A new sculpture trail inspired by the medieval history of Llanrwst will be unveiled in Gwydyr forest on Friday (July 2).
One of the sculptures on the trail pays homage to Wales’s real-life Robin Hood figure – Dafydd ap Siencyn – who lived in the forest overlooking the town with his army of followers.
Another consists of three eight-foot towers, created from the trunks of ancient oak trees, and were inspired by a 15th Century poem written by Tudur Penllyn in praise of Siencyn.
The sculptures were commissioned by the community group, Cymru Lloegr a Llanrwst and public art agency Safle, and created by artists Megan Broadmeadow and Mari Gwent, who spent 18 months working in the area.
Megan and Mari were inspired by the legend of Siencyn to create the sculpture trail, LLwybr-y-Ceirw (Path of the Deer), which celebrates the illustrious history and heritage of Llanrwst in the Forestry Commission Wales-managed forest.
The name of the trail stems from the medieval legend that the deer which once lived in the forest relocated to the town after the residents fled to the forest to escape the fierce battles which besieged them.
Megan’s sculpture, called Ysbardyn (Spur), was inspired by the discovery of Siencyn’s own riding spur, now exhibited in St Grwst Church. Ysbardyn is a large wooden replica of the spur, made using a single tree which lies in the heart of the trail, along an ancient pathway where it is believed Siencyn once rode.
She said, “The delicate beauty of the weapon, compared to its use in violent battles, filled me with a sense of history and I was inspired to make a piece of work that took it back to the forest from where it once came.”
Mari’s work consists of three eight-foot towers, created from the trunks of ancient oak trees, in reverence to the poetry and music written about the town.
As well as Penllyn’s ode to Siencyn the towers, entitled Derw dol yw dy dyrau di (the tall oak are your fortresses), contain text from another poem by T. Glynn Davies as well as the band Y Cyrff’s song, Cymru Lloegr a Llanrwst, carved into their trunks.
Mari said, “The sculptures, which stand in a proud position overlooking the town, represent the continuation and development of the area’s Welsh tradition that has its roots deep in the Gwydyr forest.”
Ian Jenkins, a member of Cymru Lloegr a Llanrwst, said he hoped the sculptures would inspire people to celebrate and explore the town’s history.
“We are celebrating the fighting spirit of Llanrwst and the once symbiotic relationship between the townsfolk and the forest. The work also celebrates the life of one of Llanrwst’s own heroes – Dafydd ap Siencyn – of whom our community group is very proud,” he added.
The sculpture trail follows part of Lady Mary’s Walk and then public footpaths to the Caerdroia, which is a community-run labyrinth where open-air theatre productions are held. It can also be joined from the FC Wales car park at Gwydyr Uchaf.
FC Wales Local Area Manager Tim Gordon-Roberts said, “As well as enjoying the beauty of Gwydyr forest as it is today, people will now also be able to connect with its fascinating past.”
The trail will be maintained by another community group, Golygfa Gwydyr, whose manager, Roger Davies, said he hoped the unveiling of the sculptures represented the beginning of a new relationship between the residents of the town and the forest.
“We hope the trail will encourage people to take advantage of living so close to such a stunning public space,” he added.
As well as designing and building the sculptures, Megan and Mari presented several animated events including blanketing the town square in turf and transforming shop windows into movie screens.
Photograph: One of the sculptures which celebrate the history of LLanrwst
