The people who live in an area have a right to help influence all that takes place in that area which may have an effect on their daily lives, but how is that right to be exercised?

An organisation like the Society, completely outside politics with its members covering the whole area, is able to formulate the views of the community and, as a voluntary body, be free to act in a completely independent manner.

We are not hampered by areas of jurisdiction, which local councils may have to consider, and the Society is free to make direct approaches to whatever authority is considered advisable, at whatever level, without being inhibited by channels of communication and contact, or considerations of protocol.

The Society, formed in 1972, is affiliated to the Civic Trust for Wales. It has an elected executive committee which meets monthly to scrutinise planning proposals and discuss other  issues affecting the community, making comments where felt appropriate.  

Newsletters are issued and meetings for all members are held several times a year when, in addition to approaching committee members at any time, views and concerns can be aired.

You can add your weight to our voice by joining the Society. Membership is only £2 per person (£4 per couple) to cover costs.

If you wish to join please contact the Treasurer, Mr Trevor Hoskins, 45 Brookfields, Crickhowell, Powys, NP8 1DJ

Crickhowell & District Civic Society Public Meeting to discuss the recent repairs to Crickhowell Bridge 
Wednesday 13^th July, Clarence Hall 
Notes of presentations and all comments from the floor.

In attendance –        Dr Siân Rees, Cadw & Mr Gareth Price, PCC Highways

Around 180 people attended the meeting. Local County Councillors, Town Councillors and Community Councillors were present, as was a reporter from the Brecon & Radnor Express. There was no representative from the BBNP.

 

Mr Brian Smith, Secretary of Crickhowell & District Civic Society welcomed everybody to the meeting. There has been much disquiet and discussion locally concerning the present appearance of the bridge. This meeting is an opportunity to hear how and why the repair work has been carried out, to hear what is intended to be done to mitigate the results, to give opinions and to offer suggestions.

 

 

Dr Siân Rees -          “It’s all my fault so I have come to face the music”. Cadw understands how important the bridge is to the community.  It is also important architecturally and historically and so Cadw have listed it. It is precious to Wales and to Crickhowell. Bridges are difficult to protect because they must remain functional. The bridge is owned and maintained by PCC and protected by Cadw.

 

 

The stonework was entirely repointed about 20 yrs ago but during the last 10-15 yrs there had been significant deterioration. Cracks had been identified and some stones were missing. The platform and aprons between the piers were found to be distressed with many large holes caused by scouring. The decision was made to replace the missing and poor coping stones and to replace the lighting at the same time as attending to the structural repairs. Costs of essential repairs were major and it was necessary to amend the scheme which was eventually costed at £80,000. The lighting was a very small part of the cost of the project.

 

 

The work underneath the bridge was completed successfuly. Stone for the new copings, with a perfect colour match, was obtained from the quarry at Llangorse where the original stones had come from (the quarry is closed but reopened to provide stone for conservation use). However, it was noted that these stones were cracking as they were being put in place and it was realised that they needed compression to maintain their integrity and thus were unsuitable for coping. The next best stone was sandstone from the Forest of Dean although it is accepted that “it is pale and has a bland appearance - as they are freshly quarried they do glare – I’m not wild about it myself”. This stone had already been used on the bridge; 4 copings were replaced with this stone 4 yrs ago and are now looking more acceptable. Martin McNamara is now being employed to do some ‘accelerated weathering’ to the stonework and will apply an organic mixture of casein, clay and burnt umber which will attract natural organic growth. The work will take 5 days and will not necessitate a bridge closure.

 

 

Gareth Price              The only thing to add is to explain that the repair work below the bridge was urgently needed to combat the scouring and repair major holes in the bridge platform, some of which were enormous.

 

 

Questions, comments and statements from the floor

 

 

·         (by letter) I find the results quite pleasing.

 

 

·         The pointing is awful, my stonemason nephew could have done a better job

 

 

·         The communities concerns are heartfelt. The copings are machine cut and inappropriate. The bridge is an evolved structure, repaired over time by local stonemasons and is therefore a patchwork but the replacement stones have all b een from the same family of stone. Local workmen could have sourced and fitted more fitting stone, salvaged or second hand. This stone is totally wrong and artificial ageing will not help to ease the harsh sharp edges.

 

 

·         We found the correct stone when we needed to do repairs. The machine cutting is totally out of place. A days hand work on the stones would improve things.

 

 

·         Consideration was not given to why the stones cracked in the first place – iron fixings should have been removed. If the stone had been hand cut it would weather more easily.

 

 

·         Dr Rees – ‘Distressing’ stones is something we don’t do. After machine cutting the edges were softened by hand. Mediaeval masons would have aimed for as smooth a surface as possible. The pointing has been ‘aged’ by the traffic.

 

 

·         How much will this colouring work cost?  Dr Rees - £1,500.

 

 

·         A monstrosity has been imposed on our bridge.  You could have looked further for suitable stone.

 

 

·         There is no need to go miles.I have seen suitable stone at our local recycling business. A firm in Brecon will provide mortar to match.

·         You are approaching conservation from an academic point of view.

 

 

 

·         Tree growth has played some part in the damage to the bridge. A sander must have been used to soften the stones. I could have mixed a mortar of a suitable colour.

 

 

·         Dr Rees – Finding 41 large blocks of matching reclaimed stone would be almost impossible.

 

 

·         You don’t need 41 matching blocks; the bridge is a patchwork and uniformity throughout is not necessary.

 

 

·         Dr Rees – The pointing was mixed by Ty Mawr Lime. We have attempted to continue the chamfering to fit the remaining stones. The iron clamps are a characteristic feature and were set in lead to stop stone damage. We tend not to put new ones in but maybe we could do this.

 

 

·         You have vandalised our bridge and we want it back.

 

 

·         All our visitors comment on the messy state of the bridge. We are grateful to the Civic Society for organising this meeting.

 

 

·         Why did the divers not retrieve the old coping stones from the river bed when they were working under the bridge? The stone being used does not contain enough iron to develop a suitable colour although the pointing will weather in time.

 

 

·         Are you really hear to listen to the people? – you do not appear to have taken a single note.

 

 

·         Chairman – Dr Rees’ colleague is taking notes on her behalf.

 

 

·         Did you not consult with the BBNP? We had to satisfy their conditions when we altered our wall. Why are they not here tonight?

 

 

·         Chairman – They were notified about the meeting but have not been in touch.

 

 

·         If there had been proper consultation Cadw would have know that Llangorse stone would be unsuitable?

 

 

·         As a stone conservator I think the work has been poorly done.

 

 

·         Cadw could have saved itself a lot of aggravation if it had consulted local people first. There is plenty of info about the history of the bridge in Crickhowell Library. Pieces of a wooden structure could be seen under the bridge when the work was being done.

 

 

·         Academia has lost touch with reality. Cadw has already visited upon Porthmawr Gatehouse.

 

 

·         Chairman – But Cadw have done an excellent job at Tretower and the Civic Society wrote to congratulate them.

 

 

·         Cadw have also done well at the 14 Locks site but surely enough stone could have been sourced locally from above Llangattock.

 

 

·         The old stones could have been moved and grouped, this would have looked better.

 

 

·         We are being left with the impression that you are not taking any notice of us.

 

 

·         I have spoken to His Grace the Duke of Beaufort about stone for the bridge. The stone to repair the bridge at Glanusk came from Llanfair and the Darren. . If you will consider replacing the stones the Glanusk and Beaufort estates could easily provide 41 large blocks of suitable stone.

 

 

·         Chairman – That is a tremendous offer.

 

 

·         Nobody will want to take pictures as it is.

 

 

·         Cadw got this wrong. Cadw are spending public money and I will be asking questions.

 

 

·         We took great care repairing the Market Hall and I can’t understand why Cadw could not have done the same with the bridge.

 

 

·         What do you think yourself when you drive over it?

 

 

·         Gareth Price – We did our best and the bridge is now secure. Come and see the further work we will be doing.

 

 

·         You have made up your minds to colour it but we do not want it coloured, we want better stone.

 

 

·         Have PCC Highways any plans to regulate the traffic which has caused damage to the bridge?

 

 

·         Gareth Price – We have to use the facilities we have and traffic continues to increase. The work we did was to protect the bridge which has sufficient capacity to carry modern traffic. I will pass your comments to the traffic commissioner.

 

·         Weight restrictions need to be enforced.

 

 

·         Llangattock Council was told that some colouring treatments could actually damage the bridge.

 

 

·         Dr Rees – Some treatments which were looked at would have damaged the stone and have been discarded. The stones, as they are at present, jar but we are used to seeing this – as at Bronllys Castle and Hereford Cathedral. I would like to talk to the Glanusk and Beaufort estates about stone.

 

 

·         This is our bridge and not just an historic monument.

 

 

·         There are stonemasons here in Crickhowell who could have cut those stones correctly. I would sack the man who did the pointing.

 

 

·         Lots of our money has been spent on this work and it does not look right.

 

 

·         Cadw are guardians of the heritage of Wales and they have done an appalling job here with no effort made to search out the proper stone. Now £1,500 is to be wasted on artificial ageing. The stones must be replaced.

 

 

The Chairman, Brian Smith concluded the meeting by expressing the hope that our comments would be passed on to those who can do something about it. While the public meeting could offer no solution to the eyesore which is our bridge now, new avenues were opened which both the speakers and the County Councillors promised to explore. We all want our bridge to continue as an important part of the town. He thanked the representatives from Cadw and PCC who had come and “taken the flack”.