Here, we're going to add to rather than repeat things. For, lots of people have already said lots of things about the lots of stones piled lots of feet up on Moel Famau. That's because, in exactly a week's time, organisers hope lots of people from the Rhuthun/Ruthin area will celebrate the 200th anniversary of the laying of the Jubilee Tower's original foundation stone.In some senses it's odd we're about to commemorate the 200th anniversary of a structure that was never finished, then collapsed, looks ugly and was built in honour of an unpopular king even in England when, today, the monarchy is even less respected than it ever was! Still, it's a good excuse for a party. If the weather stays fine. If it doesn't, what are the contingencies?
Celebratory details here ~ BBC blog on the tower & Moel Famau here
But Moel Famau is the highest point on the Bryniau Clwyd/Clwydian Range and its fallen monument ensures it stands out. It's become the objective of over 200,000 people each year, though how they know this, I'm unsure. Perhaps there are discrete solar-powered counters scattered among the heather.
The person presiding over next week's celebrations is the great great grandson of the peer who laid the foundation stone 200 years ago. Though today's Lloyd Kenyon lives in the same house as his forbear, it's "moved" counties three times. At the time of the ceremony, it lay in the archaic detached part of Sir y Fflint/Flintshire called the Maelor Saesneg or English Maelor. In 1974 it became part of Clwyd and in 1996 passed to the county borough of Wrexham. It is as a county councillor for Owrtyn/Overton-on-Dee that the current Lloyd Kenyon serves.The day of the celebrations is next Sunday, 24th October. This is, in fact, exactly 199 years, 11 months and 29 days after the laying of the foundation stone, on 25th October 1810. The celebration arrives early, thanks to the actual anniversary falling inconveniently on a weekday.
Dignitaries in 1810 arrived at the summit on horse back. Gentry were able and expected to ride. We'd bet next week's officials will take the modern country equivalent, the 4x4. The rest of us, like in 1810, will just have to walk.