Update on £6.8m project to improve the River Dee

For World Rivers Day, which takes place today (Sunday), Natural Resources Wales (NRW) has given details of the £6.8 million LIFE Dee River project.

From its headwaters in the uplands of Eryri (Snowdonia), the Dee descends via Llyn Tegid, the largest natural lake in Wales. 

After flowing through a broad valley to Corwen, it tumbles eastwards through the spectacular Vale of Llangollen, under the famous Pontcysyllte Aqueduct World Heritage Site, before breaching the Welsh foothills near Bangor-on-Dee, and meandering northwards through the Cheshire plain to its tidal limit just below Chester.

The main uses of the Dee are farming, predominantly cattle and sheep grazing; water abstraction for water supply for 2.5m people, tourism including recreational angling, canoeing and navigation; and nature conservation.

The LIFE Dee River project aims to bring many benefits to the environment, most notably improving the numbers of salmon, lamprey and freshwater pearl mussels to help them become more sustainable in future.

So far the project, which is funded by the EU LIFE Programme with support from Welsh Government, has worked with farmers to install 26 miles (42 km) of fencing which has created thriving riverside corridors that have been planted with 20,000 trees.

It has also improved in-river habitat by introducing 3,090 tonnes of boulders and 5,330 tonnes of gravel, and removed or adapted 10 barriers to improve fish migration.

Action taken includes:

• Removing the constraints to fish migration and wider ecological connectivity

• Restoring or improving natural riverine physical processes, features and habitats in at least 55 km of river

• Improving agricultural and forestry land management practices to reduce the input of nutrients and sediment entering the SAC

• Initiating conservation management for the critically-endangered freshwater pearl mussel

• Establishing and building long-term positive relationships with key stakeholders during and beyond the life of the project

Progress to date:

• 15,000 trees planted alongside the river
• 730 metres of natural bank stabilisation
• 4,250 tonnes of gravel introduced into the river
• 36 kilometres of fencing erected to create riverside corridors
• 1,000 tonnes of boulders reintroduced into the river
• 7 barriers removed or adapted to help fish migration

NRW says: "The communities living along the River Dee will be at the heart of the project. We will work closely with local people to ensure they understand the biological, social and economic value of the habitats and species, the river and the SAC in terms of their historic and present-day importance.

"Our hope is that people will feel a greater sense of community ownership and responsibility for the Dee and ensure the project’s legacy continues for years to come. We will be encouraging people to get involved as much as possible by holding over 50 events during the project’s lifetime including river walks and talks, workshops, open days and a schools hatchery programme."

* To find out more about the project, go to: LIFE Dee River 

MS calls on people to support Llangollen Food Festival

Sam Rowlands, Member of the Welsh Parliament for North Wales, is calling on his constituents across the region to back next month's Llangollen Food Festival.

Mr Rowlands, Chair of the Senedd’s Cross-Party Group on Tourism,  said: “Everybody knows I am a big supporter of promoting tourism in North Wales and I am always delighted to see the return of this extremely popular food festival which brings thousands of food lovers to the area.

 

“The highly successful Llangollen Food Festival returns to the area on October 11 and 12 with chef demonstrations, tastings and live music on the day.

 

“It is fantastic to see North Wales hosting this again as it is a great opportunity not only to bring communities together but it gives local producers a chance to show their wares to the public and visitors alike.

 

“As chair of the Welsh Parliament’s Cross-Party Group on Tourism, I believe they are a great way to promote our towns as tourist destinations on North Wales and encourages more visitors who spend money to help the local economy.”

 

The Llangollen Food Festival, which also offer live music throughout days, is held across several venues in the town over the weekend of October 11 and 12 from 10-5pm and features over 80 stalls.

Venues include:

Gales Wine Bar

Town Hall

Silver Band Rooms

Market Street

Riverside Park

Llangollen Railway

And new for this year… Blas Cookery & Wine School

 

Pavarotti's 1995 Llangollen concert to be released on disc

Three decades after it was recorded one of the most iconic voices in music history returns to captivate audiences with the release by Mercury Studios of "Pavarotti: The Lost Concert – Live at Llangollen 1995" on November 21.

This remarkable and previously unreleased performance by the legendary Luciano Pavarotti, recorded at Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod in 1995, will finally be available to fans on Blu-ray disc. 

Keeping a long-held promise, Luciano Pavarotti returned to Llangollen in 1995 to give a special gala concert at the International Musical Eisteddfod 40 years after winning a singing competition as part of a choir from his hometown of Modena that changed the course of his life in 1955.

This historic concert captures Pavarotti, at the height of his powers, performing with the BBC Philharmonic, soprano Atzuko Kawahara and Corale Rossini, offering a rare glimpse into an unforgettable evening of music, passion, and artistry.

This year marks what would have been the maestro's 90th birthday on October 12 and to honour this milestone, Decca Records is spearheading PAVAROTTI 90, a worldwide tribute celebrating the tenor's unmatched contribution to classical music, his international appeal, and his legacy of bringing opera to the masses.

They will release this concert in full, alongside two never-before heard tracks from 1955 – the earliest known recordings of his voice aged just 19.

Decca will release, on the same day, the audio component of The Lost Concert: Live from Llangollen 1995. The recording has been mastered with the latest technology and comes with a 100-page collector's book filled with essays, photographs, and archive material. 

It also includes two original 1955 recordings of the Corale Rossini, Bonjour mon coeur and In Nomine Jesu, believed to be the earliest surviving audio featuring Pavarotti's voice, as well as a rare interview where he recalls his first visit to Wales.

Speaking about the significance of the event, Nicoletta Mantovani, Pavarotti's widow, who visited this year's Eisteddfod, said: "It was the beginning of everything. Luciano often said that without Llangollen, there would have been no career."

Our Future public consultation is today and tomorrow

 

Local MP welcomes major clean-energy project for region

Clwyd East MP Becky Gittins (pictured) has welcomed a major clean-energy investment which will create hundreds of skilled jobs and help cut carbon emissions in North Wales.  

Two world-leading carbon capture projects – including the UK’s first carbon-capture-enabled cement plant at Padeswood in Flintshire – have signed final contracts with government, unlocking construction and securing 500 clean-energy jobs across North Wales and the North West.  

Backed by £9.4 billion of UK Government investment in carbon capture, the Padeswood project will remove around 800,000 tonnes of CO₂ every year, protecting skilled manufacturing jobs and helping to keep British cement competitive as the UK moves to net zero. 

Becky Gittins said: “This is a huge boost for Flintshire and the wider Clwyd East economy. Padeswood will not only cut emissions on an unprecedented scale but will secure and create the kind of high-quality, long-term jobs our communities deserve. 

“North Wales has the expertise and ambition to lead the clean energy revolution – and today’s announcement proves it.” 

The Padeswood plant, developed by Heidelberg Materials UK, will be one of the first anchor projects within the HyNet carbon capture network, which will safely transport and store captured CO₂ under Liverpool Bay. Together with a sister project at Protos in Ellesmere Port, the two sites will remove 1.2 million tonnes of CO₂ annually, supporting 2,800 jobs across the wider HyNet cluster. 

Ms Gittins added: “This is a clear sign that the UK’s transition to net zero can go hand-in-hand with the creation of good quality jobs and industrial growth right here in North Wales.” 

 

Community transport social outings October to December.

Here are the South Denbighshire Community Partnership community transport social outings for Llangollen between October and December.  

Bookings open three weeks before each trip so bookings cannot be taken earlier. 

You will also need to be a registered member with SDCP and have paid a £10 membership fee to use its Community Transport for the year. 

Llangollen seller puts rare 50p coin up for sale online

The Rhyl Journal has a story about a rare 50p coin expected to fetch more than £4,000 after being listed for sale online by a Llangollen seller.

* For the full story, go to: Denbighshire seller lists rare coin on eBay for over £4,000 | Rhyl Journal 

Latest local roadworks alerts from Denbighshire County Council

Latest local roadworks alerts from Denbighshire County Council are:

Cyffordd / Jct Grange Road BACHE MILL ROAD 06/10/2025 26/10/2025 Gwaith Nwy / Gas Works

OPP 10 Regent Street JNC QUEEN STREET AND CHURCH STREET Llangollen LL2 BROOK STREET 15/09/2025 02/10/2025 Gwaith BT/ BT Works SUNBELT RENTALS (DCC) LLANGOLLEN Ffordd ar Gau/Road Closure 

Junction of Chapel Street and Regent Street CHAPEL STREET 06/10/2025 25/10/2025 Gwaith Nwy / Gas Works GTC LLANGOLLEN Ffordd ar Gau/Road Closure 

MS highlights devastating impact of migraine

In Migraine Awareness Week, North Wales MS Mark Isherwood has highlighted the devastating impact of this neurological condition on those affected and referred to research which highlights the disadvantages faced by people with migraine in the workplace.

Mr Isherwood raised the matter in yesterday afternoon’s meeting of the Welsh Parliament when calling for a Welsh Government Statement on support for people with migraine in the workplace.   

He said: “This week is Migraine Awareness Week. Migraine is widely misunderstood as ‘just a headache’, yet it is a serious neurological condition causing debilitating pain, visual disturbances and nausea, affecting one in seven people in Wales - nearly half a million individuals.

“Research released this week by the Migraine Trust, 'Challenging Stigma: the urgent need to improve workplace support for people with migraine', highlights the shocking disadvantages faced by people with migraine in the workplace.

“Findings show that 60 per cent of employers would hesitate to hire a qualified candidate with migraine. Additionally, 15 per cent of sufferers have had to move from full-time to part-time work, and 19 per cent have been forced to leave employment entirely, at significant cost to the economy, a situation, I'm sure you'll agree, that is both sad and unnecessary.

“Straightforward, low-cost adaptations and a change in workplace culture can be transformative for many people with migraine and their ability to work. 

“I urge all Members of the Senedd to support the Migraine Trust in raising awareness and improving understanding of this important issue, and I call for a Statement from the Welsh Government accordingly.

Responding, the Trefnydd, Jane Hutt MS, thanked Mr Isherwood for raising “a very important topic” and said the Welsh Government “recognise the debilitating effects of migraines”.

She added:  “We continue to work with the NHS to improve care services and access to services. It's Migraine Awareness Week, and it's important, and we've all heard how we should address this in the workplace as well. It's a chronic condition. We do have the all-Wales headache toolkit, which supports front-line clinical teams in diagnosing and planning care for people experiencing different types of headaches, including migraine. But also, as you drew attention to the workplace particularly, I will refer your question and your point to the Minister for Social Partnership in terms of our engagement with social partners.”

Britannia Inn goes on the market for £595,000

* The Britannia is is on the market. Picture: Sidney Phillips.

Wales Online has a story which says the Brittannia Inn on the Horseshoe Pass is up for sale for £595,000.

* For the full story, go to: Roadside Welsh pub built by monks in 14th century up for sale for first time in over 20 years - Wales Online

Museum to host talk on Llangollen Railway's 50th anniversary

This year marks a distinguished milestone in the history of the Llangollen Railway - the 50th anniversary of the moment it all began, when the first tentative steps were taken to revive a vanished line from the shadows of dereliction.

And at talk at Llangollen Museum tomorrow (Wednesday) will reflect on this historic achievement.

 

In September 1975, a small group of volunteers from the Flint and Deeside Railway Preservation Society arrived at what was then little more than a quiet car park on the site of the old Llangollen station. 

There was no fanfare, no certainty, and certainly no working railway. Just a vision. A belief that something precious could yet be recovered from the embers of closure. That belief, tempered by grit, goodwill, and no small quantity of grease, would become one of the great heritage restoration stories of our time.

 

In his illustrated talk entitled Steam in North Wales and the Border Counties, Peter Dickinson will tell the story of the trials, tribulations and ultimate success of the revival of the line between Llangollen and Berwyn in 1986, Deeside Halt in 1990, Glyndyfrdwy in 1993, Carrog in 1996, and finally Corwen East in 2014, with the crowning glory coming in June 2023, with the opening of Corwen Central.

 

He will then look at other standard gauge railways that operate in the area and take the audience on a nostalgic journey back to the 1950s and 1960s.

 

The talk is part of a series of events, and complements the exhibition about the Llangollen Heritage Railway that is currently on display in the Museum gallery.

 

The talk will be at Llangollen Museum on Wednesday September 24 at 7:00pm. Tickets will be £3 on the door, to include refreshments.

Llan lads cycling to Thailand cross from Hungary into Serbia

* Trouble with the bike gears for the lads. 

A welcome visit by friends and family from home, more bike trouble, a return to heatwave conditions and an triumphal entry into Serbia all marked the seventh week of their epic road trip to Thailand for three lads from the Llangollen area.

Known collectively as The Westheads, Dyfan Hughes, 17, James Thomas, 18, and Louis Dennis, 18, had never ridden a bike further than the shop near their homes when they set out on their 18-month quest to reach Asia.

Once there they aim to meet up with their friend Harrison who moved to Thailand six months ago after his dad died from a heart attack and to raise money for heart research. 

Day 43 from their daily video diary saw the trio reaching the Hungarian capital of Budapest where there was a meet up with familiar faces from back home who stayed with them briefly in the city.

A couple of days later they were back in the saddle to ride on through the vast plains of Hungary towards the Danube river.

There was a bit more bike trouble - gears and innertubes etc - which was cured for them at a local cycle shop.

It was then a battle with 33 degree heat as they crossed over into Serbia after initially trying the wrong border control. 

* To follow the journey on their social media and make a donation if you wish go to: https://linktr.ee/westheads

Ysgol Dinas Brân wins national environmental accolade

Ysgol Dinas Brân has won a prestigious national accolade for its sustained commitment to improving the environment for its students, not just in school but also in the wider community.

The school recently received an assessment visit from Catrin Hughes, the awarding officer from Keep Wales tidy, the organisation which runs the Eco-Schools environment education programme in Wales.

And due to the combined team efforts of its governor Howard Sutcliffe, the students involved in the Eco-Council, the support and hard work of a large number of staff from a wide range of departments, the school has been awarded Platinum Eco-schools Status for another two years.

This is the highest accreditation that Keep Wales Tidy can give to a school.

Andrew Wallis, PSE Whole School Coordinator at Ysgol Dinas Brân, said: "This is the ninth time the school has been accredited with Platinum status, which is an exceptional award-winning track record that the school is rightly very proud of.

"The school has a number of exciting plans for the next two years, which will involve the community and outside agencies to further develop our students’ educational opportunities. Da Iawn Ysgol Dinas Brân!”

Catrin Hughes of Keep Wales Tidy told the school: "I am delighted to confirm that you have retained your Platinum Eco-Schools status and wish you every success with future projects. Maintaining the Eco-Schools Platinum status is a fantastic achievement. The school, staff and pupils, should feel proud of their hard work and commitment.”

Sheep killed in 'vicious livestock attack' near Llangollen

Police are seeking information after a sheep was killed by a dog near Llangollen.

* For the full story see Leaderlive at: https://www.leaderlive.co.uk/news/25483377.sheep-killed-vicious-livestock-attack-near-llangollen/

St Collen's revives ancient ceremony of baptism in River Dee

* Dylan is immersed in the swollen river by Father Lee and the Rev Gary Anderton.

* ... and coming up for air after the submerging.

St Collen's this afternoon (Sunday) revived an ancient and sacred practice of the Christian church when one of its new members was baptized in the swollen and rapidly-flowing waters of the River Dee.

After the morning service the congregation walked across town to the riverbank where Father Lee Taylor, the priest in charge, performed the full-immersion of Dylan Houchin in a ceremony rich with symbolic actions that would have been familiar to Christians in Jerusalem, Milan, Antioch, and other centres of early Christianity.

* A large crowd watches from Riverside Park as the baptism takes place.

* The scene watched from the riverbank.

Father Lee explained: "The ceremony draws deeply from both Eastern and Western baptismal traditions, incorporating gestures such as turning to face east and west, a generous outpouring of holy oil on the crown of the head, and tasting milk and honey — a sign of entering the Promised Land and of the sweetness of new life in Christ. These practices harken back to the first centuries of Christian life, when baptism was a vivid, full-bodied celebration attended not only by family and friends, but, according to early texts, by the angels themselves.

"In most churches today, some of these actions survive only in simplified form — a drop of water, a touch of oil, or a small taste of sweetness. While these remain beautiful signs, they are only faint echoes of the richness of early Christian celebrations. In this service, we aim to recover something of that depth, drawing on historical sources and giving them new life here and now."

* The baptismal group makes its way through town to the river. 

The baptism included the blessing of the waters, and the presentation of a white garment to symbolise purity and new creation. 

After emerging from the river Dylan was given a taste of milk and honey, reviving a practice that stretches back to at least the 2nd century, symbolising entrance into the Promised Land and the sweetness of new life, according to Father Lee.

Councillor's fears over tourist 'saturation' of aqueduct area

* Pontcysyllte Aqueduct at the heart of the World Heritage Site.

A Wrexham councillor says the area around the world-famous Pontcysyllte Aqueduct doesn't need any more tourists and is at "saturation point" after attracting over half a million a year at the last count. 

And Rondo Roberts, the independent member for the Llangollen Rural ward which covers the World Heritage Site, describes some of the problems being caused by visitors to the iconic River in the Sky as "just not unacceptable", including swearing or threatening with violence residents who point out they are parking in the wrong places.

* Cllr Rondo Roberts.

He also fears things could get even worse if the proposed new National Park gets the go-ahead.

Cllr Roberts, who was born and brought up close to the aqueduct, hinted at the problems being caused by the large influx of tourists in a comment he made on a Facebook post highlighting a llanblogger story last week in which North Wales Senedd Member Sam Rowlands said Welsh Government policies were hitting tourist numbers in his constituency.

But Cllr Roberts commented on Facebook: "... Don't need any more tourists in Llangollen Rural (Aqueduct) we're at saturation point with the 500K and rising."

When llanblogger asked him to explain further he said the figure he quoted came from Wrexham Council's economic development department.

"The annual figures are based on counters and clickers placed at two points close to the aqueduct. In 2019, before the pandemic, these recorded that the area had been visited by 394,000 people. By the time of the latest count this summer this had risen to over 500,000.

"We've had enough and we can't handle any more. The infrastructure and roads around Fron and Trevor just can't cope.

"People just park anywhere. They leave their litter and rubbish behind them and walk off. They are parking on grassed areas which just get churned up when it rains.

"Some are very rude to local residents who say anything to them about this. They have been sworn at or even threatened with violence. This is just not acceptable." 

Cllr Roberts added: "I do what I can and I must say I have had plenty of support from the leader of the council, Mark Pritchard.

"I recently had a meeting with senior council officers about the delay in opening up a large, new car park for the area on the old Monsanto chemical site. I have also had temporary signs put up helping people coming in off the A5 to locate the existing car parks. I'm now pushing for permanent signs.

"The aqueduct is the jewel in the Wrexham crown and right up there with the football ground when it comes to attracting visitors. But even if this wasn't a World Heritage Site the genie is now out of the bottle and they would still come here in droves.

"If the new National Park is approved there would be even more people coming to the area and we are not coping with the numbers we already have.

"We have got to bite the bullet with the finances and find a different way of managing our World Heritage Site."          

Colourful and crowded Comic Con comes to the Pavilion

Hundreds of fans from across the country packed into the Pavilion as Wales Comic Con made its Llangollen debut today (Saturday).

The popular event has traditionally been held annually at Wrexham University.

But, this year, the comic con team found a new location in the International Pavilion, which is now run by the Eisteddfod team.

For the event, which also runs tomorrow, a host of top guests have been lined up, including Jennifer Beals (The L Word/Flashdance), Mark Addy (Game of Thrones/Dune), TJ Thyne (Bones) and Katie Leung (Harry Potter series).

The fan convention, which organisers see as an exciting new chapter in the event’s history, is expected to attract up to 10,000 fans across the weekend, offering a packed schedule of celebrity signings, panels, cosplay competitions, gaming zones, traders and more. 

Fans entered into the spirit of the event with some fine examples of cosplay.

* Tickets are on sale via the official website: www.walescomiccon.com

* Fans queue to have their photos taken with Jennifer Beals of Flashdance fame.

Update from day five of the castle's big dig

* Volunteers at work on the Castell Dinas Bran dig.

Sam Thompson of Llangollen Museum gives an update on Day 5 of the Dinas Bran dig diary.

Arriving in the morning to an overcast Dinas Bran, both the weather and the archaeology looked promising. Each day the castle seems to grow taller as the climb tests our aching knees and overstretched hamstrings, yet we march on regardless—drawn to the green and grey in pursuit of priceless knowledge.

Today I was allocated to the castle trench, which is cutting ever deeper and edging closer to the 13th-century floor level of the gate. The finds trays are already filling with the previous day’s discoveries (see Faith’s report from Day Four), a mix of Victorian pottery and hobnails from horseshoes that have worked their way to the surface.

As the morning progressed, more of the trench reached the gatehouse floor level, which appears to be stepped. Slowly we peeled back the layers of soil that have accumulated over the centuries. The architecture is now becoming clearer, offering hints of what the original structure may have looked like in its brief working life—insights that will only sharpen as we dig further.

From the gatehouse trench, more of the sandstone architecture has emerged, including fragments once part of the portcullis guide and door blocks. In my own area, I was thrilled to uncover a beautiful and unmistakable piece of medieval green-glazed pottery—a small but evocative reminder of the people who once lived here.

The castle saw many visitors today: a school trip from Shrewsbury, tourists from across the UK, and even from the Netherlands. All were eager to glimpse the discoveries taking shape, learning more about the monument than they might on a simple visit.

Meanwhile, at the ramparts, the upper section of the trench has now reached bedrock—exposed for the first time in over two millennia. It was a sobering and thought-provoking sight. The context here is now ready to be recorded, and the students from Chester University have the patient task of drawing—an artform in archaeology that most of us attempt, but few truly master.

As the week draws to a close, the team feels triumphant. We have many artefacts to process and much to ponder in interpreting what has been unearthed. It is a moment to take stock: to reflect on the endurance and tenacity required to push through fog, wind, rain, and, thankfully, the occasional burst of sunshine. Even more will be revealed in the week ahead, and we look forward to sharing that journey with you all. Thank you sincerely for the likes, shares, and comments—they mean a great deal to us.

I will leave you with the words of British archaeologist and author Geoffrey Bibby:

“Every archaeologist knows in his heart why he digs. He digs, in pity and humility, that the dead may live again, that what is past may not be forever lost, that something may be salvaged from the wreck of ages.”

— Geoffrey Bibby, The Testimony of the Spade

* See the museum's Facebook page for more pictures of the dig at: https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1AGsNM5ySb/ 

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