A NEW joint project by Usk Museum of Rural Life and the Woodland Trust is seeking to collect memories of Cefn Ila. Most people will know Cefn Ila as the Maternity Unit but it was also a convalescent home and played a role in caring for evacuees in the Second World War.

The Woodland Trust now owns the Cefn Ila estate including the Victorian pleasure grounds orchard which surround the site where the house stood. As well as restoring the site for wildlife and people, they are seeking to preserve its history. With the help of Heritage Lottery Finding and the museum, Woodland Trust volunteers are hoping to record a range of oral histories of the site.

Vivi O’Mahony who is leading the project said: “We know there are people around who worked in the Maternity Unit, who gave birth there and we’d like to hear their stories”.

Community development officer Amelia Lake said: “The arboretum, orchard and walled garden are being restored and we’d love to hear from anyone with memories of being in those parts of the estate too.

“The walled garden was created originally to grow food for the house when it was a private home. We’d like to know when it stopped being cultivated. We’d like to hear any memories of the scrumpy made from the apples and pears in the orchard, however blurry they may be!

“We know new mums sat shelling peas on the steps of the house whilst they got back to health but we’d like to know more about life at Cefn Ila.”

The memories will be stored in perpetuity as well as created into a display for Usk Museum. Site manager for Cefn Ila, Barry Embling, said: “Cefn Ila is so important to the local community we’d like to make sure it’s stories aren’t lost to history and to bring people back here. That’s why the site is being restored and why we are inviting people to come and enjoy it”.

The Woodland Trust is asking people to get in touch to share their memories but will also be giving the opportunity to have them recorded during the Apple Day held at the site on the 18th October. Amelia said the Apple Day “is being organised by local groups as well as the Woodland Trust and will be a celebration of rural traditions, conservation, as well as cider of course.”

The Apple Day will be full of family fun, rural crafts, the opportunity to press your own apples as well as the chance to find out more about Cefn Ila’s past and add your memories to the history books. Get in touch with Vivi on 07842115377 or send an email to: vivio’ma

[email protected] or email Amelia at [email protected] to tell your story.