This year, the Cambrians decided to try out a new programme for our members. Given all the uncertainties of meeting indoors as the pandemic continued to affect all our activities, we thought that offering a series of walks and talks at historic places in the fresh air might be a good way of continuing to meet one another to celebrate Wales’s history and archaeology in a safe environment.
Most of our walks were, therefore in the very safe environment of windswept upland moorland, though a few were more easily accessible walks around historic towns. They were well scattered around different parts of Wales to try to make them attractive to members in every part of the country. They ranged from walks around the prehistoric landscapes at Brenig, in Denbighshire where Frances Lynch-Llewellyn guided some 13 of us around the Bronze Age cairns she excavated in the 1970s (see photo below),
The Iron Age fort at Foel Trigarn in Pembrokeshire led by Toby Driver, the Roman forts at Y Pigwn in Carmarthenshire by Heather James, medieval Rhuddlan and Ruthin led by Fiona Gale, the multi-period coastal sites at Cemlyn, Anglesey led by Andrew Davidson and the industrial landscapes at Blaenafon in the south east, led by Frank Olding and Sian Rees (photo below).
These seven diverse walks attracted around 69 participants and at least five new members. Most were conducted in good weather, Y Pigwn being the exception; people seemed to enjoy themselves and several walks engendered spirited debate. We thank all the walk organisers and we hope to conduct a similar programme next year.
If members have favourite walks and would like to let us know, we would be pleased to hear from them.