Beaufort Hill Ponds & Woodlands
News & Events 2011 & 2012
JULY 2011 - VANDALISM IN THE WOODLANDS
Recently, the Woodlands has suffered two mindless acts of vandalism - on the 25th June the Dragonfly Gate (left) was damaged beyond repair damaged by a tractor, and a week later, the wall on the entrance gate at the top of Little Lane (below) was also badly damaged. Society secretary, Graham Hughes contacted the Gwent Gazette - for details on the news article, please click on the link below.
As can be seen from the photographs, the Society Directors, members and regular visitors have been extremely upset by this wanton damage, as many people have worked extremely hard over the last six years, to make the Woodlands such a popular place to visit, but a recent letter to our membership secretary, Roy Lynch has heartened everyone - a very kind gesture. Details of Mrs Williams' letter and Roy's reply are shown below.
Dear Mr Lynch,
Thank you for your e-mail in reply to my letter and donation.
I had been away for a few days so it was only last night that I saw the article in the Gazette about the vandalism to the dry-stone wall and gate. As you say, it is mindless vandalism. There was no profit or gain from this act.
Please accept this cheque for £20 for the Beaufort Hll Ponds & Wildlife Society, to include membership for my family of six. I am sure you can put the remainder of the donation to good use.
I have lived on Beaufort Hill for almost thirty years during which my family and dogs have enjoyed many a "walk around the pond." I feel very lucky and privileged to have such a beautiful wildlife area on my doorstep. Friends and visitors are constantly amazed at this resource - and envious too.
Thanks to the Society for all the good work you do. Long may it continue!
Yours faithfully,
Gayron Williams (Mrs)
The reply from Roy Lynch
Dear Mrs Williams
I received your membership fee, donation and kind letter in the post this morning.
Thank you very much for your kind thoughts. You may have read about recent acts of vandalism within the woodlands in the local press. As Graham Hughes stated in the Gwent Gazette, acts like these can be disheartening. But kind letters like yours remind me why we are trying to create a better environment for all of us to enjoy.
Little Lane Wall Now Repaired.
This photograph was taken on the 26th July and the wall has now been rebuilt and looks as good as new.
JULY 2011 - MEMORIAL BENCH INSTALLED AT UPPER BOAT POND
A third memorial bench has recently been installed on the banks of the Upper Boat Pond, it was donated by Mrs Margaret Allen in memory of her husband, Jack.
The inscription on the plaque says :-
"Come And Rest A While
Donated By Jack And Margaret Allen."
JULY 2012 -NEW TEN-YEAR LICENCE
The Directors of the Beaufort Hill Ponds & Woodlands Preservation Society are pleased to announce that we have recently signed a new ten-year agreement with Blaenau Gwent County Borough Council whereby the Society is granted a licence of the land known as 'Beaufort Hill Woodland' for the purpose of promoting and environmentally enhancing the area .
JULY 2012 - BIG LOTTERY FUND AWARD
We are delighted to announce that the Big Lottery Fund has recently provided a grant to the Society to fund the installation of a lectern-style interpretation panel which will be located between the two ponds. The panel will incorporate the images and names of those wildfowl which most regularly inhabit the ponds thereby helping all visitors in identifying individual species. It is hoped that the panel will be installed in early 2013.
JULY 2012 -THE SOCIETY GET A NEW LOGO.
Society Director John Hillier thought that we could do with a new modern logo and came up with the design below (right).
Below, John describes the reasoning behind his design.
" It was created as part of a school classroom task where I get the kids to design and develop their own vector logo. (I try to use any opportunity to raise awareness of our society as much as possible).
In my design specification I require the pupils to make it fit for purpose and it's audience. In this instance my thoughts were that the logo had to represent the Beaufort Hill Ponds and Woodlands, so..
1) The tree represents the woodlands
2) The blue wave represents the ponds
3) The three people represents the community of Blaenau Gwent (3 valleys) young and old.
My thoughts on this design style would be to give our organisation a 'fresh' look."
SUNDAY 9th SEPTEMBER 2012 - EBBW FACH TRAIL CHARITY WALK
This year, the main walk (8 miles) to Ty Ebbw Fach at Six Bells started at the main entrance to the Woodlands at Highlands Road.
Members of the society marshalled this section and directed the walkers onto the main road through Beaufort Hill and onto Parc Nant-y-Waun.
Photographs of the start of the walk are shown below.
