117-714: The Long Mynd ( Welsh : Cefn Hirfynydd ) is a heath and moorland plateau that forms part of the Shropshire Hills in Shropshire , England. The high ground, which is common land and designated as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty , lies between the Stiperstones range to the west and the Stretton Hills and Wenlock Edge to the east. Much of it is owned by the National Trust , and
234-441: A Welsh Language Scheme, which indicates its commitment to the equality of treatment principle. This is sent out in draft form for public consultation for a three-month period, whereupon comments on it may be incorporated into a final version. It requires the final approval of the now defunct Welsh Language Board ( Bwrdd yr Iaith Gymraeg ). Thereafter, the public body is charged with implementing and fulfilling its obligations under
351-594: A Welsh-language edge inscription was used on pound coins dated 1985, 1990 and 1995, which circulated in all parts of the UK prior to their 2017 withdrawal. The wording is Pleidiol wyf i'm gwlad (Welsh for 'True am I to my country'), and derives from the national anthem of Wales, " Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau ". UK banknotes are in English only. Some shops employ bilingual signage. Welsh sometimes appears on product packaging or instructions. The UK government has ratified
468-605: A census glossary of terms to support the release of results from the census, including their definition of "main language" as referring to "first or preferred language" (though that wording was not in the census questionnaire itself). The wards in England with the most people giving Welsh as their main language were the Liverpool wards of Central and Greenbank ; and Oswestry South in Shropshire . The wards of Oswestry South (1.15%), Oswestry East (0.86%) and St Oswald (0.71%) had
585-582: A fog descends and takes away my visibility..." In Edward Lear 's A Book of Nonsense , one of the limericks starts: There was an Old Man of the Wrekin Whose shoes made a horrible creaking In 2017, during an attempt by the high-street chain Poundland to challenge the trademark of Mondelēz 's Toblerone bar with their own Twin Peaks confectionery, they claimed that the latter was inspired by
702-593: A giant-sized spadeful of earth and set off towards the town. When in the vicinity of Wellington he met a cobbler returning from Shrewsbury market with a large sackful of shoes for repair. The giant asked him for directions, adding that he was going to dump his spadeful of earth in the River Severn and flood the town. "It's a very long way to Shrewsbury," replied the quick-thinking shoemaker. "Look at all these shoes I've worn out walking back from there!" The giant immediately decided to abandon his enterprise and dumped
819-678: A large group of people all held hands, surrounding the hill at the base. The Wrekin has a cheese named after it called Wrekin White, which is produced and sold in a dairy in Newport, Shropshire . In September 2010, Wiccans conducted a wicker man burning ceremony at the Wrekin to celebrate the autumnal equinox . The Wrekin is mentioned in Poem XXXI of A.E. Housman 's collection A Shropshire Lad . The first stanza runs: On Wenlock Edge
936-513: A late 11th century Worcester cartulary , spelled Wreocensetun . Its modern form is believed to have come into modern English by way of Mercian , and that is likely to have been taken from the British Celtic Wrikon- . Dinlle Wrecon meaning the fort of Wrecon appears as a place name in the early Welsh poems known as Canu Heledd . There is an Iron Age hill fort on the summit almost 8 ha (20 acres) in size, to which
1053-558: A road that goes to the Gliding Club. A common misconception is that it goes over Pole Bank, but instead it bypasses the hill, following its contours. Very little Iron Age human activity has been recorded on the Long Mynd. However, this later period has a specific ancient site. Bodbury Ring Hill Fort , a hillfort above Cardingmill Valley, and sits on the top of Bodbury Hill at 380 m (1,250 ft). This feature dates from
1170-479: A single discourse (known in linguistics as code-switching ). Welsh speakers are largely concentrated in the north and west of Wales, principally Gwynedd , Conwy County Borough , Denbighshire , Anglesey , Carmarthenshire , north Pembrokeshire , Ceredigion , parts of Glamorgan , and north-west and extreme south-west Powys . However, first-language and other fluent speakers can be found throughout Wales. Welsh-speaking communities persisted well into
1287-758: A succession of rocks of early Carboniferous age including limestone , the Little Wenlock Basalt and the Lydebrook Sandstone. Structurally, the Wrekin together with the Ercall forms part of the Church Stretton Complex where different geological terranes meet. The Cymru Terrane is to the west with the Wrekin Terrane to the east of the fault system. The fault system trends north-northeast:south-southwest and
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#17327650313171404-456: A volcanic island arc , similar to modern Japan – are approximately 680 million years old. Dolerite dykes intruded the extrusive volcanic rocks around 563 million years ago. A variety of the intrusive igneous rock granophyre , known as Ercallite forms the northeastern shoulder of the Ercall. It was put in place around 560 million years ago and is overlain by Cambrian rocks of sedimentary origin. The southeastern side of
1521-487: Is pollen evidence to show that trees began to be replaced by grass on the plateau of the Long Mynd from the Bronze Age over 2,000 years ago and written evidence of organised management as a grazed common from the 13th century over 700 years ago. The Longmynd commoners' ponies and sheep grazed here are hardy animals and are well adapted to the harsh conditions of life on the hill. They graze selectively and very close to
1638-484: Is 0.5 m (1 ft 8 in) high. On its western side it is fronted by a 3 m (10 ft) wide ditch . At both ends of the Cross Ridge Dyke, it fades into the steep hillside. A gap in the dyke, 60 m (200 ft) from the south-east end, is thought to make room for a trackway along the ridge. Its purpose was to cut off Grindle Hill from the main plateau , and to create a barrier for access from
1755-541: Is a beacon which emits a red pulse of light every few seconds at night. A beacon was originally erected on the Wrekin during the Second World War to warn aircraft, and was kept in operation until 1960. A new beacon was then installed in 2000, as part of a project to celebrate the new millennium. It is known locally as the "Wrekin Beacon", and is visible for many miles around. The trig point and toposcope at
1872-538: Is a hill in east Shropshire , England. It is located some five miles (8 km) west of Telford , on the border between the unitary authorities of Shropshire and Telford and Wrekin . Rising above the Shropshire Plain to a height of 407 metres (1,335 ft) above sea level, it is a prominent and well-known landmark, signalling the entrance to Shropshire for travellers westbound on the M54 motorway . The Wrekin
1989-516: Is at approximately 230 metres (750 ft) above sea level and the hilly links course rises up to around 375 m (1,230 ft). It is the oldest 18-hole golf course in Shropshire, opened in 1898, and one of the highest in the country. Cycle racing's British National Hill Climb Championship was held on the Burway , the road ascending the Long Mynd from Church Stretton, in 1989. The title
2106-702: Is available throughout Europe on satellite and online throughout the UK. Since the digital switchover was completed in South Wales on 31 March 2010, S4C Digidol became the main broadcasting channel and fully in Welsh. The main evening television news provided by the BBC in Welsh is available for download. There is also a Welsh-language radio station, BBC Radio Cymru , which was launched in 1977. Wrekin The Wrekin ( / ˈ r iː k ɪ n / REE -kin )
2223-688: Is considered to have lasted from then until the 14th century, when the Modern Welsh period began, which in turn is divided into Early and Late Modern Welsh. The word Welsh is a descendant, via Old English wealh, wielisc , of the Proto-Germanic word * Walhaz , which was derived from the name of the Celtic people known to the Romans as Volcae and which came to refer to speakers of Celtic languages, and then indiscriminately to
2340-803: Is contained within the northern salient of the Shropshire Hills AONB . The hill is popular with walkers and tourists and offers good views of Shropshire. It can be seen well into Staffordshire and the Black Country , and even as far as the Beetham Tower in Manchester, Winter Hill in Lancashire and Cleeve Hill in Gloucestershire. The earliest mention of the Wrekin occurs in a charter of 855, as entered in
2457-555: Is managed by the Longmynd Commoners. The Long Mynd is approximately 7 miles (11 km) long by 3 miles (5 km) wide, and is broadly characterised by steep valleys on its eastern flanks, and a long slope to the western side rising in a steep escarpment. In its vicinity are the principal settlements of Church Stretton , Little Stretton and All Stretton , Pulverbatch , Smethcott , Woolstaston , Asterton , Myndtown , Wentnor and Ratlinghope . The highest point on
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#17327650313172574-877: Is native to the Welsh people . Welsh is spoken natively in Wales , by some in England , and in Y Wladfa (the Welsh colony in Chubut Province , Argentina ). It is spoken by smaller numbers of people in Canada and the United States descended from Welsh immigrants, within their households (especially in Nova Scotia ). Historically, it has also been known in English as "British", "Cambrian", "Cambric" and "Cymric". The Welsh Language (Wales) Measure 2011 gave
2691-550: Is part of the Shropshire Hills designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) and is a popular tourist destination, particularly due to the many footpaths, varied terrain and impressive scenery and views. Two major footpaths are the Shropshire Way and the Jack Mytton Way . The Long Mynd's open spaces make it a popular place for horse riding and mountain biking on the bridleways . Carding mill Valley
2808-784: Is passed down the generations of sheep through the shepherding by the Longmynd commoners. The geology dates back to the Precambrian , and during at least part of that long period this area would have been around 60° south of the equator , the same as the current latitude of the Falkland Islands . Shropshire would have been at the very edge of a large continent near the sea, which was being buckled by tectonic activity, causing volcanoes to form. The area had broad rivers; evidence of mudflats has been found. The rivers would have flowed out to sea, creating large estuaries ; over time,
2925-417: Is roughly 1,500 years old. It was probably built to control the access along the ancient east to west route, which still crosses the Long Mynd today by means of a modern road. High Park Cross-Ridge Dyke , another dyke on the Long Mynd. At 380 m (1,250 ft) it is the longest on the Long Mynd. It is approximately 6 m (20 ft) wide, but in areas survives only as a crop mark. The highest point of
3042-468: Is steep in parts. The Wrekin is owned by the Raby Estate , currently headed by Henry Francis Cecil Vane . The Wrekin is the subject of a well-known legend in Shropshire folklore . One version of the story runs as follows: A giant called Gwendol Wrekin ap Shenkin ap Mynyddmawr with a grudge against the town of Shrewsbury decided to flood the town and kill all its inhabitants. So he collected
3159-505: Is the busiest location as it is home to the National Trust's centre for the area. The windward slopes to the west are popular with glider , hang-glider and paraglider pilots. In winter some valley slopes become makeshift ski slopes, but Long Mynd can be treacherous in severe weather, and has claimed many lives. In 2015 snow gates were installed at various points of access onto the Long Mynd, to deter motorists planning to use
3276-511: Is the label attached to the Welsh of the 12th to 14th centuries, of which much more remains than for any earlier period. This is the language of nearly all surviving early manuscripts of the Mabinogion , although the tales themselves are certainly much older. It is also the language of the existing Welsh law manuscripts. Middle Welsh is reasonably intelligible to a modern-day Welsh speaker. The Bible translations into Welsh helped maintain
3393-528: Is volcanic in origin, and is thought to be a remnant of the great mountain chain. During the Cambrian , Shropshire was flooded by the sea, after the Global Ice Age ended 539 million years ago. Thick layers of beach pebbles and white sand were built up against the sea cliffs that were once molten lava. During this time, the shallow sea played host to the huge explosion of new life which occurred during
3510-732: The Cynfeirdd or "Early Poets" – is generally considered to date to the Primitive Welsh period. However, much of this poetry was supposedly composed in the Hen Ogledd , raising further questions about the dating of the material and language in which it was originally composed. This discretion stems from the fact that Cumbric was widely believed to have been the language used in Hen Ogledd. An 8th-century inscription in Tywyn shows
3627-500: The 2016 Australian census , 1,688 people noted that they spoke Welsh. In the 2011 Canadian census , 3,885 people reported Welsh as their first language . According to the 2021 Canadian census , 1,130 people noted that Welsh was their mother tongue. The 2018 New Zealand census noted that 1,083 people in New Zealand spoke Welsh. The American Community Survey 2009–2013 noted that 2,235 people aged five years and over in
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3744-466: The 2021 census , 7,349 people in England recorded Welsh to be their "main language". In the 2011 census, 1,189 people aged three and over in Scotland noted that Welsh was a language (other than English) that they used at home. It is believed that there are as many as 5,000 speakers of Patagonian Welsh . In response to the question 'Does the person speak a language other than English at home?' in
3861-403: The Black Country , Birmingham to mean "the long way round", in the same way that "round the houses" is used more widely. "To all friends around the Wrekin", meanwhile, is a toast traditionally used in Shropshire, especially at Christmas and New Year. The amount of inclement weather in the area can also be said to be predicted by the visibility of the Wrekin. The saying being, "If you can see
3978-538: The European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages in respect of Welsh. The language has greatly increased its prominence since the creation of the television channel S4C in November 1982, which until digital switchover in 2010 broadcast 70 per cent of Channel 4's programming along with a majority of Welsh language shows during peak viewing hours. The all-Welsh-language digital station S4C Digidol
4095-459: The Iron Age , c. 500 BC, and is therefore much later than other ancient sites on the Long Mynd. Another hill fort nearby sits on the summit of Caer Caradoc . Bodbury Ring is now looked after by the National Trust . During the 18th century, Church Stretton began to grow in the wide valley between the Long Mynd and Caer Caradoc, as a market town , and later a spa. Historically the town
4212-756: The Polish name for Italians) have a similar etymology. The Welsh term for the language, Cymraeg , descends from the Brythonic word combrogi , meaning 'compatriots' or 'fellow countrymen'. Welsh evolved from Common Brittonic , the Celtic language spoken by the ancient Celtic Britons . Classified as Insular Celtic , the British language probably arrived in Britain during the Bronze Age or Iron Age and
4329-764: The Stiperstones , and into Wales; the Cambrian Mountains in Powys , notably the Berwyn range and as far as Snowdonia on clear days. The views east are obscured by other areas of the Shropshire Hills, Caer Caradoc, the Wrekin and the Clee Hills . From some locations there are views of the West Midlands . Views south are towards Clun Forest , Craven Arms and Ludlow . The highest points on
4446-640: The United States spoke Welsh at home. The highest number of those (255) lived in Florida . Sources: Calls for the Welsh language to be granted official status grew with the establishment of the nationalist political party Plaid Cymru in 1925, the establishment of the Welsh Language Society in 1962 and the rise of Welsh nationalism in the later 20th century. Of the six living Celtic languages (including two revived), Welsh has
4563-594: The "hugely important role", adding, "I look forward to working with the Welsh Government and organisations in Wales in developing the new system of standards. I will look to build on the good work that has been done by the Welsh Language Board and others to strengthen the Welsh language and ensure that it continues to thrive." First Minister Carwyn Jones said that Huws would act as a champion for
4680-596: The 1880s identified a small part of Shropshire as still then speaking Welsh, with the "Celtic Border" passing from Llanymynech through Oswestry to Chirk . The number of Welsh-speaking people in the rest of Britain has not yet been counted for statistical purposes. In 1993, the Welsh-language television channel S4C published the results of a survey into the numbers of people who spoke or understood Welsh, which estimated that there were around 133,000 Welsh-speaking people living in England, about 50,000 of them in
4797-536: The 1993 Act nor secondary legislation made under it covers the private sector, although some organisations, notably banks and some railway companies, provide some of their information in Welsh. On 7 December 2010, the Welsh Assembly unanimously approved a set of measures to develop the use of the Welsh language within Wales. On 9 February 2011 this measure, the Welsh Language (Wales) Measure 2011 ,
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4914-486: The Assembly which confirms the official status of the Welsh language; which creates a strong advocate for Welsh speakers and will improve the quality and quantity of services available through the medium of Welsh. I believe that everyone who wants to access services in the Welsh language should be able to do so, and that is what this government has worked towards. This legislation is an important and historic step forward for
5031-489: The Cambrian. Shropshire has some of the most historically important evidence in the explosion of life and this is referred to in the naming and dividing of the Cambrian period. Trilobites that are found in the county are internationally important for deciding how the Cambrian is divided into smaller segments of time. The Ordovician had Shropshire back to volcanic activity, and saw the county temporarily split in two, along
5148-550: The Greater London area. The Welsh Language Board , on the basis of an analysis of the Office for National Statistics Longitudinal Study, estimated there were 110,000 Welsh-speaking people in England, and another thousand in Scotland and Northern Ireland. In the 2011 census , 8,248 people in England gave Welsh in answer to the question "What is your main language?" The Office for National Statistics subsequently published
5265-420: The Long Mynd are as follows in order of highest to lowest, with comparisons of other nearby hills and the level of Church Stretton in bold . Long Mynd comprises a multitude of valleys , and the highest concentration lies along the eastern edge, near Church Stretton. Topographically, many of the larger valleys lie adjacent to each other and are aligned northwest to southeast. The main valleys include: Long Mynd
5382-408: The Long Mynd is Pole Bank (1,693 ft, 516 m); this and the adjacent hill of Caer Caradoc (1,506 ft, 459 m) are classed as Marilyns . The name Long Mynd means "long mountain", the second element being Brittonic in origin. In modern Welsh it is named Mynydd Hir [ˈmənɪð ˈhiːr] , which has the same meaning, or Cefn Hirfynydd , meaning "long mountain ridge". There
5499-400: The Pontesford – Linley fault line. Everything west of this line was ocean, while the east was dry land. The Iapetus Ocean was closing, bringing the two halves of Britain towards each other, and volcanic eruptions created the Cumbrian Mountains and Snowdonia . Shropshire also saw volcanic activity. To the west of the Pontesford – Linley fault, volcanic rocks have been found. The other side of
5616-432: The Welsh Language (Wales) Measure 2011, all new signs have Welsh displayed first. There have been incidents of one of the languages being vandalised, which may be considered a hate crime . Since 2000, the teaching of Welsh has been compulsory in all schools in Wales up to age 16; this has had an effect in stabilising and reversing the decline in the language. Text on UK coins tends to be in English and Latin. However,
5733-436: The Welsh Language Scheme. The list of other public bodies which have to prepare Schemes could be added to by initially the Secretary of State for Wales, from 1993 to 1997, by way of statutory instrument . Subsequent to the forming of the National Assembly for Wales in 1997, the Government Minister responsible for the Welsh language can and has passed statutory instruments naming public bodies who have to prepare Schemes. Neither
5850-421: The Welsh language official status in Wales. Welsh and English are de jure official languages of the Welsh Parliament, the Senedd , with Welsh being the only de jure official language in any part of the United Kingdom, with English being merely de facto official. According to the 2021 census , the Welsh-speaking population of Wales aged three or older was 538,300 (17.8%) and nearly three quarters of
5967-445: The Welsh language, though some had concerns over her appointment: Plaid Cymru spokeswoman Bethan Jenkins said, "I have concerns about the transition from Meri Huws's role from the Welsh Language Board to the language commissioner, and I will be asking the Welsh government how this will be successfully managed. We must be sure that there is no conflict of interest, and that the Welsh Language Commissioner can demonstrate how she will offer
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#17327650313176084-426: The Welsh of the 16th century, but they are similar enough for a fluent Welsh speaker to have little trouble understanding it. During the Modern Welsh period, there has been a decline in the popularity of the Welsh language: the number of Welsh speakers declined to the point at which there was concern that the language would become extinct. During industrialisation in the late 19th century, immigrants from England led to
6201-429: The Welsh-speaking heartlands, with the number dropping to under 50 per cent in Ceredigion and Carmarthenshire for the first time. However, according to the Welsh Language Use Survey in 2019–20, 22 per cent of people aged three and over were able to speak Welsh. The Annual Population Survey (APS) by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) estimated that as of March 2024, approximately 862,700, or 28.0 per cent of
6318-435: The Wrekin is also used to refer more generally to the part of East Shropshire around the towns of Telford and Wellington , within sight of the hill. The surrounding area is one of the birthplaces of industry: Ironbridge Gorge is just to the south of the Wrekin hill. Woodland covers much of the hill, the area around the hill and into the Ironbridge Gorge area too. The eponymous Wrekin parliamentary constituency incorporates
6435-407: The Wrekin, it's going to rain. And if you can't see the Wrekin, it's already raining." Another well known local legend has it that you cannot be a true Salopian (person born in Shropshire) unless you have passed through the Needle's Eye - a split between two large rocks close to the summit. In 1981, an event was undertaken by local school pupils and adults called "Hands around the Wrekin", whereby
6552-408: The census. In terms of usage, ONS also reported that 14.4 per cent (443,800) of people aged three or older in Wales reported that they spoke Welsh daily in March 2024, with 5.4 per cent (165,500) speaking it weekly and 6.5 per cent (201,200) less often. Approximately 1.7 per cent (51,700) reported that they never spoke Welsh despite being able to speak the language, with the remaining 72.0 per cent of
6669-414: The course of the 20th century this monolingual population all but disappeared, but a small percentage remained at the time of the 1981 census. Most Welsh-speaking people in Wales also speak English. However, many Welsh-speaking people are more comfortable expressing themselves in Welsh than in English. A speaker's choice of language can vary according to the subject domain and the social context, even within
6786-489: The creation of Old Welsh, Davies suggests it may be more appropriate to refer to this derivative language as Lingua Britannica rather than characterising it as a new language altogether. The argued dates for the period of "Primitive Welsh" are widely debated, with some historians' suggestions differing by hundreds of years. The next main period is Old Welsh ( Hen Gymraeg , 9th to 11th centuries); poetry from both Wales and Scotland has been preserved in this form of
6903-408: The decline in Welsh speakers particularly in the South Wales Valleys. Welsh government processes and legislation have worked to increase the proliferation of the Welsh language, for example through education. Welsh has been spoken continuously in Wales throughout history; however, by 1911, it had become a minority language, spoken by 43.5 per cent of the population. While this decline continued over
7020-448: The different layers of ancient rock. From 2006, University of Cambridge scientists monitored seismic activity in the Long Mynd. The broadband seismometer was connected to the internet, and real-time traces viewable online. The Bronze Age period is by far the most recorded period of time on the Long Mynd. There are dozens of tumuli on the moorland. Some are small, the remains of chamber tombs for example. Others are quite large,
7137-423: The dyke, on the west side of the bank, stands at 1.2 m (4 ft) high, and reaches its widest point at 8 m (26 ft). A trackway, like that found on Barristers Plain Cross-Ridge Dyke, cuts through the dyke. Of the Long Mynd Barrows , over twenty scatter the plateau. The best examples are in the northern area of the Long Mynd. Robin Hood's Butts barrow, near Duckley Nap, are two well known barrows, and
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#17327650313177254-431: The earth on the ground beside him, where it became the Wrekin. The giant also scraped the mud off his boots, which became the smaller hill Ercall Hill nearby. Ironically Shrewsbury is subjected to flooding from the River Severn on frequent occasions naturally. "All around the Wrekin", "Right 'round the Wrekin" or "Running round the Wrekin" is a phrase common in Shropshire , Worcestershire, Staffordshire , Herefordshire ,
7371-418: The edge of which is defined by a 5 m (16 ft) wide bank, which has been partially destroyed by a modern path. It had been dated to c. 1950–1700 BC . The Port Way is an ancient trackway, which runs the length of the Long Mynd massif, and is the largest historical feature on the Long Mynd, at just over 5 miles (8 km) long. It is still walked today, and is part of the Shropshire Way , and
7488-401: The equator. The Triassic , Jurassic , Cretaceous and Tertiary were very quiet in Shropshire, and very little evidence can be found from these periods. The last ice age during the Quaternary has its effect on all of Shropshire, shaping the landscape as we see it today. The Long Mynd would have been under a thick ice sheet , several hundred metres thick. As the ice melted, it carved out
7605-600: The fault line was quieter. The land was slowly eroded, and the sea gradually flooded it, so that only the tops of hills could be seen, such as the ancient Caer Caradoc. Towards the end of the Ordovician, the sea levels dropped, due to another ice age. An interesting observation of this erosion can be found in the stratigraphy as a sea stump (an eroded sea stack). The Silurian period, around 439 million years ago, has been well preserved nearby, in Wenlock Edge . During this time, Shropshire would have been flooded again by shallow sea. Wenlock Edge would have formed during this time, and
7722-431: The following decades, the language did not die out. The smallest number of speakers was recorded in 1981 with 503,000 although the lowest percentage was recorded in the most recent census in 2021 at 17.8 per cent. By the start of the 21st century, numbers began to increase once more, at least partly as a result of the increase in Welsh-medium education . The 2004 Welsh Language Use Survey showed that 21.7 per cent of
7839-411: The fossils of ancient corals and shellfish can be found all along the edge, preserved in limestone . Towards the end of the Silurian the Iapetus Ocean would have fully closed, and England and Scotland were joined. The closing of this ocean was important to geology in Great Britain. It caused most of our hills and mountains to align along the fault, northeast to the southwest. During the Devonian ,
7956-491: The ground, leaving patches of long vegetation which benefits insects and small mammals. This grazing pattern has resulted in a special ecology and the Long Mynd Common is therefore designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest . To enhance the ecology the Longmynd commoners have, since 1999 been in an environmental stewardship scheme that also supports sustainable farming practices. Livestock grazing plays an important role in maintaining species-rich habitats by controlling
8073-417: The height of the summit was incorporated into an artwork, The Sky Begins At My Feet , which was designed by Wellington Arts Collective and unveiled in October 2022 in honour of the Platinum Jubilee of Elizabeth II . The sculpture is in the stoneware clay tiles laid around the plinths bearing relief portraits of seven local heroes and heroines by artist Sharon Griffin, and a range of decorative tiles designed by
8190-411: The highest number of native speakers who use the language on a daily basis, and it is the Celtic language which is considered the least endangered by UNESCO . The Welsh Language Act 1993 and the Government of Wales Act 1998 provide that the Welsh and English languages be treated equally in the public sector, as far as is reasonable and practicable. Each public body is required to prepare for approval
8307-413: The highest percentage of residents giving Welsh as their main language. The census also revealed that 3,528 wards in England, or 46% of the total number, contained at least one resident whose main language is Welsh. In terms of the regions of England , North West England (1,945), London (1,310) and the West Midlands (1,265) had the highest number of people noting Welsh as their main language. According to
8424-578: The hill. The Wrekin can be accessed from the final junction on the M54 motorway (J7) before it turns into the A5 which continues to Shrewsbury . The hill is then signposted. There is a well-used footpath up the side of the hill which has an entrance at the end of the road off the M54. There is also a small car park and parking bays up the road. Between the Ercall and the Wrekin is a well positioned car park, at Forest Glen, allowing easy access to both areas. The ascent
8541-456: The history of Welsh, with rather indistinct boundaries: Primitive Welsh, Old Welsh, Middle Welsh, and Modern Welsh. The period immediately following the language's emergence is sometimes referred to as Primitive Welsh, followed by the Old Welsh period – which is generally considered to stretch from the beginning of the 9th century to sometime during the 12th century. The Middle Welsh period
8658-403: The land. The grazing livestock slow the invasion of trees by pushing into the scrub and bracken helping to create and maintain the heath. They also graze in the pools, eating the pondweed and consequently there is a healthy population of brown trout ( Salmo trutta ) and otter ( Lutra lutra ). Tree pipit ( Anthus trivialis ) and red grouse ( Lagopus lagopus scotica ) are found here as well as
8775-595: The language already dropping inflections in the declension of nouns. Janet Davies proposed that the origins of the Welsh language were much less definite; in The Welsh Language: A History , she proposes that Welsh may have been around even earlier than 600 AD. This is evidenced by the dropping of final syllables from Brittonic: * bardos 'poet' became bardd , and * abona 'river' became afon . Though both Davies and Jackson cite minor changes in syllable structure and sounds as evidence for
8892-506: The language, its speakers and for the nation." The measure was not welcomed warmly by all supporters: Bethan Williams, chairman of the Welsh Language Society, gave a mixed response to the move, saying, "Through this measure we have won official status for the language and that has been warmly welcomed. But there was a core principle missing in the law passed by the Assembly before Christmas. It doesn't give language rights to
9009-555: The language. As Germanic and Gaelic colonisation of Britain proceeded, the Brittonic speakers in Wales were split off from those in northern England, speaking Cumbric, and those in the southwest, speaking what would become Cornish , so the languages diverged. Both the works of Aneirin ( Canu Aneirin , c. 600 ) and the Book of Taliesin ( Canu Taliesin ) were written during this era. Middle Welsh ( Cymraeg Canol )
9126-452: The largest on the Long Mynd, being approximately 36 m (118 ft) in diameter and 4 m (13 ft) high. The Shooting Box Barrow is named after a grouse-shooting hut that stood on the site until it was removed in 1992. It is the only known example of a disc barrow in Shropshire. 21 m (69 ft) in diameter and 2.3 m (8 ft) high, it is in the centre of a flat circular enclosure 54 m (177 ft) in diameter,
9243-410: The line carries on through other geologically important exposures such as those in the area of Caer Caradoc . Contrary to a common misconception, the Wrekin has never been a volcano in its own right, but is composed mainly of volcanic rocks and is a product of volcanism. Its modern shape, which from certain viewpoints appears to resemble a volcano, has been formed by other natural processes. The name
9360-522: The material would be spun, and then weaved into the final product. The mill was irreparably damaged in a flood around the turn of 20th century. The factory that served the mill is still in the valley today, and after being turned into a hotel for many years has now been converted into luxury apartments. The Long Mynd Hotel in Church Stretton was built in 1901, originally as the Hydro, at a time when
9477-471: The millennia to create an approximately 23,000 ft (7,000 m) thick layer composed of sand, mud, silt and very occasional thin ash bands. The stratigraphy, mineral compositions and surrounding volcanology suggests an infilling island arc basin. Towards the end of the Precambrian, the volcanoes ceased their eruptions, and the rivers had dried up. Instead the forces that created the volcanoes caused
9594-622: The modern period across the border in England. Archenfield was still Welsh enough in the time of Elizabeth I for the Bishop of Hereford to be made responsible, together with the four Welsh bishops, for the translation of the Bible and the Book of Common Prayer into Welsh. Welsh was still commonly spoken there in the first half of the 19th century, and churchwardens' notices were put up in both Welsh and English until about 1860. Alexander John Ellis in
9711-529: The more aggressive plant species which would otherwise dominate the area. Other than the boundary fence which is largely maintained by the Longmynd commoners, there is no other fencing on the hill that restricts the movement of livestock. Therefore, to undertake routine husbandry tasks, Longmynd commoners use dogs to gather their flocks together before driving them off the hill back to the farm. The sheep from each farm know instinctively where their flock's grazing boundary is. This ancient practice, known as hefting ,
9828-503: The mudflats would have built up, and volcanic eruptions deposited ash in layers between the sand and mud. The primary rock of the Long Mynd is sandstone, usually coloured purple or grey. The volcanoes created the nearby Stretton Hills and the Wrekin , and eruptions would have been frequent. There are layers in the rocks of the Long Mynd that were previously described as raindrop marks. Unpublished research, including electron micrographs, by
9945-458: The name Uriconio originally referred. It is thought the fort was built by the Cornovii tribe and was once their capital. In AD 47 Roman invaders stormed the fort and set fire to it, moving the defeated tribe on to Wroxeter ( Viroconium Cornoviorum ). A more recent addition is the Wrekin transmitting station , used for broadcasting and telecommunications. At the top of the main mast
10062-464: The new rocks to lift and fold, creating mountains and valleys in the area. Much of the rock was melted during this period, underneath the Earth's crust , causing the mountains to continually change towards the latter part of the Precambrian. The Church Stretton Fault Zone probably formed during this period. It is still active today. The hill of Caer Caradoc adjacent to the Long Mynd and from the same time
10179-554: The newly formed Scottish mountains had rivers flowing all over the land. Shropshire was no exception; these new rivers caused thick deposits in the area. Most of the rocks from this era are red sandstones, with iron in the rock. The area was known as the Old Red Sandstone Continent. These river sediments have traces of fossilised fish. Shropshire would have remained above water until the end of the Devonian, when
10296-548: The north were being worn down by rivers, creating enormous deltas that were colonised by plant life. A tropical forest took hold all over Shropshire, with ancient tree ferns and horsetails . Shropshire eventually crossed the equator during this era, and became a part of Pangaea during the Permian ; the area would have been very similar to the Sahara Desert , and would have been in the vicinity, around 20° to 30° north of
10413-468: The novels of Mary Webb (in particular Gone to Earth ), Malcolm Saville 's Lone Pine series for children, and Sheena Porter 's The Knockers (1965). [REDACTED] Media related to Long Mynd at Wikimedia Commons Welsh language Welsh ( Cymraeg [kəmˈraːiɡ] or y Gymraeg [ə ɡəmˈraːiɡ] ) is a Celtic language of the Brittonic subgroup that
10530-622: The now deceased Professor Martin Brasier, showed that these are actually ichnofossils created by an unknown Ediacaran biota. Field observations of the stratigraphy present, and its laminar nature, leave no doubt that they are in a marine environment; the absence of infilled or mineralised syncresis (shrinkage cracks) adds to this. Examples of these fossilised marks can be viewed today in the National Trust tearoom exhibition, in Carding Mill Valley . The layers of rock built up over
10647-448: The number of Welsh-language speakers to one million by 2050. Since 1980, the number of children attending Welsh-medium schools has increased, while the number going to Welsh bilingual and dual-medium schools has decreased. Welsh is considered the least endangered Celtic language by UNESCO . The language of the Welsh developed from the language of Britons . The emergence of Welsh was not instantaneous and clearly identifiable. Instead,
10764-473: The people of Wales in every aspect of their lives. Despite that, an amendment to that effect was supported by 18 Assembly Members from three different parties, and that was a significant step forward." On 5 October 2011, Meri Huws , Chair of the Welsh Language Board , was appointed the new Welsh Language Commissioner. She released a statement that she was "delighted" to have been appointed to
10881-551: The people of the Western Roman Empire . In Old English the term went through semantic narrowing , coming to refer to either Britons in particular or, in some contexts, slaves. The plural form Wēalas evolved into the name for their territory, Wales. The modern names for various Romance-speaking people in Continental Europe (e.g. Walloons , Valaisans , Vlachs / Wallachians , and Włosi ,
10998-488: The population in Wales said they had no Welsh language skills. Other estimates suggest that 862,700 people (28.0%) aged three or older in Wales could speak Welsh in March 2024. Almost half of all Welsh speakers consider themselves fluent, while 20 per cent are able to speak a fair amount. 56 per cent of Welsh speakers speak the language daily, and 19 per cent speak the language weekly. The Welsh Government plans to increase
11115-471: The population not being able to speak it. The National Survey for Wales, conducted by Welsh Government, has also tended to report a higher percentage of Welsh speakers than the census, with the most recent results for 2022–2023 suggesting that 18 per cent of the population aged 3 and over were able to speak Welsh, with an additional 16 per cent noting that they had some Welsh-speaking ability. Historically, large numbers of Welsh people spoke only Welsh. Over
11232-502: The population of Wales aged 3 and over, were able to speak the language. Children and young people aged three to 15 years old were more likely to report that they could speak Welsh than any other age group (48.4 per cent, 241,300). Around 1,001,500 people, or 32.5 per cent, reported that they could understand spoken Welsh. 24.7 per cent (759,200) could read and 22.2 per cent (684,500) could write in Welsh. The APS estimates of Welsh language ability are historically higher than those produced by
11349-407: The population of Wales spoke Welsh, compared with 20.8 per cent in the 2001 census , and 18.5 per cent in the 1991 census . Since 2001, however, the number of Welsh speakers has declined in both the 2011 and 2021 censuses to about 538,300 or 17.8 per cent in 2021, lower than 1991, although it is still higher in absolute terms. The 2011 census also showed a "big drop" in the number of speakers in
11466-557: The public and various community groups and workshops. The geology of the Wrekin and its immediate area is complex, consisting of a variety of rocks of a range of ages affected by numerous faults . The crest of the Wrekin's ridge and its northwestern slopes are formed from various rocks of volcanic origin assigned to the Uriconian series, of Precambrian age. The ' Uriconian Volcanics' include rhyolites , tuffs and agglomerates . These rocks – layers of ancient lava flows laid down in
11583-554: The public trial lesson flights. Many long flights have started from the Long Mynd, most recently one of 750 kilometres (470 mi) during the summer of 2007. The gliding club is one of the few remaining clubs in Europe to regularly launch gliders by bungee . One early distinguished past member was Amy Johnson , from 1937 to 1939. Historical grazing rights are held by the Long Mynd Commoners who graze sheep and ponies on
11700-479: The recent arrival of the grayling butterfly ( Hipparchia semele ). The Revd E. D. Carr's A Night in the Snow describes his experience, in 1865, of surviving a winter's night on the Long Mynd when attempting to walk home after conducting a Sunday service and visiting an isolated parishioner. He spent 23 hours struggling to force a route to safety. The Long Mynd features in literature in the poetry of A. E. Housman ,
11817-542: The required fresh approach to this new role." Huws started her role as the Welsh Language Commissioner on 1 April 2012. Local councils and the Senedd use Welsh, issuing Welsh versions of their literature, to varying degrees. Road signs in Wales are in Welsh and English. Prior to 2016, the choice of which language to display first was the responsibility of the local council. Since then, as part of
11934-466: The ridge is largely formed from sandstones and shales of Cambrian age. They include the early Cambrian Lower Comley Sandstone and Lower Comley Limestones together with the Wrekin Quartzite, outcrops of which also occur to the northwest of the ridge. The lower ground to the northwest comprises sandstones and mudstones of late Carboniferous and Permian age whilst to the southeast are
12051-636: The routes in wintry conditions. The Longmynd Hike is a 50-mile (80 km) competitive race that crosses over the Long Mynd twice and must be completed in under 24 hours. It has been running since 1967 and takes place annually, usually on the first weekend in October. There is a golf course , the Church Stretton Golf Club , located near the Cardingmill Valley, on the slopes of Stanyeld Hill and Bodbury Hill. The clubhouse
12168-489: The seas rose once again. The Carboniferous was a time of great change for the area. Shropshire would have been near the equator, and the Old Red Sandstone continent had been eroded away; in the early part of the period, the county was under a shallow sea. However, tectonic activity pushed Britain out of the sea. South of Shropshire this effect was felt greatly, though Shropshire was relatively quiet. Mountains to
12285-511: The shape of the Wrekin, which is situated in the region of Poundland's head office in Willenhall . The chocolate bar was launched that year, and is said to be based on the Wrekin and Ercall hills. Poundland's founder, Steve Smith, lives near Bridgnorth in Shropshire. The Wrekin is a location in the 2020 videogame Assassin's Creed Valhalla , as "The Wroeken". Christian Bale (playing racing driver Ken Miles, from Sutton Coldfield) uses
12402-651: The shift occurred over a long period, with some historians claiming that it had happened by as late as the 9th century , with a watershed moment being that proposed by linguist Kenneth H. Jackson , the Battle of Dyrham , a military battle between the West Saxons and the Britons in 577 AD, which split the South Western British from direct overland contact with the Welsh. Four periods are identified in
12519-480: The sites on the Long Mynd, from the Bronze Age, include dykes , cross-ridge dykes and barrows . Barristers Plain Cross-Ridge Dyke runs southwest to northeast, almost in a straight line for 170 m (560 ft). It runs across the narrowest area of a ridge between Grindle Hill and Round Hill. The remains of the dyke is now covered in heather, and is approximately 5.5 m (18 ft) wide, and
12636-435: The town was popular as a spa. A large area of the Long Mynd (almost all its upland area) was bought by the National Trust in 1965, and was designated an AONB as part of the Shropshire Hills in 1958. The Long Mynd comprises many hills and moors. From the summit of nearly every hill, there are extensive views of the surrounding area and surrounding counties. North, one can see as far as Cheshire ; west commands views over
12753-526: The use of Welsh in daily life, and standardised spelling. The New Testament was translated by William Salesbury in 1567, and the complete Bible by William Morgan in 1588. Modern Welsh is subdivided into Early Modern Welsh and Late Modern Welsh. Early Modern Welsh ran from the 15th century through to the end of the 16th century, and the Late Modern Welsh period roughly dates from the 16th century onwards. Contemporary Welsh differs greatly from
12870-432: The valleys and hills of the Long Mynd massif we see today. The small rivers, streams and brooks still very slowly carve out the valleys. Today the steep and narrow valleys are covered in a thin layer of acidic soil, able to support only strong grasses , rushes and heathers . Beneath the soil the evidence of the ancient and chequered past can be seen, and the rocky outcrops and scree slopes are excellent places to view
12987-437: The west. Devil's Mouth Cross-Ridge Dyke lies between Cardingmill Valley and Townbrook Valley. The dyke is 140 m (460 ft) long, but is cut though by the Burway road and a small car park, 35 m (110 ft) of the dyke is now missing. Both ends of the dyke end on steep slopes! It was built with stone and earth, and is 6 m (20 ft) wide, and 1.5 m (5 ft) high, with shallow ditches either side. It
13104-507: The wood's in trouble; His forest fleece the Wrekin heaves; The gale, it plies the saplings double, And thick on Severn snow the leaves. In the 1969 novel A Pelican at Blandings , The Wrekin can be seen from P.G. Wodehouse 's Blandings Castle . The Wrekin is also mentioned in Half Man Half Biscuit 's 1987 song, " Rod Hull Is Alive, Why?", with the line: "Halfway up the Wrekin with an empty flask of tea,
13221-622: Was complete by around AD 550, and labelled the period between then and about AD 800 "Primitive Welsh". This Primitive Welsh may have been spoken in both Wales and the Hen Ogledd ('Old North') – the Brittonic-speaking areas of what are now northern England and southern Scotland – and therefore may have been the ancestor of Cumbric as well as Welsh. Jackson, however, believed that the two varieties were already distinct by that time. The earliest Welsh poetry – that attributed to
13338-510: Was known for its textiles, specifically in Cardingmill Valley. Carding Mill was built in the 18th century, and named after a stage in making cloth, the three stages being carding , spinning and weaving . Carding would have been done by children, and involved using a hand-card that removed and untangled short fibres from the mass of raw material. The cards were wooden blocks with handles and covered in metal spikes, which were angled, (to make it easier to untangle) and set in leather. When untangled,
13455-518: Was passed and received Royal Assent, thus making the Welsh language an officially recognised language within Wales. The measure: The measure required public bodies and some private companies to provide services in Welsh. The Welsh government's Minister for Heritage at the time, Alun Ffred Jones , said, "The Welsh language is a source of great pride for the people of Wales, whether they speak it or not, and I am delighted that this measure has now become law. I am very proud to have steered legislation through
13572-517: Was probably spoken throughout the island south of the Firth of Forth . During the Early Middle Ages the British language began to fragment due to increased dialect differentiation, thus evolving into Welsh and the other Brittonic languages. It is not clear when Welsh became distinct. Linguist Kenneth H. Jackson has suggested that the evolution in syllabic structure and sound pattern
13689-502: Was won by Chris Boardman , the second of his four National Hill Climb titles, who went on to win a gold medal at the 1992 Summer Olympics and have a successful professional cycling career. The Long Mynd has been home to the Midland Gliding Club since 1934. The club owns 136 hectares (340 acres) of land on the south end and flies gliders there throughout the year. It runs residential training courses and offers members of
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