IMAGES TAKEN NEAR TO
Rhiwlas, OSWESTRY, SY10 7JJ

There is a much newer one nearby.

Happy sheep. The grass is not really growing so the hay is the big draw. They were still here several hours later.

There is also a Rhiwlas near Bala.

There is a tiny community hub here; an elderly red phone box and post box.

Once I am sure a local hub for the community and surrounding hills but now seemingly a sad, empty, cold, disused building. Still sound, still beautiful and still resonant of its history and people. An island in the changing tides of progress.

Zion. Dated 1876, with earlier chapels here on this site dating from 1830. They loved their non-conformist religion back then, when people were hungry for change, for progress, for unity, decency, security, socialising, learning, listening and giving. They loved to sing, earnestly pray, hear new ideas, steer clear of demon drink, immoral behaviour and the seven deadly sins. They must have filled this place twice on every Sunday and maybe even on a Wednesday evening. The religious revivals, the Methodist movement and associated movements must have lasted two centuries, which is quite a significant period but it has dwindled as people have discounted bible stories, religious morality and messages like Temperance in favour of science, humanism, education and libertarianism.

This OS cut mark can be found on the chapel. It marks a point 251.203m above mean sea level.

Now, and for some considerable time, a field boundary, but originally an ancient path or droveway, linking two settlements, or part of a longer route, or just a local drove way onto the local high ground. I am always interested to spot and explore these. Some are quite probably prehistoric, being established literally millennia ago by local herdsmen, shepherds, farmers, drovers, hunters and travellers. Worn down by hard little hooves, water, constant use and remaining as a very vocal message from our past, overlooked, underexplored and little appreciated. But they have outlasted nearly everything else.