This blog is written by Elaine Hooton, a Geographer who worked as a teacher and educator for 34 years before beginning PhD research at the Open University.
“…press your fingers close to the lichened sandstone. With this stone and this grass, with red earth, this place was received and made and remade. Its generations are distinct but all suddenly present.”
From Raymond Williams ‘The People of the Black Mountains’ (1989/1990) and quoted in the Llwyn Celyn History Album Volume I (p.17)
Over a beautifully sunny week in March 2025, the Written in Stone geodiversity project team stayed at the wonderful medieval hall house Llwyn Celyn in south Wales, thanks to the generous support of the Landmark Trust Futures scheme. The quote above, by local author and academic Raymond Williams, says much about the ‘sense of place’ you connect with at the house and how ‘long times past’ come together in its layered history.
What is geodiversity?
The Written in Stone project is focused on ‘geodiversity’, which refers to the diversity of the non-living parts of nature- the geology, associated soils, water systems and natural processes shaping the land. Geodiversity recognises their intimate relationships and layering with the living components of nature, and how people and societies interact with landscapes and the natural world.
Lots of conservation efforts are focused around restoring or improving biodiversity; in conversations about nature, biodiversity has a clear and publicly recognised ‘voice’. But geodiversity has sometimes been referred to as ‘silent nature’.
There is evidence that geodiversity is often overlooked by researchers, decision-makers and the wider public.
However, geodiversity has wide-ranging value, with natural, social and economic significance. Geodiversity has a fundamental role within ecosystems, through elements and processes that underpin and are part of the living layer.
Developing new ways to assess geodiversity using Llwyn Celyn’s story
There is currently no consistent way to assess or assign holistic value to geodiversity sites.
The aim of the Written In Stone project is to develop a transferable framework that allows nature and heritage-based organisations to understand and benefit from their geodiversity assets for conservation, decision-making, nature connectedness and visitor experiences.
The primary purpose of our stay in south Wales was therefore to undertake a ‘trial and test’ study.
During our visit we explored the history of the property, and its relationship with local geodiversity. We tested ways of recognising and assessing ‘geosystem services’ in the area during a field trail to the summit of nearby Gaer*, and explored the historical, landscape and geological connections between Llanthony Priory and Llwyn Celyn.
Llwyn Celyn is born of the geodiversity within the surrounding landscape.The local sandstone, from which Llwyn Celyn is constructed, is known to geologists as ‘Old Red Sandstone’. This sandstone and the surrounding landscape was founded over 300 million years ago in the Devonian period, when large rivers meandered across floodplains carrying and depositing sand, gravel and mud. These rivers flowed southward from a mountain chain as high and wide as the Himalayas. The rocks they laid down have since been folded, faulted and tilted on a journey forced by tectonic movement. Sea levels have risen and fallen, glaciers have advanced and retreated to cut wide valleys deepened by meltwater. A constant cycle of weathering and erosion has rounded the hills and shaped the stones from which Llwyn Celyn has grown. And then, our own arrival and impact in this geologically founded place, where ‘received and made and remade…generations are distinct but all suddenly present’
The most valuable aspect of the trip was the time together to discuss moving theory into practice. Our project team of academics and practitioners has a range of distinctive but complementary skills, knowledge and experience. Stepping into the surrounding landscape and then working together at the huge medieval hall table to visualise and sketch out elements of our framework was a highlight of the stay.
Engaging practitioners and the public with geodiversity
A direct result of our ‘Futures’ stay at Llwyn Celyn will be the development of a framework illustrating place-based geodiversity values. We are considering how to present this to those working in organisations who can put it into practice. The ideas generated during the stay will be refined, ready for further ‘trial and test’.
Alongside this work we are developing a geodiversity trail from Llwyn Celyn to Gaer hillfort summit, which witnesses a landscape that has evolved over millions of years and connects to the location and fabric of Llwyn Celyn. We are creating a geodiversity contribution to the Llwyn Celyn Explorer Pack, encouraging young visitors to discover more about the fabric of the building and its connection to the wider and deeper histories. We hope can help bring landscape geodiversity alive for future ‘Landmarkers’.
We also have ideas to extend the existing timeline exhibit at Llwyn Celyn beyond the last Ice Age, to explore the deep geological origins of the stones the house is built from.
Our Landmark Futures stay has been deeply thought-provoking and it continues to inspire new ideas and possibilities. We are hugely grateful to the Landmark Trust for providing us with this wonderful experience. In order to give ‘silent nature’ a louder voice we need to enable more accessible ‘ways in’ for many more people to understand, value and appreciate the non-living components of our landscapes. Our hope is that through this work and the wider Written in Stone project we can do just that!
Should anyone would like to know more about the Written in Stone project, studying at the OU or would like to contact the team about their local geodiversity stories they can do so via email at Elaine.Hooton@open.ac.uk
The Written In Stone team – Landmark Futures beneficiary 2025
- Elaine Hooton, Postgraduate Research Student – The Open University
- Professors Clare Warren and Richard Holliman – The Open University
- Dr Jonathan Larwood – Natural England
- Dr Stewart Clarke – The National Trust
This work is licensed under an open access policy under CC BY 4.0. To view a copy of this license, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
*In Welsh, Gaer means “fort”
The feature image is free to use under the Unsplash license from USGS, 2024