Tag Archives: Farchynys

Poems of Place: Afon Mawddach

Posted on by under Poetry

For Rob: Requiescat in pace

Wonder starts invisibly in small things.

Like gentle rain and sunshine,

Or more likely in this case, 

In wind and deluges

On the black cliffs of Dduallt

And the dismal peat moor where you begin.

Here, even the sheep seem desolate.

A trickle first, and then this toddler river runs fast

Down valleys, past Rhobell’s feet, mooches in dark tree forests,

Tiptoes across waterfalls of light,

Beside ancient stones.

Soon you make alliances with others,

Showing them good direction and how to thrive.

Coming to maturity where monks walked sheep to pasture,

You glide under bridges and flow gently

Under Pen y Cader’s watchful eye,

Until just below Penmaen, you reach your prime

And as the chrome yellow, scarlet lake and rose madder paint the precipice,

You are magnificent as you greet the sea,

And begin your constant golden dance of ebb and flow

Leaving silver shards and art in sand for us to marvel at.

Then past Rhuddalt, Lletywyn and Farchynys you grow in stature,

Inspiring all who come to meet you and who feel your all-seasoned charm.

At last, at Aberamffra where oyster catching squadrons and the Clock House

Mark the hour and your translation to the open sea,

We look towards your mountain,

And reflect upon your story,

And all the joy you store inside our hearts.

Paul Christopher Walton                            

Thanks for filling the gap, George and Nicholas

Posted on by under News, Stories

(And getting the story started)

It’s difficult to overestimate the impact on society of the Protestant Reformation and the Dissolution of the Monasteries which followed it. Monasteries and friaries had played such an important part in everyday life especially in the areas of education and social care.

As hundreds of years of prayer and learning came to a surprisingly swift and brutal end, a generation’s education was under threat. Fortunately, there were a number of people who were determined to do something about it, and amongst these were Nicholas and George Hawe, two prominent Walsall townsmen who sought out Queen Mary Tudor, then on her way to Winchester Cathedral to marry Prince Philip of Spain, and asked permission to found a new grammar school in her name.

The Free School of Queen Mary, Walsall was founded by Letters Patent on July 2nd, 1554.

Four hundred and ten years later, another group of Walsall townsfolk continued the philanthropic tradition and gave generously to found the school’s Welsh centre at Farchynys, creating a wonderful tapestry of experience and learning for Marians on the Mawddach.

We hope this will resume soon as we are freed from the miseries of COVID.

For those whom like a good narrative arc, it is interesting to see Mary Tudor’s Welsh ancestry in her version of the Royal Arms. Floreat!