Autumn 2010 - Wye Valley AONB

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TraditionsandCustomsin the Wye ValleyThe Forest of Dean is aplace full of ancientcustoms and traditionone of these being the'St Briavels Bread andCheese Dole'Every Whit Sunday afterevensong has been heard inSt Mary’s church a crowdgathers beneath a high wallin the pretty Gloucestershirevillage of St Briavels, highabove the Wye Valley. Theyare waiting for bread andcheese, but not a niceploughman’s supper orsandwich. They soon get it, orthe chance to grab it, as twofigures lob small pieces ofbread and cheese at themfrom above, picking the foodfrom large baskets. There is ascramble, as these morselsare said to have specialproperties: to last withoutspoiling; to bring good luck(local miners used tthem ascharms to preventunderground accidents); or tohelp the holder see into theAbove: Bread and Cheese Dole in actionAbove: St Mary’s Church and the Castle at St Briavelsfuture if kept beneath theirpillow.The scramble today is said tobe more sedate than it usedto be, but then WagonWheels are smaller and itdoesn’t snow as much inwinter does it? At one timethe event took place in thechurch itself, but therowdiness was felt to beunbecoming to a place ofworship, so long ago itmoved to the lane outside.These days some claimantsdress in medieval garb,reflecting the belief that thecustom dates back manycenturies. It is said by some tohave originated at the time inthe 12th century when Milesde Gloucester, subsequentlymade Earl of Hereford,commanded the castle in thevillage, guarding the landagainst incursions bymarauding Welshmen. ThoseSt. Briavels (pronounced‘Brevels’), was once known as'Ledenia Parva' (Little Lydney)and stands on the edge of alimestone plateau above thevalley of the River Wye, juston the English side of theWelsh border, above anancient ox-bow of the river.who paid a penny ‘dole’ tothis lord were granted theright to gather firewood inHudnalls Wood in the district,though quite how this islinked with the distribution ofbread and cheese nobody issure. Alternatively, the customcould date from a visit byKing John to the village, andthe grant of a large area ofland to the villagers, thoughthis seems entirely out ofcharacter for that financiallyembarrassed monarch.St Briavels is in the Forest ofDean, an area with morethan its fair share oftraditional rights – the use ofcommon land for grazing, therights of those born locallywho have worked for a yearand a day in certain trades tomine where they please in theforest, and so on. People inthe area are keen to retaintheir traditions, which inmany cases convey economicbenefits, so it is likely thebread and cheese willcontinue to be thrown to thewaiting crowd every Whitsunin this lovely part of thecountry, much to the delightof visitors.page 16
ProjectLemurKat White’s training with theWye Valley AONB throughProject LEMUR is providingher with vital skills forworking in theenvironmental andconservation sectorsFinding jobs in today’srecession is difficult enoughand many environmentalgraduates are finding thatthey may have the academicqualifications but without thepractical skills they are unableto find work.Kat White from Barry, SouthWales was in such a position,until help came from ProjectLEMUR ( LearningEnvironments in Marine,Urban and Rural areas) inpartnership with the WyeValley Area of OutstandingNatural Beauty (AONB).Graduating in 2004 inEnvironmental Biology andwith a Masters degree inConservation and Utilisationof Plant Genetic Resourcesfrom the University ofBirmingham, Kat was findingit tough to get a job inconservation. ‘I had greatdifficulty in getting any workother than two six monthperiods as a countrysideseasonal ranger’ she said. ‘Ifound that my lack ofknowledge in species‘identification let me down.’Funded through the HeritageLottery Fund and run locallyby the Herefordshire NatureTrust for the rural hub,LEMUR is an initiativeproviding a lifeline of trainingin practical wildlifeconservation skills withconservation bodies like theWye Valley AONB. Katjoined the AONB unit in Apriland will be training for ninemonths in surveying ofveteran trees, grasslandhabitats, bats and workingon a High Nature ValueFarmland survey. She will alsoget hands on experience withthe courses, events andactivities run throughout theyear. Andrew Nixon, WyeValley AONB DevelopmentOfficer was pleased towelcome her to the team.‘With her past experience shewill make a valuablecontribution to the importantsurvey work we need to carryout this year.’With her new skills Kat willbe in a much strongerposition to nail thatconservation job she isdreaming of and which theWye Valley AONB will havepaid a strong part.For more details aboutLEMUR log ontowww.projectlemur.orgpage 17
Page 4 and 5: the flight of thekingfisherBarry Em
Page 6 and 7: controllingwater pollutionWater qua
Page 9 and 10: of deer on the internationallyimpor
Page 11 and 12: theteamThe OLW team of from left: V
Page 13 and 14: NEWSOverlooking the Wye Minibus Tou
Page 15: the birds can shelter andfeed. Perr
Page 19 and 20: ook reviewsA regular feature of boo
Page 21 and 22: courtesy of www.thekidsgarden.co.uk
Page 23 and 24: National Association NewsAshley Tho

Autumn 2010 - Wye Valley AONB

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