Call for public contributions to St Non’s sound walk podcast

Members of the public are being invited to contribute to an exciting new project, which aims to celebrate the history, landscape and people of Pembrokeshire’s iconic St Non’s through the medium of sound.

Sitting above the cliffs less than a mile outside St Davids, with views across St Brides Bay, St Non’s Chapel and Holy Well is where, according to tradition, Non gave birth to David. St Non and St David, the Patron Saint of Wales, influenced the spread of Christianity across the 6^th century Celtic world, including in Wales, Ireland, Cornwall and Brittany.

This spectacular, historical and wild location will be the jumping off point for award-winning writers/broadcasters Laura Barton and Horatio Clare, who have been commissioned by Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Authority to create a sound walk podcast on the history, people and landscape of St Non’s.

Horatio and Laura will be working alongside Pembrokeshire resident and consultant producer Graham Da Gama Howells and BBC Sound engineer Andy Fells, with recording due to begin in mid-August.

Horatio Clare, who presents Radio 3’s acclaimed annual Sound Walks series, said: “Being commissioned to make a living testament in sound to this special place is a huge honour for all of us. We cannot wait to get started with recording – and especially working with locals to record – the stories of St Davids, St Non’s and Pembrokeshire.

“We are producing the sound walk and an audio archive, published on the same page, where everyone who contributes will be available to be heard by our listeners.

“We aim to create something, made in Wales, fit for and deserving of a global audience. A magical place deserves a magical portrait in sound. With the help of everyone who wishes to be involved, I have no doubt that we can do it.”

The St Non’s sound walk will be an audio experience driven by the voices and the music of this special place and community. Listeners will learn about springs, saints, chapels, pilgrims, natural history, language, archaeology, farming and land use, modernity, conservation and the wider significance of this place for Welsh identity and European culture. The finished piece will be available as a podcast to be downloaded from anywhere in the world, with the aim of bringing the place, its history and its people to an international audience.

Local writers, artists, musicians, archaeologists, environmentalists, surfers, storytellers, walkers, climbers, boaters and fishers are invited to tell their stories. The production team is also offering opportunities for young residents of the area to gain training, development and work experience in broadcasting, audio recording and research. To get involved contact Horatio Clare by emailing horatioclare@hotmail.com.

The St Non’s sound walk project is supported by Ancient Connections, an exciting arts, heritage and tourism project linking North Pembrokeshire and North Wexford, funded by the European Regional Development Fund through the Ireland Wales co-operation programme, led by Pembrokeshire County Council, together with partners Wexford County Council, Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Authority and Visit Wexford. To find out more about Ancient Connections visit www.ancientconnections.org.