At the request of the National Trust archaeologist, we concentrated on some features revealed by geophysics carried out by the Rheesearch group.The results shown here are for a magnetometry survey carried out near the Folly.The Severn Partnership are thanked for providing the Total Station for the survey.The staff of the Glamorgan and Gwent Archaeological Trust SMR, Clwydd and Powys Archaeological Trust SMR, Welsh National Monuments Record, Welsh National Library and Gwent Records Office are thanked for the help they provided with accessing tithe maps, aerial photographs, other records and information for the study area.This shows a line of dots running from the NE towards the SW.This is believed to represent the remains of a water pipe running from Johnson's Pond down to either the fountain or the Castello D'Aqua (both of which we have excavated in previous years).I've been dipping back into Seamus and Ted, and now that Geoffrey Hill has finally filled the contentious Oxford Professor of Poetry slot I'd better start on him too.I have much to say about Alice Oswald's other collections and will do soon.

Talking of summer reads the NTTVBG team have been putting together a selection which we will be posting about soon, not collective reads, just some suggestions for good holiday reads for your delectation and I'd add this one to the pile too.

Valentine Walsh and Bob Child are especially thanked for permission to carry out the earthwork survey in their field at Tre-wyn, allowing me to photograph their copy of the 1726 estate map and generously permitting access to the grounds of their magnificent home, Tre-wyn House.

I am particularly indebted to fellow MSc students Chris Green, Geoff Morley and Ben Morton who generously gave their time and provided considerable assistance and interpretive input during the weekend of earthwork survey.

“Precipitous rocks…encircle the dark valley and are crowned by airy woods.

The intervening valley on the other hand, bristling with trees of many sorts, thickly set, sinks to the narrow depth of a dark abyss, yet is exposed to the inclemency of all weathers…”Any visitor to the Augustinian Priory of Llanthony in the Vale of Ewyas cannot fail to be beguiled by the ruins themselves and their peaceful and remote location in a backwater valley of the Black Mountains in the Welsh borderlands (see figure 2).