November 2023
In Welsh, the first of November is known as Calan Gaeaf. It is the first day of winter for the Celtic nations of Britain and Ireland.
Throughout these lands many neolithic cairns were placed in such a way that they were directly hit by the light of dawn on Calan Gaeaf. We can understand, from these placements, that this was considered an important day. The Common itself is scattered with Bronze Age cairns with the burial ground at Carn Bugail, on Cefn Gelligaer, dating back to 2,000 BC.
Following the festivities of the previous night – Nos Galan Gaeaf in Welsh; Samhain in Irish and Halloween in English – winter will begin in earnest. The darkest half of the year is upon us. This is the festival of the second harvest and so, historically, this would have also been an important time for the many farms still dotted across the common. The land may appear unstirring but for both the farming community and the rich wildlife thriving here, it isn’t quite a time of rest.
The skylark, although quieter in winter months, will still be here. This bird nests low in the ground, often amongst the mounds of rushes but can sometimes be spotted sitting watchfully on a fencepost. The raven and red kite will stay too so if you are going for a walk, bring your binoculars and before you go take some inspiration from our Red Kite Trail. On the ground, until the end of November, a variety of mushrooms will still be growing – they love the marshy conditions.
As for the farming community, the end of October saw them gathering the common. All sheep must be cleared and brought back to their farms because November is tupping season. Sheep tend to be pregnant for five months so we can expect to see most of the lambs arriving towards the end of March, when the weather will hopefully be kinder.
On a clear night, the Gelligaer and Merthyr Common is a wonderful place to stargaze and contemplate the moon. The full moon of November is called the Beaver Moon and will appear in our skies on the 15th of this month.
