The Village Alive Trust was formed in 2004 to initially bid for grant-aid to regenerate rural areas affected by the 2001 Foot and Mouth crisis. This was achieved by conserving endangered listed farm buildings, holding country events and encouraging tourists to visit the area and support the local economy. The Trust built on the success of the restoration of Grade 1 listed St Cadoc’s Church at Llan
gattock Lingoed, near Abergavenny which was led by Rev Dr Jean Prosser MBE and members of the church. The people from the Llangattock Lingoed area who developed the Trust have contributed skills ranging from agricultural or academic to professional and practical. Members from farther afield with new skills have since joined to support the Trust’s continuing work. To date the Trust’s major project has been the conservation of the Grade 2* listed Great Trerhew Barn at Llanvetherine which was subsequently used during filming of the BBC’s first series of Lambing Live. Other restored listed buildings which were classed as ‘at risk’ include Cwm Farm cider house at Llangattock Lingoed; two well houses at Cross Ash and pigscotts at Whitecastle. The Trust has held innovative country festivals and fairs; collated oral histories of local people; set up walking trails; held a conference to share conservation project knowledge; rewarded other conservation schemes in Monmouthshire and conserved the Cistercian site of Llanfair Grange, Llanfair Cilgoed and the Traveller’s Seat Stone near Skenfrith. Monmouthshire boasts rolling countryside with picturesque river valleys, mountains, historic towns and villages and the largely navigable Monmouthshire-Brecon Canal. The beautiful scenery is home to teeming wildlife, not least the recently re-introduced red kites.
