Cadeirydd/Chairman Y Cynghorydd / Councillor Jason Weyman 

Hydref / Autumn 2012

Rhif 9         No. 9

Croeso i rifyn diweddaraf o’n Taflen Newyddion sy’n gofnod o weithgareddau’r Grŵp dros fisoedd yr haf. Bu hwn, fodd bynnag, yn gyfnod o dristwch yn dilyn marwolaeth ddisymwth ym mis Mai ein cyfaill a’n cydweithiwr Stuart Rivers. Roedd Stuart yn aelod brwdfrydig a gweithgar iawn o’n Grŵp ac o hyd yn mynnu cadw at ein hamcanion. Ymysg ei llawer o gyfraniadau i  weith gareddau’r Grŵp, rydym yn cofio am ei sgwrs ddiddorol am y Dramffordd o Fae Colwyn i Landudno. Hefyd cawsom hanes ganddo ef ag Elan am y Fonesig Henrietta Augusta Mostyn yn gynharach eleni. Stuart ag Elan oedd yn bennaf gyfrifol am lwyddiant yr Arddangosfa wych a gynhaliwyd ym mis Ebrill.

Cafwyd canmoliaeth uchel i’r Arddangosfa hwn, ac fe’i cynhelir eto ym mis Medi yn Y Bont, Adeilad y Cynulliad, Cyffordd Llandudno. Er mai o swydd Efrog edd Stuart, roedd ei wybodaeth a’i ddiddordeb am hanes lleol yr ardal hon yn anhygoel. Bydd ein colled fel Grŵp ar ei ôl yn enfawr ac mae ein cydymdeimlad yn mynd at Elan, Gini a Joe yn eu colled hwy. Rhaid cyfeirio at farwolaeth ddisymwth un arall o’n haelodau sef Dr John Wainwright O.B.E. Er mai yn ddiweddar ymunodd Dr. Wainwright a’r Grŵp, bu yntau hefyd yn frwdfrydig iawn am amcanion y Grŵp ac roedd yn rhan o dîm Kevin sy’n cadw golwg ar gyflwr Ffynnon Santes Fair yn Llanrhos. Er y tristwch yma, rhaid llongyfarch ein Cadeirydd, Jason ar gael ei ailethol yn Gynghorydd Sir dros Ddeganwy ac i Vicky am gael ei ailhethol i Gyngor Tref Conwy.

Ym mis Mai cynhaliwyd ein Cinio Blynyddol yng Ngwesty Cei Deganwy ar ddiwrnod braf o haf. Daeth llawer o bobl ynghyd i wrando ar sgwrs hynod o ddiddorol gan ein siaradwraig gwadd, Frances Lynch ar Wisgoedd yr Oes Efydd. Un o’r pethau y cyfeiriodd ato oedd  Mantell Aur yr Wyddgrug. Fe ddarganfuwyd y Fantell seremonïol aur unigryw hon ym 1833 gan chwarelwyr wrth iddynt gloddio am gerrig mewn tomen gladdu mewn cau o’r enw Bryn yr Ellyllon ger yr Wyddgrug. Mae’n dyddio o thua 1900 – 1600 CC ac fe ellir ei weld yn yr Amgueddfa Brydeinig yn Llundain. Cafwyd adloniant gan Ensemble Conwy ac mae’n diolch i Vicky am y gwaith a wnaeth i baratoi diwrnod mor bleserus ar ein Cawsom amser llwyddiannus iawn ar Ddiwrnod Prom Deganwy.

Unwaith eto dangoswyd llawer o ddiddordeb yng ngweithgareddau’r Grŵp a’r Arddangosfa. Eleni wrth gwrs buom yn dathlu Jiwbili Diamwnt y Frenhines ac yn ein cyfarfod ym mis Mai daeth yr aelodau at ei gilydd am noson anffurfiol i hel atgofion am y coroni ac am ymweliadau’r teulu brenhinol a’r ardal. Rydym hefyd yn paratoi CD o luniau a gymerwyd yn Neganwy wrth i’r Fflam Olympaidd wneud ei ffordd trwy’r pentref, fel bydd gennym gofnod o’r achlysur at y dyfodol.

Ym Mehefin aethom am dro dros y Fardre gan ganolbwyntio ar y Fardre ei hun yn hytrach na’r Castell. Roedd Fiona wedi trefnu’r daith gan dynnu ein sylw at nodweddion neilltuol buasai rhywun yn dueddol i’w pasio heibio heb ystyried beth oeddynt.

Enghreifftiau o hyn oedd yr hen chwareli, gweddillion Tyddyn Ffatw a Chaer Ddial, y ffosydd lle bu’r milwyr yn ymarfer yn ystod rhyfel 1914-18, a llawer o bethau diddorol arall. Hefyd cawsom y cyfle i ymweld ag Adeilad y Cynulliad yn y Gyffordd. Yng Ngorffennaf ymwelwyd â Phlasty Marl a chawsom ein tywys o gwmpas yr adeilad gan Elan. Mae’r adeilad presennol yn adferiad o’r adeilad a ddifrodwyd bron yn llwyr gan dân yn y 18fed ganrif. Plasty Jacobeaidd mawreddog oedd yr adeilad gwreiddiol a godwyd oddeutu 1661 ond efallai mai mynachdy yn gysylltiedig ag Abaty Aberconwy oedd ar y safle cyn hyn.

Marle Hall

Cawsom yr hanes am berchnogion y Plasty tros y blynyddoedd hyd at ei ddefnydd gan Ddinas Birmingham yn y ganrif ddiwethaf fel cartref gwellhad i ferched hyd at ei ddefnydd heddiw fel Canolfan i weithgareddau awyr agored. Bydd ein gweithgareddau hydrefol yn dechrau ar 20fed Medi pan fydd Gwyn yn rhoi sgwrs am y trychineb a ddigwyddodd yng Nghoedwig Marl ym 1944 – ‘Dim lle i Lanio’. Ar 10fed Hydref byddwn yn mynd ar ein gwibdaith flynyddol – eleni ar y Trên Bach i Borthmadog, ac yna i ymweld ag Oriel Plas Glyn y Weddw yn Llanbedrog ag ymlaen i Eglwys Beuno Sant yng Nghlynnog.

Dymuniadau gorau

Hydref 2012

Cadeirydd/Chairman – Y Cynghorydd / Councillor Jason Weyman 

Hydref / Autumn 2012

Rhif 9          No. 9  

Welcome to the latest edition of our Newsletter which is a record of the Group’s activities over the summer

This period, however, has been tinged with sadness following the sudden death in May of our friend and colleague, Stuart Rivers.

Stuart Rivers

Stuart was a very enthusiastic and active member of our Group and was most keen to uphold our aims and objectives. Amongst his many  ontributions to the Group’s activities, we remember his interesting talk about the Colwyn Bay to Llandudno Tramway. He and Elan also gave us an insight into the life of Lady Henrietta Augusta Mostyn earlier this year. Both he and Elan were mainly responsible for the success of the excellent Exhibition held in April. There was very high praise for this Exhibition which is to be shown again in September at Y Bont, the Welsh Assembly Building, Llandudno Junction. Although from Yorkshire, Stuart’s knowledge and interest in the local history of this area was unbelievable. Our loss as a Group is immense and our sincerest condolences go to Elan, Gini and Joe in their sad loss.

We should also refer to the sudden death of another of our members, Dr John Wainwright O.B.E. Although having only joined the Group recently, Dr. Wainwright was also enthusuiastic about the Group’s aims and he was member of Kevin’s team who are keeping an eye on the condition of St Mary’s Well in Llanrhos .

Jason Weyman

Despite this sadness, we must congratulate our Chairman, Jason on his re-election as a County Councillor for Deganwy and Vicky on her re-election to Conwy Town Council , 

Vicky Macdonald

 Our Annual Lunch was held at Deganwy Quay Hotel on a lovely summer’s day in May. Many people joined us for a most interesting talk by our guest speaker, Frances Lynch, on Dress in the Bronze Age. One of the matters to which she referred was the Gold Cape of Mold.

This unique gold ceremonial Cape was discovered in 1833 in a stone lined burial chamber by quarrymen as they were digging for stone in a mound at Bryn yr Ellyllon, Mold. It dates from 1900 – 1600 BC and can be seen at the British Museum in London. Entertainment for the lunch was provided by the Conwy Ensemble and our thanks go to Vicky for her hard work in preparing such a delightful occasion for us.

We had a very successful time at Deganwy Prom Day. Once again, much interest was shown in the Group’s activities and the exhibition.

Prom Day

This year of course we have been celebrating the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee and at our meeting in May, members got together for an informal meeting to reminisce about the coronation and past royal visits to the area We are also preparing a CD of photographs taken in Deganwy as the Olympic Torch made its way through the village so that we will have a record of the event for the group.

In June we took a walk on the Vardre,  concentrating on the Vardre itself instead of the Castle. Fiona had prearranged the walk and drew attention to particular features which normally we would tend to pass by. Examples were the old quarries,

Fatw cottage

the remains of Ffatw and Caer Dial, the trenches where soldiers did their training during the 1914-18 war and many other interesting features.

Also in June we had the opportunity to visit the Welsh Assembly Building in Llandudno Jucction .

In July Elan took us on a guided tour of Marl Hall. The present building is a restoration of the building almost totally destroyed by fire in the 18th century. The original building was a large Jacobean mansion erected in 1661 but it is likely that the original site housed a monastery associated with Aberconwy Abbey. We were told about past owners of the Hall over the years and its use, in the last century, by the City of Birmingham as a convalescent home for ladies to its present use as an outdoor pursuits Centre

Our autumn activities commence on 20th September when Gwyn will give a talk about the tragedy which occurred in Marl Woods in 1944 – ‘No Landing Place’.

On 10th October we will have our annual outing – this year on the Welsh Highland Railway to Porthmadog, and then to visit the Art Gallery at Plas Glyn y Weddw in Llanbedrog and onwards to St Beuno’s Church in Clynnog Fawr.

Best wishes

Autumn 2012