the St Just mining area a lot of consolidation work has been done down there without the sanitisation that is upsetting us all. It can be done.

It better than seeing it all fall down.

My avatar is a poor likeness.

Edd
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

11 years ago

#17

Havent they recently done some work on the farm the other side of the lake? Think Pingu was telling me about this on the last CRTT

'I started reading it with full intention to read it all and then got bored and went and got beer instead!'

hammond
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

11 years ago

#18

I'm definitely donating. People are fascinated about this area, and I've bumped into a few people up there who haven't known anything about what the buildings were for and upon educating them they've become even more fascinated. I myself am fascinated by the area and it's industry for that exact reason.

I'm not entirely sure what Blaenau's future involves when it comes to industry, but I can only imagine tourism will be a massive part of that, and whatever draws more people in can only benefit the local economy. I can only hope that any conservation work carried out will be delicate and faithful, but I'm prepared to take the risk, mainly because I honestly couldn't imagine the area without the terrace and it's chapel, which combined with it's landscape and weather is the most hauntingly beautiful location I have ever visited.

Wormster
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

11 years ago

#19

"ChrisJC" wrote:
Leave it - let nature take its course. It will win, it is inevitable. Like Canute trying to hold back the sea......

Chris.

Have to agree with Chris!

Better to regret something you have done - than to regret something you have not done.

pingu
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

11 years ago

#20

I personally think if anything is to be done, then the parking area could be enlarged a bit, as you often have to park further down the road, even at the café. I feel it would be nice if the old miners garden area was tidied up and the rubbish removed from the pelton wheel pit. On the subject of the air crash above Llyn Cwmorthin, there is a chap in Blaenau who is hoping to place bi-lingual plaques on/near to the five crash sites around the town. If there is funding available, he should receive some towards this worthwhile project. As for the rest of Cwmorthin, leave it to mother nature, next thing you know is the Rhosydd dual carriageway with a KFC & Ikea at Croesor :lol: :curse: :curse: