Helicopter help was on hand to assist Rangers from the Clwydian Range & Dee Valley AONB undertake important works on the picturesque slopes of Castell Dinas Brân.
Earlier in the
autumn - and under the expert guidance of archaeologists from Clwyd-Powys Archaeological
Trust (CPAT) – Rangers, volunteers and contractors excavated close to 35 tonnes
of material from the castle gatehouse as part of the exciting restoration works
taking place at the castle.
All of the
excavated material was bagged up, ready to be airlifted directly onto one of
the key routes that meanders to the summit.
This section
of footpath has become heavily eroded and has widened considerably in recent
years, threatening the population of nationally scarce plants such as upright
chickweed and shepherd’s cress that are to be found here at Dinas Brân.
Skilled
contractors will then use this material to repair damaged sections of the
trail.
Rhun Jones,
Senior Ranger in the Dee Valley, said “Working in partnership with Cadw and
CPAT, this has been a really exciting project – and not just because we have a
helicopter here to move all of the material!”
“When planning
the project, we knew that in restoring the castle and clearing the gatehouse,
we’d generate a lot of waste. But we saw this as an ideal opportunity to use
the cleared material to improve access opportunities whilst also safeguarding
the fragile grassland habitat too so that everyone can continue to enjoy Dinas
Brân’s rich natural and historical heritage.”
The castle
restoration work is being delivered through the Our Picturesque Landscape
project, a landscape partnership scheme funded by the National Lottery Heritage
Fund, with additional support and funding provided by Cadw.
Councillor Win
Mullen James, Denbighshire Cabinet Lead Member for Local Development and
Planning, said: “This is a fantastic piece of collaborative work and I look
forward to seeing the end results at such a prominent Llangollen landmark. “
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