Fly the Walking Dog of Kington
Sleeping Dragon Update
Armed Man Performance in Presteigne
Village Events
The Arthur Stone
The Open Arms Kington
Council News
Open Gardens and Many More Summer Events
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Acknowledgements
We are grateful for support from Kington Town Council & Knighton Town Council, without whom we wouldn’t be here. Also to Richard Banks for support and advice; and to Andy Tobin, image wrangler who sorts out all our ads. May the bluebird of happiness fly over you all.
Editorial
We had to wait a long time for it, but the sunshine finally appeared: suddenly the world was filled with birdsong, blossoming fruit trees, flowers and colour. We also had a major national event: pomp, ceremony, history and costume – I speak, of course, of the Eurovision Song Contest, although I believe there was some sort of royal event as well. In our summer issue we have lots of lovely events for you to go to: fêtes, fairs, coffee mornings, music, art, fundraisers, open gardens and markets. It’s more important than ever to support our local businesses, many of which are experiencing high energy costs, supply issues and reduced footfall. Rather like the post office’s famous phrase: use it or lose it. In our three towns we are lucky to have bakeries, delicatessens, greengrocers, cafes, butchers, newsagents, convenience stores, art venues, libraries, pubs, fast food and slow. If we promise ourselves that we will give our custom to at least two of these a week, it could make the difference between a thriving High Street and one with closed shops and a forlorn appearance. And my local café makes the best cup of coffee I’ve ever had!
Annie Vickerstaff, editorCover: poppies, by the editor. Funny bits: Blogswallop
An Exciting New Era for the Oxford Arms
The Oxford Arms on Duke Street, Kington has been cherished since the 17th Century. As history has unfolded, so the role of the pub has adapted and changed. From being a crossroads for coaches traveling around England and Wales to a thriving political headquarters it has always been a treasured and welcoming place to stay and socialise.
If Dickens had spent time at the Oxford, it is certain that the Pickwick Club would have visited! Fast forward to recent years and the pub became a haven and wonderful refuge under the convivial direction of Fred Hawkins and family. Now a new phase begins for this special hostelry. When Fred and Sadie decided the time had come to move on, community interest company Open Arms Kington (OAK) formed around the conviction that the Oxford could be purchased as a community asset, to preserve this historic building for future generations, and to create within it an inclusive, vibrant community hub & pub.
The Oxford’s spacious interior and sunny courtyard have lots of potential for OAK’s vision to provide tasty local food, a regular timetable of events, room hire, a dedicated youth space and accessible facilities to create a hub for people to meet, socialise, launch ideas, find support, and to share skills and experiences, with profits being invested back into community activity.
Support from the National Lottery Community Fund, the Architectural Heritage Fund, the Department of Levelling Up’s Community Ownership Fund and a loan from the Parochial Church Council has enabled the purchase of The Oxford Arms. The backing of these organisations is a huge endorsement of the project and a substantial investment for Kington. What’s next?
The Grade II listed building needs some initial maintenance, so the pub will be closed while this is carried out. In the interim community gatherings & pop up events are planned for the summer with opportunities for everyone to get involved. Community ownership has been at the heart of OAK’s vision and they will be launching a community share offer to make this possible.
Open Arms Kington would love to hear from you - your ideas and stories will help shape the future of the Oxford Arms. Would you like to become a community share holder, volunteer or help in other ways? To find out more please visit www.openarmskington.co.uk or email info@openarmskington.co.uk
Hergest Croft up for Award
The Historic Houses Association Garden of the Year Award 2023 has officially been launched, with six beautiful gardens competing to be named the Garden of the Year in a national public vote. The award, in conjunction with Christie’s auction house, has gone from strength to strength with tens of thousands of votes cast in recent years. “We are absolutely thrilled and delighted to be shortlisted with some of the finest gardens in the country,” said Austyn Hallworth, Head of Marketing & PR for Hergest Croft Gardens. “The hard work now begins as we need to generate in excess of 4,000 votes to win before the closing date at the end of August. We are appealing to the lovely people of Hereford, the County and beyond to spend just a minute or two of their time to go on line and vote for us. It is so important to us and if we win, it will bring significant footfall to the gardens and the surrounding area.” The public can vote by clicking on this link https://www.historichouses.org/vote -for-garden-of-the-year-2023/
Hergest Croft Gardens in Kington extends over 28 ha (70 acres) with more than five thousand rare trees and shrubs. Described as "One of the finest collections of trees and shrubs in the British Isles", the gardens hold the UK National Collections of Maples, Birches and Zelkovas. The six distinct areas are Hergest Croft, the Azalea Garden, the Maple Grove, the Kitchen Garden, the Park and Park Wood.
Ursula Cholmeley, Chair of the Historic Houses Gardens Committee: “The Garden of the Year Award is a great opportunity to recognise and reward the beauty and quality of independent historic gardens. The hard work that is put in to maintaining and evolving these gardens is undisputed, and it’s so important that not only the owners are celebrated but also the gardeners and volunteer teams who give up their time and effort day in, day out to preserving independently owned heritage.”
Brilley Common: a New Era
Unfortunately over the last 20 years Brilley Common has become very overgrown, with its many Public Rights of Way (PRoW) blocked by vegetation, bracken and brambles for the majority of the year. Gone are the views that could be seen towards Radnor Forest as trees grew and grazing ceasing due to stolen gates etc. Brilley Common is one of only two fenced commons and was fenced in the 1950s and put to growing green crops, before it was ploughed up and grazing commenced by the commoners. Prior to Covid a gentleman from Kington would voluntarily come to the common twice a year and then spend three days quietly working his way along the PRoW, allowing them to be enjoyed by many. Unfortunately, he moved away and there has been no-one else to take the work on. As the grazing ceased, the vegetation started to take over and it had become a high fire risk to the dwellings adjacent and nearby. Many people will remember last summer’s dry weather and how farmers were battling with fires in fields and how the fire would sweep along hedges as well at great speed.
The Mid and West Wales Fire Service are looking at reducing their workload by reducing such areas of high fire risk and Brilley Common is one such location. Working with the commoners, the Fire Service commenced cutting fire breaks on the common along the PRoW and along the perimeter. This will now give the common a head start to a new and brighter future as the commoners explore the re-introduction of grazing and other land management and restoration methods.
This work was carried out under the Operation Dawns Glaw scheme, a multi-agency taskforce of specialists who are committed to reduce, and where possible eliminate the impact of grass fires across Wales. The initial focus was on reducing incidents of antisocial behaviour and arson, but recent work has focused on assisting farmers and landowners in ensuring the safe execution of their land management plans. Equally, as a result of increased tourism to rural areas of Wales over recent years, the task force has been raising awareness of the consequences of accidental fires on our countryside. Should you be interested in exploring the scheme further please contact Jeremy Turner, Farm Liaison Officer on j.turner@mawwfire.gov.uk or go to https://www.mawwfire.gov.uk/eng/newsroom/currentcampaigns-and-consultations/dawnsglaw/
Norton Show is Back!
All our old favourite events, including Welsh Axe Men, Horticultural tent, children's games and Mr Bamboozle magic show, vintage car and tractor runs, craft stalls, refreshments. Sunday 30th July 12 noon till 5pm. Field adjacent to Offa's Green at the top of the village, on the B4355 between Presteigne and Knighton. Proceeds will go to the Norton Hub, the project to convert the former St Andrew's Church into a Community Hub. Contact Brian for further information or to book a craft stall - 01544 267898, castlebank84@gmail.com For more information about the Norton Community Hub project, have a look at our website www.nortonhub.uk
Donations wanted for Lace and Textile Sale
A sale of lace pillows, books and equipment as well as other craft items and books will be held on Saturday 1 July 10.30am - 4pm at Brilley Village Hall, Herefordshire HR3 6JG http:// brilley.co.uk/village-hall/how-to-find-us/
We are also looking for donations of any sort of needlecraft and wool craft equipment and books. Other craft donations are also welcome. If you have any unfinished needle / wool craft projects and you are unlikely to finish them, these would also be gratefully received too. Should you wish to have a stall at the event please contact Fiona Mead on 01497 831537. A fee of £10 is payable on the day. The monies being raised will be going to support St Michaels Hospice (Hereford) and also the Kington branch of the MacMillan Nurses. There will also be refreshments throughout the day by Gaynor’s Catering of Rhosgoch. Parking is available and entrance is free.
News from Kington Town Council
Local Elections and a new council
Local elections took place on Thursday 4th May. There were fewer nominations for councillors than there are positions on the council – therefore the election was uncontested, and the following people will be councillors for the new term:
Elizabeth Banks, Richard Banks, Tom Bounds, Jon Cooke, Martin Fitton, Judith Gardner, Fred Hawkins, Esther Rolls, Philip Sell, Ruth Warne, Bob Widdowson and Martin Woolford.
Of the above only Martin Woolford is new to the council and we wish him a very warm welcome.
Our new mayor is Elizabeth Banks. We thank her for agreeing to take up the role one last time. Our new deputy mayor is Phil Sell. We thank him for stepping up to high office and wish them both well in their term.
We are very pleased to announce that in the Council meeting on Monday 15th May we co-opted three new councillors: Nicky Cornish, Alan Dixon, and Kim Greig. A very warm welcome to them all and we will be profiling them in the next edition of the MBN.
We sincerely thank the follow retiring members of council for their service:
David Redmayne (our outgoing Mayor), Ian Spencer and Ben Macleod-Needs. We are very sad to see you go and hope that one day you will find time and energy to rejoin us.
Whilst it has no direct bearing on the running of Kington Town Council, we note that our incumbent, Terry James, won re-election as Ward Councillor for Kington against a spirited and strong field of candidates.
We also note that Herefordshire Council is as of now under no overall control. As your town council we are committed to working closely with your Ward Councillor and Herefordshire Council whomever they are, and we hope to continue that with the new line-up in Hereford – whomever they turn out to be.
As our new council only took office on 15th May we are yet to agree our strategic priorities for this next fouryear term. We are actively working on developing those priorities and making sure that the council is organised in the best way to achieve them.
Now, therefore, is a great time for you to talk to us or come to one of our meetings in order to make sure we know what your priorities are. We meet on the first Monday of every month at 7.00pm at the Old Police Station.
Whilst we have not yet agreed our priorities, we do know that big issues coming up the next term will include:
Bringing Crooked Well Meadow into community ownership and improving our green spaces and living environment.
Revitalising Kington Recreation Ground and its environs. Fighting to keep Kington car parking free for residents and shoppers.
Further rounds of infrastructure work undertaken by Balfour Beatty Living Places on behalf of Herefordshire Council but with lead input from Kington Town Council. Working with Herefordshire BID to improve the business and tourism environment in the town.
Building the Kington brand for tourists and shoppers. Helping vulnerable members of our community manage the cost of living, social care, and NHS crises.
We would love to hear your priorities and your views on the above. Please let us know, now and in the future.
Fly: The Walking Dog of Kington
We’re so pleased to see that Fly is now in place in front of the Museum looking great on top of his stone. There will be an official unveiling and ceremony of thanks at 11.00 AM on Saturday 27th May – all are welcome.
We want to say particular thanks to Rachel for making him and the many people who pitched in with finance, advice, and practical help. It really was a team effort to place an exceptional piece of public artwork in the very heart of the community.
Civic Award
The Civic Awards are nominated annually by Kingtonians to honour people who have made outstanding contributions to the community. The Awards we will be giving this year are in the following categories:
The Young Person Award
This is an award for a person under the age of 21 who lives in Kington or is in school in Kington and who has made a significant contribution to the residents of Kington through voluntary effort, achieving success or overcoming difficulties.
Community Award
This is an award for a resident or community group/ charity, living or working in Kington, who has made a significant contribution to the residents of Kington above and beyond the call of duty, achieved local success or overcome difficulties.
Business Award
It will be nominated by Kington Chamber of Trade and is for an individual or organisation who has provided exceptional service to the local economy or local population or made a significant contribution to the local area.
The Mayor’s Special Award
Nominated by the Mayor each year at the Mayor’s discretion.
The Presentation of the Awards will be at the Town Annual Meeting which will be held on 24 May , 7pm at the Old Police Station.
To contact the council: T: 01544 239098 or clerk@kingtontowncouncil.gov.uk
Kington Festivals
Wheelbarrow Race: 10 June
SmokeFest: 22 July
Kington Vintage Show: 19 - 20
August
h.Art: 2 - 10 September
Kington Show: 9 September
Kington Autumn Walking Festival: 21 -24 September
Hergest Croft Gardens Autumn Plant
Fair: 15 October
Bonfire & Fireworks: 28 October
Christmas Lights switch on: 30
November
Winter Food & Drink Festival: 2 December
Weobley Big Dig
TV presenter Kate Bliss of BBC Bargain Hunt, Flog It! and Antiques Road Trip is opening the Weobley Big Dig’s first exploration pit in the outer bailey area of Weobley Castle on Saturday, June 3 at 2pm. This kicks off a week of wide community involvement with more than 100 volunteers excavating, cleaning, cataloguing, manning the village hall display centre and museum and looking after visitors.
Young people from Weobley Scouts and Weobley High School are involved with their own pits and a total of 25 sites around the village will be both dug and restored during the week. Expert guidance will be given by Herefordshire county archaeologist Tim Hoverd and his team who say this is the biggest community dig they have undertaken.
The opening weekend will also feature a Living History artisan ‘village’ on the castle site with members of Amicorum Medieval Enactors carrying out historic crafts, such as a fletcher making arrows, shoemaking by a cobbler and a scrivener writing out texts, as well as medieval cookery and children’s activities.
Over the nine days of the Big Dig efforts will be divided between those involved in excavating, cleaning and handling finds, while the event as a whole is facilitated by other essential volunteers manning the Village Hall visitor centre and exhibition, museum, village centre info point and stewarding three car parks.
Project manager for the event is Roger Burrage, who is also the secretary of the Weobley & District Local History Society. To find out more, email him on
weobleyhistorysociety@gmail.com.
Presteigne News
If you want to know what’s happening in Presteigne, you need to sign up for the monthly Community News e-letter! Published by PACDG, the Presteigne Area Community Development Group news@pacdg.org You can send them your news and events too.
Sleeping Dragon update from Pete. Work is now well under way on the dragon at Bluefoot Forge rearranging certain aspects to allow for galvanising. While I’m doing that the ground fixings have to be changed and upgraded for long term. The dragon will be going to Western Galvanisers in Oswestry to be sand blasted, pickled, washed, dried and finally dipped in a bath of molten zinc for a short while. It will then return to Bluefoot to be reassembled ready for the next stage which is recovering with rabbit wire donated by Presteigne Gates. I will need some labour for this part of the job as it’s a laborious process involving 3000 zip ties, surgical clamps and dexterity. The transport costs are being sponsored by Logistics Aid, based in Shobdon and usually distributing aid to war/ nature torn countries like Ukraine and Turkey. I am particularly pleased with this sponsorship as it was unsolicited. It’s a pleasure to be aligned with Logistics Aid and its humanitarian ethos. Presteigne & Norton TC have made a very generous donation of £300 (thank you!) but we are still in need of further donations as we are still not quite on target. If any individual or business in or around Presteigne would like to sponsor the dragon’s return you can do so on the links below. All sponsors’ names will go on a big board and will also be placed in a sealed container in the dragon for the future, this applies to all personal donations too. So don’t miss out, donate now if you can and secure the Sleeping Dragon’s future https://www.justgiving.com/ crowdfunding/sleeping-dragon I hope he’ll be able to make an appearance at the Memorial Hall 70th on 26 May all going well! To contact Pete email presteignesleepingdragon@gmail.com or tel. 07735354623 / 01544 267810. More background on Facebook - The Sleeping Dragon.
Presteigne Carnival. We are looking for a Carnival Queen for our 2023 Carnival on the 8th July. You must be 12 and over and live within five miles of Presteigne. Please submit your application to include your name, age, address, telephone number and confirm availability on the 8th July. Those under 16 must have parental consent. There is a budget for the outfit. Any questions, please ring 07766 152000. The closing date is Saturday, 10th June and the winner will be informed shortly afterwards. And so on to our raffle! Another big Thank-you to all the donations of lovely raffle prizes from local businesses. The raffle tickets will shortly be going to print and will then be on sale from committee members and in the High Street on the Saturdays in June. If there are any left, they will also be on sale on the Showground. You are not too late to donate a raffle prize, please get in touch if you would like to do so 07766 152000.
Friends of John Beddoes. The Friends Committee is a newlyformed group and will welcome new members as we are starting from scratch. We recently raised funds to purchase leavers’ hoodies, and hope others can join us to help with looking after outdoor areas at the school and with school trips etc. Contact Jane Jones on email fojb@protonmail.com We are holding a Car Boot Sale on Sunday, 11th June at the school from 10am to 2pm. With cake stall and tombola. Please come along and support us, while grabbing a bargain too! Email as above to book your stall.
Presteigne Tree Group. FREE TRAINING - Tim Kaye, ecologist, project officer for Hidden Herefordshire and Director of Cultivating Learning and Nature (CLaN) will be leading workshops to train volunteers who would like to be part of a team monitoring and recording wildlife on the Coed Llanandras nature reserve over time. A maximum of 15 places are available for each session. Details of the training sessions are shown below. If you would like a place on any of the sessions, please email
presteignetreegroup@gmail.com stating clearly which workshops you would like to take part in. Places are limited so please respond as soon as possible. All resources and equipment will be provided but please bring drinks and a packed lunch if you are attending two workshops on the same day, and wear suitable clothing and footwear for walking on wet and rough ground. Friday 2nd June 10am to 12.30pm Plant ID Training at Coed Llanandras nature reserve. We will be looking at identifying the commoner species of plants so we can monitor changes on the reserve over time. Friday 2nd June 1pm to 3.30pm Mammal Tracks and Signs/Recording Wildlife – the ‘how to’ guide. The first part of this session will take place at Coed Llanandras, we will spend an hour or so outside learning about ways to record mammals when they are not seen. After this we will go inside and discuss the best way to record wildlife with a host of resources to help the budding naturalist! Funded by The Welsh Government and The Heritage Lottery Fund.
Renewable Training Centre. Heat Pump Installer Training for Plumbing & Heating Engineers at our newly approved BPEC Training Centre here in Presteigne. Learn to install both air and ground source heat pumps on our next available course Tuesday 20th June Friday 23rd Junewww.renewabletrainingcentre.co.uk for more details or call 01544 302222
Update from the Norton Community Hub: Lots of good news on the project to convert the former Norton church building into a Community Hub. We've reached our funding target for the building work. We've made a good start on funding for the Hub operation. The building work has got off to a cracking start and we're cautiously hopeful for completion by the autumn. Our new Management Committee is making great progress on plans to open for business. Lots more detail about all this exciting news in our latest email Newsletter which is on our website - www.nortonhub.uk
Presteigne Festival 2023 24-28 August. Brochures are out now and available from St Andrew's Church, The Assembly Rooms and online at https://presteignefestival.com. To book tickets you can either phone the festival booking office on 01544 267800 or book online through the website.
Don’t miss The Armed Man! Kington Choral are delighted to be joined by the Bannau Brycheiniog Chamber Orchestra, soprano Serena Jopson, and muezzin Abdul Quddos for a very special performance in Presteigne of Welsh composer Karl Jenkins' hugely popular "The Armed Man". First performed in 2000, the piece charts the growing menace of a descent into war, interspersed with moments of reflection, and ends with the hope for peace in a new millennium, when "sorrow, pain and death can be overcome". The concert will start with Handel's rousing Coronation anthem, “Zadok the Priest” followed by music by Vaughan Williams, William Walton, PLUS the very first performance of "The Storm" by local composer Julian Reeves. St Andrew's Church, Presteigne Saturday 24th June at 7.30pm. Interval Bar and refreshments. £20 (under-18s free). Tickets from the Salty Dog (Presteigne), Tower House Gallery (Knighton), and Border Bean (Kington) and online https:// www.trybooking.co.uk/CJNG
Bus Routes. Please support the campaign to call on Welsh Government to safeguard against cutting our local bus routes which are now under threat because Welsh Government is planning to withdraw its funding of the Bus Emergency Scheme (BES) to bus operators. If this happens, it may result in the cancellation of between 35% - 45% of bus routes across Wales also meaning the loss of hundreds of jobs across the sector. Workers, families and vulnerable people left isolated and without access to public transport. We could see:- Bus routes in our rural areas withdrawn - Overcrowding on buses - Longer waiting times at bus stops - Longer journey times. This cannot be allowed to happen. Cut & paste this link in your browser to sign the petition https://www.megaphone.org.uk/ petitions/back-your-bus-route
Comedy of Errors
There’s nothing quite like outdoor Shakespeare on a summer’s evening, and the lovely Jubilee Gardens of Leintwardine Community Centre are the perfect venue. On August 19th, bring your family, friends, something to sit on and a picnic, for an evening of laughter, great food, wine, fizz and company while being entertained by the fantastic Rain or Shine Theatre Company.
In this their 25th anniversary year, the acclaimed Gloucesterbased touring group come to Leintwardine Community Centre for the first time. The theatre company's aim is to “bring classical professional theatre into the heart of local communities at an affordable price” and their lively, entertaining shows performed by a small group of actors are suitable for the whole family, whether completely new to outdoor theatre or regulars at the shows in previous years at Stokesay Castle.
What better performance than A Comedy of Errors to provide laugh out loud entertainment for all ages! Come and witness the comical confusion and chaotic capers of Shakespeare’s hilarious masterpiece.
Once upon a time, two sets of identical twin babies and their parents survived a shipwreck. Fate, however, decreed that the family should be split up, sending the mother one way, the father and one of each twin another, and the final pair a third way … 25 years later, in search of their long-lost family, two of the twins, Antipholus of Syracuse and his manservant Dromio arrive in Ephesus, a city reputedly full of rogues, cheats and sorcerers. Although this is their first visit, merchants greet them as acquaintances, women pursue them as lovers and Ephesus appears to be a place where everybody knows their names!
Leintwardine Community Centre opens its doors from 6.30pm on Saturday 19th August and there will be a fully licensed bar,
raffle, strawberries, Pimms, champagne and prosecco as well as food available to buy if you don’t want to bring your own. Enjoy the birdsong, shade or sun on the lawns – and it’s always wise to bring an umbrella just in case!
Tickets are in hot demand so book quickly to avoid disappointment. Call the box office on 03306 600541, pop into Griffiths Garage in Leintwardine village or go online www.bit.ly/ LeintwardineCOE. £16 adults, £15 concessions and £8 for children aged 5 to 15.
Open Gardens Leintwardine
Leintwardine gardens are open to the public from 1-5pm on Saturday 17th and Sunday 18th June.
11 gardens will take part, two of them for the first time. You will also find a Plant Stall with a good selection of home grown plants and vegetables. There will be church tours on both days, 2pm to 4pm, including a trip up the tower for ticket holders. Teas and cakes will be served in the Community Centre - don’t forget the newly evolving Community Garden at the rear.
Look out for a display of past Leintwardine Show memorabilia. Children can enjoy creative workshops on both days at 3 to 4pm. There will be activities including a bug hunt, an intimate look at nature up close, an open sculpture workshop, boules, a labyrinth and meditation spaces.
Refreshments in the gardens include home-made honey icecream, Pimms, fruit juices, prosecco, elderflower pressé, strawberries and cream.
Admission £7 (covers both days), under-18s free. Tickets from Griffiths Garage or participating gardens on the day (cash only). All proceeds to the Leintwardine Centre.
The Arthur Stone
Okay, lets settle one thing straight off: the Arthur Stone has got nothing to do with King Arthur, Arthur Daley or any other Arthur one might know of, even though legend says that King Arthur slew a giant who left the impression of his elbows on one of the stones when he fell. In reality The Arthur Stone is a Neolithic burial chamber, a fascinating stone monument and one of the most significant in the whole of the UK - right on our doorstep! It can be found very easily in the hills above the Golden Valley halfway up Dorstone hill, so if you don’t mind driving up very steep narrow roads then it’s definitely well worth a visit.
The Neolithic era (New Stone Age) started in Britain around 6000 years ago. This was a time when communities were transitioning from nomadic hunter gatherers towards a more structured farming lifestyle. It was a time when most of the large structures associated with ritual and burial were built, such as Stonehenge, Avebury and Silbury Hill. The Arthur Stone would have been built during this era, around 5000 years ago.
The people who then lived in Britain were exactly the same as us, the same number of arms and legs and similar sized brains as well. Burial chambers were very commonly built in Britain during the Neolithic and there are many examples still standing. If you’re interested in them then you couldn’t do better than get The Architecture of Death by George Nash. The book describes around 100 such tombs and monuments associated with burial and ritual in and around Wales.
These can take the form of a chamber constructed by large upright stones with a huge capstone positioned and balanced on top forming a roof to the chamber. Often there is also a passage leading into the void as can be seen at the Arthur Stone. They would have been used for the burial of individuals and family groups for the communities who lived in the area. It is estimated that there could have been a population in excess of 250 in the Dorstone settlement occupying the upland areas of the Golden Valley.
The dramatic hills of the Black Mountains and the Skirrid would have been of great significance to the community around the Golden Valley and they would have traded and been in constant contact with the population further afield. Many finds of flint axes and arrow heads in the area support the idea that there were many communities living and hunting in the area. The monuments may also have been completely covered over with stones, rubble and turf with just the entrance passage remaining visible providing access for further burials.
A recent archaeological dig at The Arthur Stone revealed evidence of a bigger and more substantial structure, possibly with an avenue of posts leading up to the monument reinforcing the idea that it may have been a significant place for meeting and ritual.
By Old PeculierPresteigne & Borders Floral Art Society
We meet on the 2nd Wednesday of most months at 7.30 in Presteigne Memorial Hall and would welcome new members. Forthcoming meetings:
June 14th Sue Blandford, a National Demonstrator, with ‘Here Comes Summer’
July 12th Jane Pugh from Bishops Castle, with ‘A Way on the Wild Side’
August 9th a tea party and club demonstration by members.
Membership costs £32 and visitors are always welcome - £6 on the door.
In addition we hold informal flower arranging classes in Whitton Community Hall on Thursdays, 12-2pm at £5 per session. Beginners and non-members very welcome. Please check venues and dates in advance with our Secretary on 01544 340453
Knucklas Fete
It will be fun and games for young and old alike when the annual village fete takes place in Knucklas on 5 August between 12 and 5 pm. Come along to the Knucklas Community Centre LD7 1RR for displays, musical entertainment, dog demonstrations and a dog show, stalls selling local artisan goods, delicious hot and cold refreshments, children’s games and so much more!
Knucklas Allotments Open Afternoon
To coincide with National Allotments Week, enjoy a relaxing afternoon visit to the delightful Knucklas allotments on 13 August between 1pm and 5pm. As well as the opportunity to explore the allotments, there will be live music and tea with homemade cakes.
Funds raised at both events will be used to support the Knucklas Castle Community Land Project. Contact knucklascastleclt@gmail.com
Staunton School Raffle
The Friends of Staunton School Summer Raffle are fundraising to replace the dilapidated play equipment in the school playground as it currently cannot be used due to it being unsafe for the children to play on. We have had a huge variety of great prizes donated by fantastic businesses to support us in reaching our fundraising target. We are hoping to keep adding more prizes right up to the raffle being drawn! Raffle will be drawn on 29 June 2023 at 11.55pm. Tickets £1. See website or click on QR code.
www.peoplesfundraising.com/raffle/foss-summer-2023
