Porthkerry Country Park Hosts Community Engagement Event
Over 25 members of the local community came together to attend a community engagement evening at Porthkerry Country Park’s lodge recently, where they learned more about the park’s new projects, including the Heritage Lottery Fund subsidised “Wood to Wheel” project.
The “Wood to Wheel” project has been awarded the sum of £63, 000 by the Heritage Lottery Fund, and aims to utilise the money by stabilising sections of the Old Saw Mill in the Millwood area of the Porthkerry Country Park so that it can be opened up to visitors, including local schools.
The engagement evening was organised in order to gain some insight into the history of the mill. This will assist with the park’s other project – the Historical Interpretation project – which will use the memories and photos gathered on the night for a brand new augmented reality application. The app will work alongside the new traditional interpretation panels and a new visitor information room in Nightingale Cottage, and aims to give visitors a deeper insight into Porthkerry’s history.
Mel Stewart, Ranger at Porthkerry Country Park, said: “It was lovely to meet so many local people who have a lot of interesting memories of the Mill and park, people who are willing to help out with the projects.
“We gathered a lot of new information, including how the Williams brothers were the wheelwrights and carpenters at the Mill, and that pigs were kept in the back garden of Nightingale Cottage!”
The park’s team is still keen to hear from people who have any interesting memories of the park, anyone who has any old photographs, or someone who knows of a person that worked or lived at the park in the past.
The park will be holding two events early next year to celebrate the woodlands and Sawmill, and would like to hear from anyone interested in demonstrating woodland crafts.
Spotted something? Got a story? Email News@News.Wales
