EMMA-JAYNE HOLMES

For The Bridge that Connects, Emma-Jayne, who has worked as an artist for thirty years, turns her attention to wayfinding within Cefn Mawr, taking influence from footpaths that run vertically through the village. She is developing illustrated signs that explore these histories and their importance past and present, through heritage sites along Well Street and Crane Street to King Street. These footpaths have been given informal names over the years, an example being “Aunty Mena’s”, a former shop that gave its name to one footpath.

The sign works are informed by Emma-Jayne’s own experiences in nature, using sketchbooks and folded sheets of paper to draw directly from the landscape. The work is also shaped by archival and museum research, as well as conversations with local communities and her neighbours, some of whom are in their eighties, to tease out memories and observations of these pathways over tea and biscuits. Old photographs support Emma-Jayne’s drawings and written reflections of what she describes as “overlooked, unseen and uncelebrated” places, reflections that offer new perspectives in an area dominated by the proximity of the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct especially.

The stunning views of Cefn Mawr brought Emma-Jayne Holmes to the village fourteen years ago. She has lived and worked here ever since. Emma-Jayne is a painter and sketcher based out of her garden studio overlooking the Dee Valley, River Dee and Llangollen Canal. The Pontcysyllte Aqueduct can just about be seen from her garden in winter. Her artistic practice is driven by a strong desire to understand her environment and the communities that are based within it.

THE STORIES OF CEFN MARW FOOTPATHS

Smiths Hill

Located next to the “Maypole” is a slightly steep lane, with no steps. Its name derives from the shop that once occupied the building next to Maypole and was a stationary store. This supplied materials for the printers which is still located today at the top of Smiths hill. 

Mae’r lôn hon, ger “Maypole”, ychydig yn serth, a does dim grisiau arni. Mae ei henw’n deillio o'r siop a arferai fod yn yr adeilad drws nesaf i Maypole ac roedd yn siop a werthai offer swyddfa.  Roedd yn cyflenwi deunyddiau i’r argraffwyr, sydd yno hyd heddiw, ar ben Smiths Hill. 

Griffith’s 

So called after the hardware store that once occupied the building at the top of the path and also a further lower building existed in what is now a courtyard area to the Ebenezer building. A pulley system was used to transport monies from the store at the bottom to the till in the top shop and the steps were used to navigate between the 2 half of the store.

Fe'i gelwir yn Griffith’s ar ôl y siop galedwedd a oedd yn arfer bod yn yr adeilad ar ben y llwybr. Roedd adeilad arall yn sefyll hefyd, ym mhle y mae cwrt adeilad Ebeneser heddiw. Defnyddiwyd system pwli i gludo arian o'r siop ar y gwaelod i'r til yn y siop uchaf a defnyddiwyd y grisiau i gerdded rhwng 2 hanner y siop.

Morris’s

The grand red brick building was Morris’s a furniture emporium and the steep set of steps running up to Mount Pleasant have adopted the name of the store. Well worth the climb and turn right at the top to climb higher up Cefn and appreciate the almost 360’ views across the Dee Valley and opposite out over Shropshire. At the parking area you will find a footpath down to the right, this skirts a fenced of area of old mine workings and rail route, popping out at the bottom by the Tesco roundabout. 

Yr adeilad brics coch mawreddog hwn oedd emporiwm dodrefn Morris's ac mae'r grisiau serth sy'n rhedeg i fyny at Mount Pleasant wedi mabwysiadu enw'r siop. Mae'n werth dringo a throi i'r dde ar ben y grisiau er mwyn dringo'n uwch i fyny Cefn a gwerthfawrogi'r golygfeydd 360' dros Ddyffryn Dyfrdwy a Sir Amwythig gyferbyn. Yn y maes parcio fe ddewch o hyd i lwybr troed i lawr i'r dde. Mae’r llwybr hwn yn dilyn ffens hen weithfeydd mwyngloddio a llwybr rheilffordd, ac mae’n dod allan ar y gwaelod ger cylchfan Tesco. 

ABC Steps

there are a number of steps and then one continuous stretch for learning the alphabet on, before the path wiggles down. Part way down is a cutting off to the right which takes you to Tin Smith Hill.

mae nifer o stepiau ac yna un darn di-dor y gellir dysgu’r wyddor arno cyn i'r llwybr fynd o ochor i ochr ar y ffordd  i lawr. Beth ffordd i lawr mae troad i’r dde sy'n mynd â chi i Tin Smith Hill.

Tin Smith Hill

so called because there was a Tin smith who made lunch boxes and at a time when you packed your own lunch these were in demand. I have also heard that there was a bakery in a parallel street - so a good location as they could support each other. 

Cafodd yr enw oherwydd bod gof tin yn gwneud bocsys bwyd yno, ac mewn cyfnod pan yr oedd pawb yn gwneud eu bocs bwyd eu hunain, roedd galw mawr am y rhain.  Rwyf hefyd wedi clywed bod becws mewn stryd a oedd yn rhedeg ochr yn ochr - felly lleoliad da gan eu bod yn gallu cynnal ei gilydd. 

Dr’s. Steps

probably one of the most well known local paths, it links Crane Street, (to the back of the Chemists) to Hill Street. Down these steps is the walled garden and house which in there past housed the local Doctor, hence the title for the adjoining steps. There is also a local story of the time a circus came to town and settled on the banks, now the car park. The lion escaped and was discovered at the top of the steps! I have also heard that the metal handrail could come from an old well?

Grisiau’r Doctor  - un o'r llwybrau lleol mwyaf adnabyddus mae’n debyg, mae'n cysylltu Stryd y Craen, (y tu ôl i'r Fferyllfa) â Hill Street. I lawr y grisiau hyn mae'r ardd furiog a'r tŷ a fu'n gartref i'r Meddyg lleol yn y gorffennol, a dyna pam y rhoddwyd yr enw hwn ar y grisiau cyfagos. Mae stori leol hefyd am yr amser y daeth syrcas i’r dref ac ymgartrefu ar y glannau, sef y maes parcio heddiw. Dihangodd y llew a daethpwyd o hyd iddo ar ben y grisiau! Rwyf hefyd wedi clywed y gallai'r canllaw metel fod wedi dod o hen ffynnon?

American Hill

So called due to the American Stores located at the bottom of the footpath. There is some discussion as to where this starts and finishes, as time has changed the area. At the bottom sat the shop on the corner of Queen Street, now a private residence. As you walk up American Hill, you pass a set of very steep steps going up to what is now a car park and viewing point, I’ve yet to discover the name for those steps. Back on Bowen’s Lane, it meets Crane Lane, both now footpaths that lead up to the back of the Post Office and are now referred to as American Hill.

Turn left along Crane street and the road changes name to Well Street. ( There is still a well, hidden beneath one of the stores on the corner). Walk along Well Street past the George Edward Hall and along to a tall red brick building and a two story building, painted white on the left.

Fe'i henwyd oherwydd yr American Stores ar waelod y llwybr troed. Mae peth trafodaeth ynglŷn â ble mae’n dechrau ac yn gorffen, gan fod yr ardal wedi newid dros amser.  Ar y gwaelod roedd y siop ar gornel Heol y Frenhines, sydd bellach yn eiddo preifat. Wrth gerdded i fyny American Hill, rydych chi'n mynd heibio grisiau serth iawn sy'n mynd i fyny at yr hyn sydd bellach yn faes parcio ac yn fan gwylio, nid wyf wedi dod o hyd i enw'r grisiau hyn eto. Yn ôl ar Bowen's Lane, mae'n cwrdd â Crane Lane, y ddau bellach yn llwybrau troed sy'n arwain i fyny at gefn y Swyddfa Bost a chyfeirir atynt bellach fel American Hill.

Trowch i'r chwith ar hyd Stryd y Craen ac mae'r ffordd yn newid ei henw i Stryd y Ffynnon. (Mae yna ffynnon o hyd, wedi'i chuddio o dan un o'r siopau ar y gornel). Cerddwch ar hyd Stryd y Ffynnon heibio Neuadd George Edward ac ymlaen at adeilad tal wedi’i wneud o frics coch ac adeilad deulawr, wedi'i baentio'n wyn ar y chwith.