Geography Fieldwork - Summer 2008

Date: Tuesday 2 September 2008

GEOGRAPHY FIELDWORK

SUMMER 2008

Plas Caerdeon – Barmouth

One of the School’s most successful departments in recent years – by whatever criteria you may employ - has been that of Geography. This success is attributable to many factors: excellent management; real care for every pupil; fascinating subject material; and, of course, the annual fieldwork course, staged alternately in Mid-Wales and Dorset.

This year was the turn of Wales, and a party of 21 – 16 pupils and 5 staff members – travelled by minibus from Canterbury to Plas Caerdeon, the study centre for Liverpool Hope University, just three miles from the resort of Barmouth (Abermaw in Welsh!). Fine English weather gave way as we crossed the border to damp, grey, misty, cloudy conditions which would prevail for the whole of the week. Never once did we see the summit of Cadair Idris across the Mawddach estuary.

Not that the weather mattered to the team who worked together admirably in their investigations of rivers, dunes, town life, and Welshness, before climbing to the summit of Cadair on the last day under the guidance of professional mountaineer Lei. Each day was completed with a two-hour work session in the ‘classroom’ with individuals and groups giving presentations of their day’s findings, before the ritual drive into Barmouth for an hour of relaxation.

The party contained members of three year groups – the new Upper Sixth, the new Lower Sixth, and some ‘Geogspawn’ from the new Upper Fifth! By the end of the week all were considered fully-fledged ‘Geogos’, all having gained real fieldwork experience, and confidence in handling data in the quest for proving various hypotheses. Are small Welsh market towns ‘clone towns’ or do they retain their individual uniqueness? What does Blaenau Ffestiniog have to commend it?

The week was a huge success, but was sad in many ways. The retirement of Mr Philip Mighell begs the question of whether fieldwork of this kind will continue under Ian Urey. I hope it does; the last three summers have been ones in which I, as a non-geographer, have been thoroughly involved in the work of the department – minibus driver, and amateur botanist! And, I’ve enjoyed every minute – not least the pleasure of a daily ‘Full English Breakfast’.

Many thanks to Philip, and to Terry Sheahan for their organisation of the daily programme, to Tim Pearce, co-driver, to Gilly Knight, for her maternal advice to all, and to the 21 Geogos whose commitment and enthusiasm was never dampened!