MYSTERY WWI REMAINS AT PEMBREY TO BE REVEALED

Historic secrets about the role Pembrey Country Park played in the First World War are about to be unveiled.

A grant of £10,000 gifted by the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) is to help identify unknown archaeological remains on the former Nobel’s TNT plant munitions factory base.

During the First World War Pembrey Munitions Factory employed over 1,000 people from the local area, Swansea and Carmarthen, many of whom were women.

Carmarthenshire Council, Cadw and local schoolchildren will be working closely with Dyfed Archaeological Trust on the project called Discovering the Legacy of the First World War in Pembrey

The council’s countryside and coast ranger, Simeon Jones said: “This funding is vital in helping us interpret the site remains which we know very little about. The site is special in terms of its archaeology and the fact that it has been transformed into a site rich in aesthetics and biodiversity.”

As part of national Great War centenary commemorations and their GCSE mark school, children will look at how best to market the site from a heritage perspective by creating a sale booklet or website pages.

After closing during the 1920s the site went on to be redeveloped as an Ordnance Factory during the Second World War.

Dyfed Archaeological Trust’s Alice Pyper said: “We are thrilled to have received the support of the Heritage Lottery Fund, which together with funding from Cadw and the support of Carmarthenshire County Council will enable more people to understand the archaeology which lies within Pembrey Country Park and tell the story of what went on here during the 20th century.”

A trail leaflet and exhibition will be developed from the project’s findings which will be available to the public.