The Great Orme

[Hugo]

Thanks for the update Steve, I was wondering how things were going on.       I wish them good luck with their efforts to keep the Goats out of the town but it seems like an impossible task to me

[Helig]

How about food banks for the goats? There could be food banks located on the Orme with some tasty nibbles for them to chomp. These could be placed at times when food is scarce for them on the Orme.

[SteveH]

Stories of tragedy and triumph from a wind swept cemetery that captures Llandudno's past
Soldiers, stuntman and tragic tram driver commemorated at St Tudno Church site

The tragic loss of life from conflicts and accidents is commemorated within the stone walls of a Great Orme churchyard and cemetery. Scattered across the slopes near St Tudno's Church are the headstones and memorials to soldiers, a stunt man and a tragic tram driver who perished in a crash.

It is a fitting resting place as the Great Orme has been a place of worship and burials for centuries.

It was here in the 6th Century that a Celtic holy man Tudno was said to have worshipped in a cave - Ogof Llech - from which he constructed a church. Eventually, he became St Tudno - the patron saint of Llandudno - giving the town of Llandudno its name.

Later a new church was built nearby but it was badly damaged in a storm. So the present day church was built in the 19th Century. It has a churchyard with a large cemetery adjoining it.

Here we take a look at the stories of a handful of the brave souls remembered there...........https://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/stories-tragedy-triumph-wind-swept-26343334?IYA-reg=49560bcd-5a9c-47f0-8fc5-ba2e71710589

[SteveH]

'Crawl' tunnel for authentic miners' experience planned at Llandudno labyrinth
The Orme Copper Mines open this weekend for the 2023 season

Beneath the Great Orme headland, a maze of passages, tunnels and caverns stretches at least five miles. Some are taller, others require crawling, a few can only be navigated by young children. Without lights, many are pitch black.

For the Bronze Age miners and their children who worked in the Orme labyrinth 4,000 years ago, conditions must have been dusty, claustrophobic and sometimes terrifying. Today, safety barriers and electric lighting ensure Llandudno?s Orme Copper Mines are a more pleasant experience for the 30,000 hard-hatted visitors who delve into its depths each year.

cont https://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/crawl-tunnel-authentic-miners-experience-26493956?IYA-reg=49560bcd-5a9c-47f0-8fc5-ba2e71710589

[SteveH]

A case of passing the Buck, sorry Billy........just what those affected wanted to hear 

'Goats are landowners? responsibility? says council report

LANDOWNERS are responsible for protecting their property from damage from the roaming Great Orme Goats ? not Conwy council ? warns a new report.

And Conwy Council will refuse to confine the Kashmir goats using fencing for fear it will become solely responsible for the animals? welfare.

Councillors will consider a plan to manage the herd with its partner agencies after the animals rampaged through Llandudno, Llanrhos, and Craig y Don during the height of the pandemic.

Working with the town council, Mostyn Estates, Natural Resources Wales, and the RSPCA, the council is looking at new ways to manage the animals to minimise conflict with human neighbours.

Current methods of controlling the goat population and their movements include herding the animals on some occasions, contraception, and relocation.

But the report warns that landowners are responsible for protecting their land and could even be responsible for the animals? welfare.

full story  https://www.northwalespioneer.co.uk/news/23464391.goats-landowners-responsibility-says-council-report/


PS
BBC report  https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-65315656

[Ian]

"rampaged".  Nice use of alarmist rhetoric.

[Nemesis]

8 very large billies scaled a 6 foot wall ito our back garden last week.! Cute ? I think not !

[Meleri]

I watched the meeting held last night regarding the feral goats of the Great Orme & it was interesting, so thought I would let you know a few snippets mentioned. The goats were originally given to Lord Mostyn from Queen Victoria, but as they have been feral for over 100 years they have now reverted to wild state so are legally classed as wild animals & are not the responsibility of any one person or organisation.

There are currently 153 goats in all & CCBC are looking to relocate part of the herd & hope to get it down to 130.

One cabinet member mentioned one issue that is arising is the fact more people are walking their dogs on the Orme & goats & dogs don't mix, so in the future they may have to do something about that.

In the first instance if a goat is found in distress or injured on the Orme or on private property contact the Orme Park Warden or CCBC. Injured in the town contact the RSPCA or causing an obstruction on the highway call the police. One of the Cllrs pointed out several people had tried contacting the police but they referred them back to CCBC. A Council Officer assured the meeting they had been in talks with the police as to their responsibility.

It is the responsibility of all householders to build walls or fences high enough to discourage the goats from entering their properties & will not be compensated for damage.

It was suggested people plant hydrangeas or lavender as goats don't like the smell so will leave them alone.

Even though the goats are now not the responsibility of Mostyn Estates, they pay for the cost of rounding the goats up & all vaccinations every 3 years.

It was noted that a herd of Billy goats have taken up permanent residence on Nant y Gamer Road, Craig y Don but nothing will be done about that.

So all in all, no one is responsible for the goats & people will just have to put up with the damage they cause. Not a very good outcome in my book.

[SteveH]

Thanks for the info, Meleri    We added plastic mesh to our fence as a temporary measure three years ago, it has been effective, but not very smart looking, a rough estimate for a more substantial metal fence replacement, and alterations to our gates, has come in at five thousand pounds.............      ............ maybe the plastic mesh does not look that bad.

[Helig]

I wonder if the type of fencing used to keep deer out of gardens would be helpful to deter the goats? I shouldn't think the goats could jump higher than deer.

https://www.steellandscapingco.co.uk/deer-fencing?gad=1&gclid=CjwKCAjw6IiiBhAOEiwALNqnca2kVI1vvtw2OsbJXfkBXzbrnCSUObFoZ3ylqalKVYOBjIcTZIJHphoCfZYQAvD_BwE

[SteveH]

Thanks for the tip, we do have to watch the height allowed, but the design might be adaptable.

[SteveH]

Goats win battle with council to roam town and cause havoc in town where residents wanted them shot
https://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/goats-win-battle-council-roam-26738868?IYA-reg=49560bcd-5a9c-47f0-8fc5-ba2e71710589


Great Orme goats could be relocated to help control herd
Council says secure relocation plans will need to be in place as 'we can't just send them anywhere'
https://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/great-orme-goats-could-relocated-26754712?IYA-reg=49560bcd-5a9c-47f0-8fc5-ba2e71710589


Llandudno: Great Orme goats to be moved after damaging property
cont https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-65353062

[SteveH]

Plan to help Llandudno's ?feral? goats 'coexist with the community'

A PLAN to manage and monitor Llandudno?s herd of ?feral? Kashmiri goats was adopted by Conwy?s cabinet this week.

At a meeting at Bodlondeb, councillors voted in favour of adopting the plan that will see goat numbers controlled by monitoring, herding, contraception, and relocation.

The council will work with Llandudno Town Council, Mostyn Estates, Natural Resources Wales, and the RSPCA to look after the herd whilst attempting to help the animals coexist with the community.

cont https://www.northwalespioneer.co.uk/news/23514052.plan-help-llandudnos-feral-goats-coexist-community/?ref=rss&IYA-reg=49560bcd-5a9c-47f0-8fc5-ba2e71710589

[SteveH]

'Health hazard' goat carcasses are removed from Llandudno cave

cont https://www.northwalespioneer.co.uk/news/23567743.health-hazard-goat-carcasses-removed-llandudno-cave/

[SteveH]

Llandudno's Great Orme's just 'sea and a bit of grass' says bizarre one-star reviews     
Thousands rightly gave the beauty spot top marks but a strange minority were unhappy with cyclists, sheep poo and a lack of Welsh scones

Over 7,400 people have written about their experiences on TripAdvisor. The overwhelming majority gave the landmark a 5-star review but not everyone left impressed. A very small minority of visitors gave the natural beauty spot a "terrible" rating- the lowest offered by TripAdvisor for the weirdest of reasons..

One wasn't happy sharing the Orme with anyone: "Had a lovely afternoon driving around the Great Orme, seeing all the historic sites and catching a glimpse of the baby seal only for it to be ruined by cyclist riding in the opposite direction on a one way road. They need to do something about this!"

cont https://www.dailypost.co.uk/whats-on/trips-breaks/llandudnos-great-ormes-just-sea-27136582?IYA-reg=49560bcd-5a9c-47f0-8fc5-ba2e71710589