A team from Chester Archaeological Society visited St Collen's last week to hear about the Genesis Project to re-order the ancient church and bringing its facilities into the 21st century.
The group, who were shown around by project leader Sue Evans, was led by Dr Pauline Clarke.
This was the latest in a series of visits by experts who are offering valuable help and advice on how the project should proceed.
A respected former Llangollen GP is backing the growing campaign to save the town's under-threat public toilets.
Dr Rhys Davies, who was based at Llangollen Health Centre before his retirement, has declared his opposition to the proposal by the county council to divest itself of almost all its public conveniences - including the one in Market Street - to help balance its budget.
He says they have a "moral obligation" to provide them.
The plan has so far sparked a storm of local protest, with the area's Senedd Member Ken Skates and North Wales Tourism SEO Jim Jones backing the fight to save the toilets.
County chiefs are hoping that the running of some of the toilets can be taken over by town or community councils. But early indications are that Llangollen Town Council is not in a financial position to do so. However, its members are due to discuss the issue at their monthly meeting on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, Dr Davies, who is also a former chairman of Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod, has written to llanblogger to make his opinion known.
He says: "I write to support the objections to the potential closure of the public toilets on Market St in Llangollen. I write as a previous GP in the town and district for 30 years and also as a long term resident.
"Although DCC don't have a legal obligation to provide public conveniences in Llangollen there certainly is a moral obligation. Public conveniences have been provided here for many years and they are essential for a tourist town the size of Llangollen.
"If the town council were to take over the running of the conveniences they should receive all the remuneration mentioned, but is it fair that they take over responsibility for parking also?
"The
idea of paying pubs, restaurants, take a ways etc to allow the public to
use their services is a non starter. We are not a city centre and there simply
aren't enough places in Llangollen to accommodate people requiring conveniences
especially those with disabilities and wheelchair users? Also when buses full
of tourists arrive, often earlier in the morning,
very few places are open . There is nowhere that could cope with a bus load of
elderly visitors needing conveniences. As a result bus companies won't come to
Llangollen and so there will be a significant loss of business.
"Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod is an about to have its largest festival for years, such a move by DCC would be a retrograde step.
"Many
people, residents and visitors included, have urinary problems especially
prostatic in males with urinary frequency, urgency and incontinence along with urinary frequency and incontinence in females. We
mustn't forget those with colostomies, ileostomies and urostomies who all need
access to suitable conveniences to manage for their condition.
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Latest local roadworks alert from one.network is:
|
Grange Road, Llangollen, Denbighshire 15 April - 07
May Delays
likely - Diversion route Name: Diversion Location:
Grange Road Description:
Streetworks / License - Streetworks Responsibility
for event: Denbighshire County Council Current
status: Planned |
The Clwydian Range and Dee Valley Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) is looking for Volunteer Rangers who would like to help the team take care of the southern end of the designated landscape.
The Dee Valley is an iconic area of truly outstanding scenery, rich in cultural and industrial heritage.
AONB says that as a volunteer ranger, you can become one of its ambassadors, share your love and knowledge of this area and inspire local people and visitors alike to help protect what makes the valley so special.
Volunteer Rangers will primarily be based at two of the most popular sites in the area - Castell Dinas Brân, the ancient hill fort which overlooks Llangollen, and Horseshoe Falls, Thomas Telford’s masterpiece and starting point for the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct and Canal World Heritage Site.
They will be provided with branded uniform and will meet and engage with members of the public, sharing information and answering questions.
Volunteers are being sought to help the AONB Ranger team at their busiest times, so they are looking for people who can commit to at least a couple of days a month, either on weekends or week days during school holidays. All new Volunteer Rangers will receive training prior to starting in their roles.
Councillor Win Mullen James, Denbighshire Cabinet Lead Member for Local Development and Planning, said: “This is a fantastic opportunity as getting outdoors and experiencing our amazing environment around the Dee Valley can be really beneficial for helping individual physical and mental health.
"It’s also very important work to protect the nature in the Dee Valley to help preserve the area for people to continue to visit and enjoy and I encourage those who love where they live around this amazing part of the world to take up this opportunity.”
The role is open to anyone over the age of 18, no previous experience required but a love of the landscape is essential! If you are interested in joining the team we will be holding an information session about the roles on the evening of Tuesday April 23. To book your place please contact Hannah Law Hannah.law@denbighshire.gov.uk. The closing date for expressions of interest is Friday April 19.
The Communities and Nature Programme has received £292,772 from the UK Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund.
Llangollen Silver Band has its inaugural Spring Concert at the Methodist Church tomorrow night (Friday), starting at 7.30pm.
If anyone - of any age - is interested in joining the band or learning an instrument this is your chance to come along and chat with conductor Mia Thomas.
Llangollen & Corwen Railway will hold its biggest and most ambitious event for several years this weekend.
The Branchline Gala takes place from April 12-14 and will see four steam locomotives and two diesel trains in service.
Matthew Davies, Volunteer Gala Organiser, explained: “Over winter, our staff and volunteers have been working flat-out to get the railway ready for 2024. We wanted to kick the season off in fine-style with the biggest event we have held since before the pandemic.
"Our Branchline Gala will see a packed timetable using our beautifully restored locomotives, carriages and wagons.
"Our 1930-built Great Western pannier tank No 7754 will be formally rededicated to traffic after a restoration that has taken nearly 20 years completed with volunteer labour. I am a member of the team that worked on her and we put in many hundreds of hours to get her back in steam. It was a long slog but seeing her working again has been worth every minute.
"We will also be welcoming our Great Western heavy freight locomotive No 3802 back in steam for the first time 21/2 years following comprehensive overhaul work. At the other end of the scale we also have two diminutive industrial tank locomotives at work.
"One, ex-Longbridge car factory tank engine Austin 1 has been with us for 50 years and was the very first steam locomotive to work on our railway when it was reopened by our founding preservation society.
"Finally, ex-Bold colliery Austerity
locomotive No 68067, one of the last steam engines to work in British industry, will be operating her last trains with us before heading back to her home
railway following an 18 month stay. 1958-built Class 26 diesel
locomotive No 5310 and our two car Class 108 diesel railcar complete our
impressive line-up."
Engines 7754 and 3802 will both be rededicated to service at a short ceremony to be held at 9:45am at Llangollen Station on Friday April 12, before both locomotives double-head an eight-coach special train to Corwen.
The railway, which continues to make a spectacular recovery from the collapse of its PLC operating company in 2021, is also welcoming trains back to its new Corwen Station, which opened in June 2023.
The line has been closed over winter whilst track repairs have been completed inside Berwyn Tunnel.
Visitors can also enjoy a visit to our scenic countryside stations at Berwyn, Glyndyfrdwy and Carrog.
The tea rooms at Llangollen and Berwyn stations will be open all weekend. A café and real ale bar in a charming converted parcels van can also be enjoyed at Glyndyfrdwy station. This usually quiet station will become a bustling hub for the weekend with services passing one another and a shuttle train running to Corwen and back.
Matt added “We’re
trying to offer visitors the chance to do something different. As well as being
able to travel on traditional passenger carriages, Austin 1 is hauling a short
train of brake vans, which folk can travel in. This will give a glimpse of what
moving freight around the railways was like for well over 100 years before road
transport took nearly all freight traffic away from rural branchlines, many of
which then closed – like our railway did in 1964."
* More details on the event and advanced tickets can be purchased from https://llangollen-railway.co.uk/branchline-gala/.
Tom Taylor, Llangollen Railway Trust Manager. added: “We’re so excited about showcasing how far our railway has come in just three years this weekend. Matt and the team have done a brilliant job planning this event. There has already been tremendous interest and we’ve sold more advanced tickets for it through our website than any other event in the railway’s recent history."
A short video showcasing the event can be seen on the Railway’s Facebook page.
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The issue of Llangollen's under-threat public toilets will be discussed by the Town Council at its next meeting, the Town Clerk has said.
Denbighshire County Council is proposing to rid itself of most of the county’s 20 public conveniences in a bid to ease its under-pressure budget to the tune of around £200,000 a year.
Pointing out that it doesn’t have a legal duty to provide toilets, it has suggested that they could be taken over by town and community councils.
Llangollen Town Council has as yet made no official comment on whether it might take over the Market Street toilets, where three people are employed.
However, local county councillor Karen Edwards has said she believes this seems unlikely.
Yesterday llanblogger asked Town Clerk, Gareth Thomas, for an official comment on the council's position.
And he replied: "It is on the agenda for next week's town council meeting. Until Members have considered this report I cannot comment."
The next council meeting is on Tuesday April 16 at 6pm in the council chamber (hybrid).
The proposal’s affect on the public loos in Market Street has sparked a barrage of angry criticism on social media and campaigns to protect them and there have been calls for a public meetings held under the auspices of the Town Council.
Clwyd South MS Ken Skates has already expressed his support for saving the toilets by writing to council chief executive Graham Boase to request the authority takes another look at the proposal.
Jim Jones, SEO of North Wales Tourism, and Vale of Clwyd MP Dr James Davies have also declared themselves opposed to DCC divesting itself of the toilets.
It is understood that DCC officers are preparing a more in-depth appraisal on the affects of their proposal as requested by members of the authority's scrutiny committee at their last meeting.
The final say on the plan will be down to the council's cabinet.
