Y CAE/THE FIELD : Julie Cook

Y CAE/THE FIELD
This project begins and ends in a field, in Ynysybwl, an ex-mining village, that grew from a small rural hamlet to one of the largest colliery sites in South Wales, supplying top grade coal that fed the industrial revolution across the world. The field in question is currently what is known as a brown field site, defined as land once occupied by a permanent structure, in this case the Lady Windsor Colliery buildings. Now former industrial colliery sites such as the Lady Windsor Colliery have evolved into an extraordinarily rich and unique habitat for wildlife, both above and below the lands surface, having established themselves over decades of natural colonisation and succession since pit closure. But despite their growing nature conservation importance, they are gravely misunderstood and under-appreciated, and few have any form of legal protection for their rare habitats and species. Each year, sites which are rich in wildlife and cultural significance are lost to development, reclamation, and other pressures, both in South Wales and more widely across the United Kingdom.

Former Lady Windsor Colliery,: Winter, 2022