Carreg Fawr, the house on the remote Bardsey Island where the artist Brenda Chamberlain lived
Your Heritage
Date awarded
Location
Pen draw Llŷn
Applicant
Bardsey Island Trust
Award Given
£40000
Our funding has helped preserve murals painted by the Welsh artist, poet and writer Brenda Chamberlain and her home on Bardsey Island.
Brenda Chamberlain moved to Bardsey, off the coast of the Llŷn Peninsula, in 1947 and lived in Carreg Fawr – a building dating back to the 1870s – where she painted her murals.
During this time living on the secluded island, she won the first two fine art gold medals awarded by the National Eisteddfod of Wales.
The grant awarded to the Barsdey Island Trust made possible:
- conserving and stabilising the murals, which were deteriorating because of damp in the walls
- repairs to the roof, drainage and heating systems to secure the long-term future of the murals
- involving specialists to ensure a high standard of work, but also including volunteers who picked up skills that will help the murals be better cared for in future
- raising awareness of the artist and the murals through an exhibition about Chamberlain's life and work and 'open weeks' at the house to encourage visitors to see the murals for themselves
- creating a teachers' pack with information about Chamberlain, the island and her works to share this part of Welsh cultural heritage with a new generation
Caroline Jones of the Bardsey Island Trust said: "The funding allowed us to save Brenda Chamberlain’s murals as well as Carreg Fawr and another house on Bardsey Island.
“The murals are definitely an important part of Bardsey Island's history and having the money to protect them has been a blessing."
