In 2022 we:
• Ran a successful programme of events including our biggest Christmas event.
• Got expert advice on how to improve the Valley for visitors.
• Decided to change our legal structure to be more efficient.
• Set up a partnership with local organisations in the Holywell and Greenfield area.
• Started finding new volunteer trustees.
• Had the idea to do an archaeological survey.
• Had major help from volunteers maintaining and improving the Valley.
In 2023 we:
• Installed a trampoline that can be used by all children, including those in wheelchairs
• Installed a Changing Places toilet to cater for those who cannot use standard accessible toilets.
• Hosted the biggest live music event the Valley has ever seen.
• Carried out an archaeological survey with local people involved.
• Restored the water wheel to generate power at the Wire Mill Garden.
• Appointed three new volunteer trustees – subject to change in legal status.
• Carried out major safety works as ash die back disease continues to sweep through the valley
• Secured a grant of £600,000 to fund improvements and help us to get more grants
Shared Prosperity Fund (SPF)
In June 2023, we were informed that a bid we had made for money to help us deliver our plans for the Valley had been approved. This was a joint bid between the Greenfield Valley Trust and Flintshire County Council. The money comes from the UK government’s Shared Prosperity Fund and is being distributed in Wales through the local authorities. All the projects must be completed and paid for by December 2024.
SPF funding cannot be used for major building projects but can be used for smaller improvements.
The projects that we were given the money for are:
01. Looking at ways we can improve Basingwerk House – possibly creating community rooms to let and spaces to hire for activities and events
Basingwerk House has an interesting history but is in need of renovation. Currently the home of the Valley’s offices and the café we want to explore it’s potential and ask if it could be put to better use. It also needs its services and facilities modernised to fit in with the carbon reduction targets. Local people wanted more events in the Valley but we don’t really have suitable indoor venues for this at the moment.
Could Basingwerk House provide rooms that people could hire for parties and meetings and local community groups could meet? What changes would be needed to the building and how much would they cost? Who would use it? How would it be run? Could it make enough money to cover the costs of operating, cleaning and organising the letting spaces?
These are the sort of things that we are exploring with the help of experts. There will be public consultation as part of their work so that local people can have their say.
02. Improving the area between the Abbey, Basingwerk House and the Visitor Centre so that visitors feel welcome and can find out where to go to see everything
We know from the report we received in 2022 that the Valley can be a bit confusing for visitors. Some people don’t know where to go once they reach the car parks. Others don’t realise that, as well as the Visitor Centre, Museum and Abbey, there is a beautiful path up to Holywell with lots more to see.
We think that it would be helpful for visitors if they could understand about the whole valley when they get to the visitor centre area. The Abbey site is owned by Cadw but it does not matter to visitors who owns the different parts so we are talking with Cadw about how we can work together on these improvements.
03. Improving the Visitor Centre to make a bigger café and a better entrance
In any leisure or tourist location the café can be very important, particularly for those who may have travelled a long way. Our current café is charming but not very big. In many other places the café, shop, site information and entrance tickets are all available in the same building.
Could we do this in the Valley? Could we have a new café and shop alongside the visitor centre with a more obvious entrance to the attractions of the museum area, animals and play area? Perhaps combined with staff offices so that they can look after the site efficiently? What could this look like? How much would it cost to build and run? If it is a good idea, what grants could we get to do this?
These are the questions we are trying to answer with the help of experts. There will be public consultation as part of their work so that local people can have their say.
04. Deciding what to do with the Valley’s overgrown and inaccessible areas so that people can enjoy them.
The Valley has lots of different spaces – woodland, water areas and sites of the former mills.
Following the public comments on our draft strategy in 2021 we confirmed that the woodland between the paths on the eastern (Bagillt) side of the main route up the Valley would be kept as they are, as quiet natural areas. Elsewhere in the Valley some parts can’t be used because they get overgrown or are fenced off for safety reasons. It is a shame that these interesting sites are not accessible or used by the public. What can we do to change this?
We are exploring the following ideas:
- Making it easier for people to appreciate the old mill sites with better paths and making areas for different activities. Could the land alongside the Flour Mill Pool and the Meadow Mill area be enjoyed by families as open space for picnics and games? Perhaps with improved views of the water? And with more information about the mills that used to be here?
- Creating a fishing lake at the Meadow Mill Pool. Some local people have said that they want fishing opportunities for young people in the Valley. We have taken advice on how to create a fishing lake at Meadow Mill pool with the aim of providing fishing, particularly for young people, and improving access for everyone to the banks to enjoy the views of this beautiful pool. We want to use this grant funding to help us make progress on this.
- What could be done with Battery Pool? Currently drained, and part of a flood relief scheme, what could be done to restore public views of this area? Recognising that flood management is an increasingly important aspect of our modern world, with the impact of climate change being felt everywhere, we are asking for advice on how public views of this area could be restored.
05. Looking after the nature and wildlife in the Valley
We know that the woods and natural environment are very important parts of the attraction of the Valley. We are currently dealing with the terrible impact that ash dieback disease is having, with many dead and dying trees having to be felled to avoid the risk of hurting someone.
This does open up some attractive views that have been lost over the years, but we want to reinstate the woodland with appropriate species and do what we can to protect and improve the biodiversity of the Valley.
We are asking for advice from landscaping and natural environment experts on what we should do in the future to protect the Valley’s natural environment. There will be public consultation as part of this process so that local people can have their say.
06. Providing more activities, events and exhibitions and encourage more people to visit
When we asked in 2021 people said that they wanted more events in the Valley. People also said that events and more visitors was a good way to raise money. Using the grant money, we have employed an experienced events and promotions person for 12 months.
She will help us organise events and set in place arrangements for events and promotions so that it will take us less effort to do these when the grant money is no longer available.
07. Helping people to volunteer in the Valley
We are delighted that a large number of people already spend time in the Valley helping to improve and maintain it. We have gardeners, maintenance people, and experts on the railways, steam and forge as well as trustees and history experts.
There are also a large number of groups from local companies or organisations, as well as interested local residents, who help keep the Valley clean and tidy through clear-up days or litter picks.
We are grateful for all their help, and we want to make sure that they have an enjoyable experience in their volunteering. We also have lots more opportunities for people to get involved but this needs to be organised and supported. We are therefore using some of the grant money to improve our arrangements for volunteering.
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