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SPRING 2011 1

C Y M D E I T H A S

S O C I E T Y SPRING 2011NEWSWelcome…Welcome to this first newsletter ofCymdeithas Twmbarlwm Society.

As the founding Chairman ofCymdeithas Twmbarlwm Society I amdelighted to introduce our newnewsletter. This has been in thepipeline for some time and we havecertainly had no shortage ofenthusiastic contributors.

The theme of the mountain, itslandscape and geology, its history,archaeology and the legendssurrounding it certainly inspire peoplein many ways and I hope that this willbe reflected in this first newsletter, andin forthcoming issues.

When we started the SaveTwmbarlwm Campaign in April of lastyear we had no idea of the enthusiasticand passionate response we would getfrom so many local people. This wasreflected in the fantastic attendance wegot for our launch at Crosskeys RugbyClub last October and the many lettersand emails of support we have receivedbefore and since then.

The sad decline of the tump areaand the access paths over recent yearshas been the result of erosion, publiccarelessness and intrusions by off roadvehicles, especially motorbikes.

Perhaps the biggest issue was thelack of responsibility and care of themountain and its scheduled ancient

Gwent’s Most Iconic Landmark

Co-ordinates: 51.62736, -3.09365 OS Grid reference: ST 24394 92627Height: 419m (1,374ft) above sea level

monument (SAM) has received over thelast decade.

In the 1980s Gwent County Councilundertook the restoration works on thetump. It was they who built andmaintained the steps to the top and thelow fence around it. They also raisedthe level and partially paved the top ofthe tump. When Gwent CC wasabolished in 1996 responsibility for theupkeep of the SAM and footpaths onTwmbarlwm was not handed over tothe legacy authority, Caerphilly CountyBorough Council. This was almostcertainly an administrative oversightbut, coupled with increased visitornumbers due to the popularity of theCwmcarn Forest Drive, led to thedecline we have all become familiarwith in recent years.

However, the establishment of oursociety and your strength of feeling isalready making a big difference.Caerphilly County Borough Council,Torfaen County Borough Council andthe landowners, the Trustees of

Llanarth Estate, are about to enter intoan agreement to restore Twmbarlwmtump to its former glory.

Our Society will also be very muchinvolved in this process over the nextfew years. It is also likely that we willtake on some of the management of thesite to ensure that Twmbarlwm can beenjoyed by our grand children in thesame way that it was by our grandparents

The mountain is iconic in manyways. It is a source of inspiration,solace, joy and awe to so many of usand with your help and support wewant to keep it that way.

If you want to see the ‘Tump’restored to its former glory andsympathise with our cause - please joinus, it’ll only cost you a tenner. Go to thewebsite to get an application form orpick up a leaflet available in manyplaces locally or at one of our events.

Rob Southall

www.twmbarlwm.co.uk

C O N T E N T S1 Chairman’s Welcome2 Why Care for the Tump?3 The Law and Your Rights4-5 Our Work So Far6 The Inspirational Mountain7 Memory Lane8 Hot Cross Bun WalkYou’ll find more information and photos onour website - so please visit it regularly tokeep up to date.

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2 SPRING 2011

Cymdeithas TWMBARLWM Society

The “Tump” as it is known has served manypurposes through time. Historians andarchaeologists seldom agree but plausiblecases have been put forward for a hill fortbuilt by the Silures, the Iron Age tribe whoinhabited the area before the Romans; aRoman signal point and a Norman (orWelsh) motte and bailey castle.

In folk legend, it has been rumoured tobe the burial site of a giant; a sacred site tothe Druids; the burial mound of the horseLord Tredegar rode at the charge of the LightBrigade; and the location of buried treasureguarded by a swarm of bees.

More recently the site has become animportant local amenity. This has come ata price. The erosion caused by the manywalkers and mountain bikers who enjoy thesite is threatening to undermine thefoundations of the tump itself. Litter loutshave been active and some fly tippers havemade a special effort to reach the higherslopes. Off road bikers have used themound as a giant bike ramp, the deepfurrows gouged by their tyre tracks all toovisible from afar.

We decided to do something about it. Agroup of local people created CymdeithasTwmbarlwm Society with the followingobjectives:

• to protect and preserve the ancientmonument on the summit ofTwmbarlwm and its immediateenvironment

• to ensure that there is secure and robustfencing in place to prevent access by off-

road vehicles – especially scramblingand quad bikes

• to ensure that fencing and stiles areproperly maintained

• to seek to improve the quality offootpaths on the mountain and to workto ensure that pedestrian access is notthe cause of further erosion

• to raise the public perception of tvheimportance of Twmbarlwm in historical,environmental and community terms.

Over 100 people attended our launch eventat Cross Keys Rugby Club in October. Theevening was a huge success and we nowhave almost 70 members. Our challengenow is to harness all that enthusiasm andto move the Society forward.

What Needs To Be DoneThere is a lot to be done if we want toachieve our objectives. We want to workeffectively with local partners includingCaerphilly County Borough Council andTorfaen Borough Council, Cadw, GwentPolice and other public sector organisations.We will need to develop a constructiveworking relationship with the landowners,Llanarth Estates. Their co-operation will beessential if we want to do work to improvethe site.

We need to take a systematic approachto fund-raising so that we can take fulladvantage of grants or any other fundingthat could further our objectives. We needto develop an effective communicationspolicy to inform and educate people aboutthe importance of Twm Barlwm and toensure that the Society and its work have ahigh profile. We need more academicresearch into the site and we also needpractical people who would be prepared tohelp out with hands-on maintenance tasks.We also need to build a strong relationshipwith other local community groups whohave similar interests and objectives.

This is a long and ambitious list but weare confident that the knowledge,experience and enthusiasm of our memberswill help us to rise to the challenge. Thankyou for your support. We look forward toseeing you at one of our events in the future.

Further information about the Societycan be found on our website:www.cymdeithastwmbarlwm.blogspot.comwhich can also be accessed fromwww.twmbarlwm.co.uk

Why Care About The “Tump”?Twmbarlwm, the man-made mound on the summit of the mountain aboveRisca is a well known south Wales landmark. Clearly visible from Newport,Cardiff and the motorway in between, to many it is a symbol of Gwent, andits distant silhouette is often a welcome indication to the traveller that theyare nearing home. The view from the top is spectacular.


SPRING 2011 3


Forgive them, for they know notwhat they do…

WE WANT TO STRESS that as a society weare not out to bash motor bikers and 4x4off-roaders but everyone needs to realisethe damage they can do to our historicmonument with their activities. Evenwalkers and mountain bikers can causeirretrievable damage to our landscape withinconsiderate activities.

Break through the top-soil of themountainside with a spinning wheel andcreate a rut and over time the elements ofwind and rain will soon erode it away tomake it into a large unsightly, rock-strewntrench.

Look at an aerial photograph ofTwmbarlwm and you will see the intricatepatterns of the race-tracks created byscrambling bikes in only the last 10 years.

Illegal use of Off-Road Bikes - The Facts

• It is illegal to drive any mechanicallypropelled vehicle including mini bikes, miniquads, scooters or any off-road motorbikeon a public road without insurance, roadtax, driving certificate or MOT certificate.

• Such vehicles can be driven off-road ona suitable piece of private land with theowner’s permission but not on streets,common land, moor land, forestry land,playing fields or in parks as well asfootpaths, bridleways or byeways. If you donot have the permission or legal authority,you will be committing offences under theSection 34 of Road Traffic Act 1998 andthe Countryside Rights of Way Act 2000.

• If you are caught riding illegally on publicland, you could face having your vehicleseized and destroyed.

Walkers should phone 101 wheneverthey see any motorised vehicle on thecommon. Don’t forget to ask for a log

number. There is little the Police can do ifthere are no identifying features, but it isstill worth reporting the incident and askingfor a log number. That way there isstatistical evidence of the size of theproblem. If you have a camera, especiallyif it has a good zoom on it, take a photo.Recently a member of our society was ableto give the Police photos with enoughinformation that action could be takenagainst the illegal riders.

Motor BikersNeed To Be Educated

Common LandWhy it is special…On the Risca side, from the cattle grid onMountain Road the area around the Twmpof Twmbarlwm is subject to CommonLand legislation.

Common Land is unique. It is historicalland, which has remained largelyundisturbed through the centuries, aremnant of medieval times when peoplerelied on commons for their survival. It island where the owners of nearbyproperties have rights to graze animals,collect wood and bracken or dig peat forexample. Those rights still exist, althoughare not exercised as they were in the past.

There are 1.3 million acres of commonland in England and Wales, registered inover 9,000 separate units covering alltypes of landscape and habitat.

All common land has an owner,whether it is a local authority, the NationalTrust or private individual - in the case ofTwmbarlwm it is the Trustees of LlanarthEstates.

The public has the right to walk on allregistered commons, subject to certainrestrictions, and on many commons thereis also a right to ride on a horse. Novehicles may be driven, nor fires lit, oncommon land.

Rights of WayA right of way is a path that anyone hasthe legal right to use on foot only, andsometimes using other modes of transport.• Public footpaths are open only to

walkers• Public bridleways are open to

walkers, horse-riders and pedalcyclists

• Restricted byways are open towalkers, horse-riders, anddrivers/riders of non-mechanicallypropelled vehicles (such as horse-drawn carriages and pedal cycles)

Road Traffic ActUnder section 59 of the Police Reform Act2002, a police officer may stop you andissue a warning (verbally in the firstinstance) if:1 the driving of your vehicle is likely to

cause harassment, alarm, distress2 you are guilty of careless driving3 you are driving on ANY land without

the land owner’s SPECIFICpermission or on any road being aFootpath, Bridleway or restrictedbyway (Thus being in contraventionof Section 34 of the Road Traffic Act).

The kids above are probably only 14 years old -they think it’s great fun riding their mini-scramblers to the top of the historical Twmp. Butthe photo above shows what happens to thelandscape because of the damage they initiallycause. This slope was a smooth grass bank lessthan 10 years ago.

More evidence of the damage inflicted on theTwmp by vandals.


THE CAMPAIGN to save Twmbarlwmstarted even before the society had formed,with several concerned local citizens writingto the letters page of the Argus in April2010 about the threat to the ancientmonument on Twmbarlwm from litter,erosion and off road motorcyclists. This wasfollowed up by communications betweenour fledgling campaign team, the localauthority, Caerphilly County BoroughCouncil, and the owners of Twmbarlwm,the Trustees of Llanarth Estate.

During this time we also received lettersof support and encouragement from a widerange of people including Don (now Lord)Touhig, the former Member of Parliamentfor Islwyn.

An appearance at last year’s CrosskeysGreen Park Festival in May helped buildmomentum and led to the first meeting ofthe society at Crosskeys RFC on Monday7th June.

Tidy Twmp LitterpickThe first activity of the society was the ‘TidyTwmp’ litter pick on the evening of Monday28th June when around twenty soenthusiastic volunteers from CymdeithasTwmbarlwm Society and Islwyn Ramblers,along with 2 countryside wardens fromCaerphilly County Borough Council, tookpart in a thorough clean-up of the summitarea of the mountain.

Official LaunchOur society was officially launched onMonday 18th October to a packed house ofover 100 people at Crosskeys Rugby Club.Those in attendance where treated topresentations on the Silures by Dr RayHowell of University of Wales Newport; theNorman castle, or watchtower, on thesummit by archaeologist Neil Phillips ofA.P.A.C. Ltd; Dr Maddy Gray, of theUniversity of Wales Newport, provided aninsight into the medieval pilgrimage routesfrom Llantarnam Abbey to Penrhys overMynydd Maen; while Richard Davies of theAncient Cwmbran and Cistercians Projectentertained us all with his passionate andarticulate delivery on ancient historicalremains on the Torfaen side of MynyddMaen.

The evening closed with a stimulatingdiscussion, and question and answersession, which was joined by, amongothers, popular local author Chris Barber,archaeologist Stuart Fry and Gwilym Gamesof the Friends of Arthur Machen.

Raising The ProfileThe Committee formed after that LaunchEvent decided that to achieve our aims ofrestoration and on-going care ofTwmbarlwm, we would need to raise itsprofile and illustrate the mountain’simportance to a wider audience – and, of

course, to raise the funds needed to achieveour aims.

To that end we started a programme ofevents to entertain and inform people andall have been well attended.

CisterciansRichard Davies (pictured below) joined usagain in January for the first of our monthlylectures. Richard, who is Project Officer of

the Ancient Cwmbran and CisterciansProject, provided an insightful andentertaining overview of the project’sfindings and their relevance to Twmbarlwmand its locality. He also incorporated anumber of myths and legends from the areainto his talk.

The second of our monthly lectures inFebruary was a fascinating eveningdevoted to medieval pilgrimages in south-east Wales. Dr Maddy Gray, who is Readerin History at the University of WalesNewport, provided an enthralling overviewof pilgrimage routes to and betweenCistercian abbeys. The focus of the talkwas the route over the shoulder ofTwmbarlwm from Llantarnam Abbey to theShrine of the Virgin Mary at Penrhys. Thiswas one of the most important pilgrimroutes in Wales until the dissolution of themonasteries by Henry VIII.

Dr Gray is organising a walk followingthe Llantarnam to Penrhys pilgrimage routeover three days in September. Anyonewishing to take part will be able to sign upto walk the complete route or just part of it.For more details email:[email protected]

4 SPRING 2011


The Story So Far…


SPRING 2011 5


E V E N T SJULY4th Committee Meeting

7.30pm - Crosskeys RFC10th Walk: Lost Farmsteads of the

Cwmcarn ValleyRob Southall9.30am - Meet at the visitor centre,Cwmcarn Valley.Tel: 01495 270078 for details

AUGUST1st Committee Meeting

7.30pm - Crosskeys RFC21st Nature Walk

Dave RichardsLocal area, exact location TBC

SEPTEMBER5th Committee Meeting

7.30pm - Crosskeys RFCSaturday 3rd – Monday 5th

Llantarnam-Penrhys PilgrimageDr Madeleine GrayWalk from Llantarnam to Penrhys overthree days

OCTOBER3rd Committee Meeting

7.30pm - Crosskeys RFC17th Western Valleys Walks and More

Ralph Collins7.30pm - Crosskeys RFC

NOVEMBER7th Committee Meeting

7.30pm - Crosskeys RFC21st The Silures

Dr Ray Howell7.30pm - Crosskeys RFC

Other events we are hoping to hold include:• Welsh Long Houses• Dry Stone Wall training• Welsh farm workers’ cottages• Industrial history of the Twmbarlwm

vicinity (walk)• Early Motte and bailey castles• Ghost walk/Ghost evening?• More litter picks• Place names of Gwent• The Geology of Twmbarlwm• Cwmcarn Colliery• The Cwmcarn Reservoir Disaster

Check the website regularly for moreinformation on events - and if you have anyideas for an event please contact Rob Southallvia the website:

www.twmbarlwm.co.uk

Artistic InspirationsIn March we enjoyed an illustrated talkfrom Gwilym Games (pictured below) of theFriends of Arthur Machen. In his talk heexplored literary references to the mountainand its surroundings from medieval timesonwards.

The “mystic tumulus” of Twmbarlwmhad a special significance for influentialCaerleon-born fantasy and horror writerArthur Machen (1863-1947) as part of thelandscape which inspired his work. He alsodescribed how Twmbarlwm appeared in thepoetry of the famous tramp poet W. H.Davies. The editor of the South Wales Argusin the twenties and thirties, William JohnTownsend Collins a good friend of Machen,also wrote a poem dedicated to the strangefolklore surrounding the mountain.

Following the talk, Keith Hackwood, atalented local author and poet, recited twoof his poems inspired by the mountain tothe delight of the audience.

Welsh Government andLocal Authority SupportWhile these events and activities havetaken place we have continued to lobbyboth the Welsh Government and the localauthorities to get the tump area and accesspaths restored to their former glory.

Earlier in the year we learned that as aresult of our efforts Caerphilly CountyBorough Council had linked up with a grantbid made by Torfaen County BoroughCouncil to the Valleys Regional Park whichwill allow them to undertake works onTwmbarlwm 'Tump' to protect it, upgradefootpath access to the Nant Carn valleyfrom Mynydd Maen and possibly provide asmall car park and interpretation signagebelow Twmbarlwm on the lane up fromRisca.

Caerphilly Council are currently awaitingthe go ahead from the owners, the Trusteesof Llanarth Estate, So it currently lookshopeful that restoration works will start inthe Spring of next year. We will keep ourfingers crossed. Watch this space for morenews.

The Mystic TumulusEarly in May the well known author ChrisBarber (pictured below) gave a fascinatingtalk on “The Mystic Tumulus of GwentLegend, History and Mystery”.

Chris delved intotheoriesconcerning theorigin of thename of themountain, itsmany legendsand mysteriesand showed howTwyn Barlwmfeatured in thewritings of hisclose friend andlocal historian Fred Hando. He alsocompared the mountain with other sitesof a similar nature in Wales.

Chris was involved in the GwentCounty Council project in the 1980s torestore the mound and showed usseldom seen photographs of the work inprogress at that time which led to aPrince of Wales Award for the scheme.

Dr Maddy Gray


6 SPRING 2011


Extract taken from “Glimpses of WestGwent” Rex H. Pugh 1935

Justice On The Heights(from “In the Gold and Purple”)

The first part of this poem is semi-satirical. Itwas prompted by a discussion at NewportTown Council on the advisability of erectingnew Law Courts. The discussion was grow-ing tedious, when a humorist suggested thata suitable site would be Twyn Barlwm! Thepoet, who was present in the role of Critic,weighs the possibilities of such suggestion.Law courts on Twyn Barlwm would certainbe a novelty in the modern age and wouldattract crowds of spectators (many in aero-planes). But is the idea as new as it seems?Was not justice administered on TwynBarlwm in ages long ago? The poet now letshis imagination wander and it conjures up avision of the past.

On the crest of a hillTo the people a chieftain made known his

Will.His long grey hair o’er his shoulders hung,The words of wisdom were on his tongue;He sat in his seat on the Hill of Laws,And justly decided each tribal cause;Law-giver, father, judge and chief,He checked the turbulent and punished the

ThiefDid right by the poor-hewers of wood,And ruled and judged for the tribal good.And judgement over, he raised his hand tobless. For the right he bade them stand-To live or die for their tribe and land.At the end a shout made the hillside ring;“All honour to Barlwm, our father and king!”And when Barlwm died with scarce a pause,They bore his corpse to the Hill of LawsThey set him again in his judgement seat,With his crown at his head and his shield athis feet;They dug the rock from the stony groundAnd raised o’er his head a mighty moundWhich the people could see for milesaroundAnd they gave it his name, and we call it

StillTwyn Barlwm – the tomb on the Judge’s Hill

W.J.T.Collins

Fred Hando’s Literary ViewCHRIS BARBER, who gave a talk to CTS in May,(see page 5) fondly recalled the work of FredHando. Fred was a close friend to the Barberfamily and Chris was fortunate to have theexperience of accompanying the Gwent authorand art historian on many of his journeys aroundthe county.

Fred first wrote about Twyn Barlwm in his firstbook Rambles in Gwent (1924) where hecommented:

“To many a son of Gwent, exiled in distantlands, home thoughts conjure up a vision ofa skyline, long and nobly undulating, with astrange tump towards the left, upheld by abare mountain shoulder. The vision appearsusually in sunset colours, with the hill palemauve against a primrose sky. Sailors haveseen it, whilst fighting for life in the ‘RoaringForties’; miners out at ‘the back of beyond,’puffing at their evening pipes, have foundthe vision floating among their smoke-pictures; Tommies, entrenched before theVimy Ridge, have watched while the ‘Pimple’changed magically into the ‘Tump,’ whileSouchez became Risca, La Targettedissolved into Pontnewydd and Arras seemeda dream-figment of Pontypool. This mountainvision sets the Monmouthshire man apart; itis his birthright, his symbol of home”.

Chris Barber has published two volumes entitledHando’s Gwent which pay tribute to Hando’swork – they make great reading and can befound in most book stores or online atAmazon.com

KEITH HACKWOOD, a local author andpoet, entertained us with some of his workat our literary evening in March and he’skindly given permission to reproduce one ofhis poems below:

UnstruckTwmbarlwm is backlit by lightningShe is lost to a terrifying dance

I shuffled nine times backwards salutingthe moonHer bruises licked my eyesA harmony circled my heart, a green roseA hole in the skyWeeping greenly

At Ynys Wydryn a devil wind elates me,Blackness rinses in a rain of tearsWringing deep into black mysteryDown Findhorn’s ever flowing race

Riven with dancing and comet-tailedI am broken from spine to skull –A roseate mist curtains my setting,Madoc is whispering omens to the wind

Across this setting two birds sail,Souls through Machen’s sunsetHeading for Goldlciff’s bright starsongAnd the music of tide-change

Twmbarlwm made vital by lightningIs silent in holy dance

Keith Hackwood

The Inspirational MountainTwmbarlwm has inspired manyartists, writers and poets forcenturies – as has been discussedduring many of our lecture events(see page 5). Here we presentsome artistic endeavours inspiredby “our” mountain.

“The Hill of Dreams” by well known local artist andCTS member, Mark Williams.See more of Mark’s work at MarkWilliams-art.co.uk


SPRING 2011 7


Night Hike to TwmbarlwmIN 1951, OR THEREABOUTS, Doug,the Scoutmaster of the secondPontymister Troop decided to organisea Night Hike to begin at midnight fromthe Troop’s hut on Park Road. I waseleven at the time and very much aTenderfoot, as new Scouts were called.There was very little street-lighting inthose days and no Ty-sign estate, sofrom Moriah Hill onwards we stumbledalong via stony lanes. After a wearyingtrek in pitch darkness, we duly arrivedat a hollow just off the exposedridgeway leading from the Twmptowards Pontypool, feeling tired andchilled by the dew-laden air. As theRangers began to unpack the tentsbest-laid plans were found to have goneastray: the tent-poles and pegs hadbeen left behind!

We younger ones were kindly putunder cover of the loose canvas whilethe more experienced lads went off tofind sticks to use as poles. Even todaytrees are scarce along the ridge so itwas a long time before suitablebranches were found, cut and shapedto hold up the tents and peg down theguy-ropes.

It was not a comfortable night. Thetents had been erected on a slope thatcaused us to roll against the tent wall.There were no proper sleeping bags inthose days only a blanket folded overand loosely stitched to form a bag.When we awoke, after a few hourschilly sleep, we found such a dense fogaround us that we could barely seeeach other. There being no fuel for fireswe had no choice but to pack up andreturn to our hut without so much as acup of tea for breakfast. There, all ourvarious cans of food were emptied intoone big pot and mixed to provide awelcome, hot meal that tasted ofeverything and nothing.

The Coronation BeaconTHE MEMBERS OF SecondPontymister Troop were largely drawnfrom Machen Street and Phillip Streetin Risca, where the local gang wasfamed for the immense bonfires

constructed for Guy Fawkes Night. Ittherefore seemed only right that whenit came to the Queen’s Coronation itwas fitting that the Troop should beasked to help build the Beacon onTwmbarlwm. Council lorries transportedsuitable logs and timber to the base ofthe final rise, and the Scouts hauled thefuel from there to the top. I recall feelingdismayed that instead of allowing us to

build the stack it was constructed byofficials according to a detailed plan. Atthe centre was an open space intowhich the person lighting the beaconcould step. As most of us had helpedbuild and light much bigger fires in theLong Bridge Field, we felt miffed thatafter all our labours we would nottrusted to ignite the pile.

As dusk fell, after a long day’slabour, we stood looking to the South,much as our ancestors must have donewhen Viking ships threatened thecoastal villages. It thrills me now torecall the sight of a distant fireappearing in the gloom and then to seeour beacon set ablaze. Witnessing thesignal passing on to the north forged abond with other communities that didmore than anything to give a sense ofbelonging to one nation.

Beavis’s LorryMY FATHER, JAMES Gomer Mumford,often told a story about the time whena firm of lorry manufacturers issued aboastful claim that their lorries could goanywhere where people could walk. Ifany transport company could name aplace where the lorry failed to go theycould have the vehicle as a prize. Atthat time the Beavis family had abusiness recovering coal duff from theEbbw and transporting it by lorry to bemade into coal brickettes. Old MrBeavis, as my father called him,challenged the firm to drive a lorry uponto the Twmp. It got as far as thesurrounding ditch, so say,but failed toget up the Twmp itself.

My father had helped set up a farm

shop selling meat at the Beavisfarmyard in about 1927, and as helived on the farm he would have heardthe story first hand. Throughout hislong life he often repeated the talewithout ever changing a word. But wasthe story entirely true? Evidence that thestory is feasible is that a spanking new,old-fashioned lorry bearing the nameBeavis Transport Contractor is shownon the front cover of the book: OldCrumlin to Pontymister in photographs,Volume 2, by Brian Collins and TerryPowell. As the lorry is labelled No. 4,one has to ask: why photograph thatlorry rather than Nos. 1, 2 and 3? Wasit the prize?

Anderson’s PondIN THE 1950’S any form of gambling,other than a bran tub at Christmas, wasforbidden, so older youths, of a lesslaw-abiding type used to gather onSunday afternoons to play cards formoney at Jackson’s pond, a sort ofreservoir sited some distance along theridge from Twmbarlwm towardsPontypool. Only once I went there, andthen only out of curiosity as like mostboys I attended Sunday school in theafternoons. Just to watch the cardsbeing dealt, and the coins tossed intothe pot, seemed a risky business as wewere all fearful of the Police in thosedays. I don’t know why, because theyhad no cars or helicopters and wewould have seen them approaching onfoot from miles away.

We’re sure many of you have your ownstories and memories associated withTwmbarlwm – get them onto paper andsend them in – we’d love to include themhere and on the website.

Nostalgic for Night Hikes, Beacons and WagersIn this first of the series “Memory Lane”, Cedric Mumford gives us a small collection of his “Tump” related memories

g MEMORY LANE h


8 SPRING 2011


WE GATHERED ON Pontymister Bridge atthe appointed time of 10:30 am on a veryfine Good Friday morning. As I gazed up atTwmbarlwm, dominating the skyline, I felta wave of apprehension. It looked very faraway and very very high. Maggie Thomas,who was leading the walk, assured me thatwe would be up there in no time. As adeskbound office worker, and infrequentwalker, I wasn’t so sure. However, I tried todismiss the mental images of mountainrescue helicopters and St Bernard dogs withbrandy caskets around their necks and setbravely off with the others.

Sure enough, before I knew it, we werestriding up through Ty Sign, attracting a fewquizzical looks from passers-by. Then acrossa field and onto the mountain road by theUpper Grippath Farm. It was great to seeothers joining our band as we plodded everupwards, and the opportunity to chat withnew and old acquaintances soon passedthe time.

As we crossed the cattle grid andmarched purposefully on we were passedby motorbikes and vans carrying still moremotorbikes. Some of our number producedcameras and spent a few minutesphotographing the registration numbers andvehicles, which magically seemed todisperse, leaving the mountain peaceful, foronce. We gathered by Sue Evans’ car at thecar park on the Risca side, and picked upthe newly designed Twmbarlwm T shirtsand some leaflets.

The final pull up to the summit wasexhilarating, with a group of people alreadyup there, watching our approach. I satdown on the tump, wondering if I would

ever get up again, and tucked into asandwich and well earned drink. Theatmosphere was wonderful, and it wasn’tlong before we saw what looked like a lineof ants marching towards us from the northeast. The Ancient Cwmbran Society! Acheer went up as they crested the tump andjoined us. I estimated there were probablyup to a hundred people on the tump at onestage, with not a single sound of amotorbike to disturb our picnic.

I chose to accompany Maggie Thomason the way down, which was interesting, tosay the least. Suffice to say that never againwill I believe a Rambler when they describe‘a bit of a climb’. Ramblers are well hardand not to be messed with. My evening wasspent in a hot bath and applying evilsmelling linaments to my aching muscles,resolving that I should do this much moreoften. What a wonderful experience. I can’twait for next year! Grace Lloyd

22 • 04 • 2011

The inaugural CTS Good Friday walk to the top of the Tump was heralded as a great success -Grace Lloyd and Terry Evans give their reports on the day…

THERE HAVE BEEN very few years in mylifetime that I have not walked up theTump on Good Friday and I have manyfond memories from childhood when thewhole street or Sunday school groupwould organise a walk to the top - itwasn’t a religious event, just a fun,communal day out. So when CTS agreedto promote and help revive this tradition Ioffered my keen support.

The day arrived unseasonally bright,clear and warm and I was happy to seeabout 30 people arrive at ‘The StoneyBridge’ Pontymister and we got togetherfor a group photo.

Although I walk up this mountainevery week, this walk was already feelingspecial - I could sense that everyonethought the same.

As we walked through Ty-Sign some ofus oldies recalled what this route was likebefore Ty-Sign was actually built - whenHolly Road was just a country lane andthere was a large house where theplayground now is - we used to call it the“old miser's house”.

So on up Mountain Road and a short-cut across the fields at Pentwyn farm aswe would have done when I was a lad.

One of my highlights of the dayoccurred just after we crossed thecattlegrid which marks the entrance to thecommon land of Twmbarlwm - from thewoods on the right I heard the sound thatis the famous soubriquet of Risca natives- it was a Cuckoo - my first of the year anda sure sign that spring has truly sprung.

Then came the final assault to the topof the tump itself - as we crested the finalrise the view of the tump spiked withcrowds of people already there was truly asight to behold.

I stayed at the top for an hour or so andI was pleased to see a continual flow ofpeople arriving in that time including ourfellow campaigners from Cwmbran.

I asked a few strangers why they hadcome today - a few said it was a familytradition but quite a few more said thatthey’d seen our posters and press releaseand decided to join in - I only hope thatwe’ll be able to whip up the sameenthusiasm in coming years when theweather is not as clement.

Terry Evans

Thanks to DaveStanding andMatt Rosser forthese photos -see more onthe website.

Revival of a fineLocal Tradition

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