News

An open air museum on an eighty acre site, the HFM is divided into four main areas – a 1930's working farm, the ‘open air museum’ with a developing community of re-located buildings, the Pinewoods and ‘Baile Gean’, the Museum’s unique re-construction of an early 1700's Highland Township.

The Teifi Coracle Netsmen's Association announced on 31st March that for the 2017 season they will be releasing all salmon caught, due to concerns about very low salmon stocks caused by pollution events and other factors

In a statement, the Association said:

Just one month after West Wales Coracle Caught Salmon was awarded Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) status - applied to foodstuffs such as Wensleydale cheese, Melton Mowbray pork pies and Arbroath smokies, West Wales Coracle Caught Sewin has been awarded PGI status this week by the European Commission. PGI status is an indicator of a product's authenticity and strong links to a specific region. The awarding of PGI status to Wes

Jeremy Paxman visited the Ironbridge Coracle Regatta last summer with the production team for his current Channel 4 series, Rivers with Jeremy Paxman, where he tried his hand at coracling.

Broadcast on 5th March, the 3 minute segment shows Jeremy meeting coracle and Society veteran Terry Kenny, before having a go on the water under the expert guidance of Wendy Gee. He also participated in the novice sprint!

Following a number of years hard work, led by the Carmarthen Coracle and Netsmen's Association and supported by the Welsh Government, the European Commission announced today that they have awarded Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) to West Wales Coracle Caught Salmon. PGI status is an indicator of a product's authenticity and strong links to a specific region.

Coracle fishing made a welcome appearance on ITV's new documentary series, Tales from the Coast with Robson Green.

Broadcast on 7th February, the 9 minute segment shows Robson Green meeting with Teifi coracle netsmen Len and Aaron Walters, learning how to paddle the Teifi coracle before going out for a night of fishing for sea trout. The weather that night hampered their efforts but they did manage to catch a fish.

The organisers of the Frome Cheese Show have contacted the Society to ask if any members would be willing to attend and put on a coracle display at their show, which takes place on Saturday 9th September. The venue has a small lake and has previously had coracle demonstrations, which were well received by visitors.

For more information please contact Amelia Coates - amelia@fromecheeseshow.co.uk

Coracles made a brief appearance last week on episode 4 of the 8th series of the BBC's Great British Railway Journeys, hosted by Michael Portillo.

Michael was following the East Coast main line and during a stop in Dunbar, East Lothian, got to try his hand coracling with a couple East Lothian junior rangers.

2017 will see the reconstruction of the coracle from Fife, Scotland. See a prehistoric coracle in Fife by Watkins.

I spent a brilliant weekend in September making a coracle on a course near Henley run by Alistair Phillips . I live close enough to the Kennet and Avon canal to be able to carry my coracle from home on my back and have had great fun trying it out. I discovered that the plastic paddle works as an ice breaker so managed to carry on bashing my way through even when the canal was partially frozen.

Waters of Wales (WoW) is a community of independent campaigners for legislation enshrining public rights of responsible access to inland water in Wales. We stand for responsible and sustainable access to the Waters of Wales for all, free of unnecessary restrictions, whilst respecting the environment, wildlife and other people and interested groups.

'The Adventures of Dai Dreaming' has been created and written by Martin Fowler, Society member and owner of the National Coracle Centre in Cenarth.