The Festival of British Archaeology

To celebrate the 2013 Festival of Archaeology the CALCH project provided an exhibition, guided walks and storytelling around Herbert's Quarry. There was also a CALCH on site. Around 80 people attended the event over the weekend.

Digital Media Workshop

A workshop led by volunteer Colin Jones provided an introduction to film making and digital media with the aim of creating a video record of CALCH project events.

Family Art Workshop

A family art workshop with local artist Katie Jane Vickers was held at the Black Mountain Centre in Brynaman. The children (and parents!) created “mixed media pieces” using mud, lime and stone from the mountain itself, as well as charcoal, pencils, and paint. We hope to display this work in the future.

Prynhawn Da feature

The Welsh language magazine TV programme Prynhawn Da filmed a 5 minute news item on the CALCH project and inviting people to visit the quarries.

Tycroes Scouts Group

With a visit to the quarry and and indoor workshops, CALCH worked with Tycroes Scout group to enable the Scouts to achieve their ‘Heritage Activity' and ‘Artist Activity' badges.

Llanddeusant Youth Hostel Open Day

CALCH joined in at the Llanddeusant Youth Hostel Open day with a hands-on model kiln for budding lime makers! The Open Day was very busy despite the rain and the model kiln activity was and very popular!

Work Experience

Work experience students from Local schools undertook field survey and recording of kilns with CALCH.

Volunteer Research

Dedicated CALCH volunteers visited Carmarthen Records Office to research the lime industry, turnpike trusts, the Rebecca Riots and furnace bricks.

Llangadog Lime Heritage Discovery Day

In May we held a Lime Heritage Discovery Day on Llangadog common as part of the Fforest Fawr Geopark Festival. Even though the weather was miserable many hardy visitors came to learn about the lime heritage of the Black Mountain through displays, talks, storytelling, children's activities and walks.

Fieldwork – March

A hardy group of six local volunteers helped with making a detailed record of lime kilns and the office block building where conservation work will take place. Despite the terrible weather – snow, gale force winds and driving rain, much was achieved and the help was greatly appreciated!

Fieldwork – May

In May, with better weather, our volunteers returned and we completed records of the kilns and office block. Small trenches were excavated on the top of three kilns which were earmarked for conservation works later in the year.

Conservation Work

The work to repair and make safe the three largest and most complete kilns and to reduce the walls of the office block building and engine house was started during the summer. Good progress was made, but inevitably rain set in, and the work will need to be completed in the spring.

Walks and Talks

Various walks and talks were held throughout 2013 for interested local people as well as groups such as The Brecon Beacons Park Society; Burry Port and Brecon U3A groups; Pembrokeshire Industrial Heritage Group; Welsh Industrial History Panel; Ammanford Probus, Llandeilo Civic Trust, Dyfed Family History Society; Carmarthen Archaeology Day; Mynydd Du Graziers Association.

Calch attended several heritage events including the Royal Welsh Show, the Dyfed Family History Society and the Llanelli Heritage Festival.

Other events

A poster display on CALCH and the Black Mountain lime industry was displayed at the Llanelli Heritage Festival, the Dyfed Family History Day in Gwbert, the ‘Back to Yesterday' event at the Black Mountain Centre in Brynamman, the Royal Welsh Show and the National Association of Mining History Organizations symposium in Aberystwyth . These were well attended events and good opportunities to raise awareness about the project.

Schools Programme

In 2013 Sarah, our Council for British Archaeology Bursary placement, embarked on a busy schedule of site tours and classroom workshops, to raise awareness about the Black Mountain Quarries among local schools, and to help us develop an education package that will enable teachers to use the quarries for teaching a variety of subjects, or just a fun day out for their pupils. Over three hundred pupils took part, including Dinefwr Home Education Group, Llandovery Prep School, Llandeilo CP, Tycroes School, Ysgol y Bedol, Amman Valley School and Penrheol School. During their visits pupils learned about the Black Mountain's industrial heritage, followed with classroom sessions on subjects ranging from history, chemistry and art. Some great masterpieces were produced!

A lot of work has also been going on reporting on all the documentary research, survey work, excavations and the designing and developing of interpretation panels, waymarkers for the self-guided trails, booklets and leaflets etc. There is a lot still to do in 2014!