South Wales Echo

‘Amazing’ artwork created by storm

- NIA PRICE & REEM AHMED echo.newsdesk@walesonlin­e.co.uk

STORM Arwen has managed to create a “masterpiec­e” among its trail of devastatio­n – blasting tonnes of grass so hard the blades wove themselves perfectly on to a fence and left admirers believing it was handmade.

Landscape photograph­er Colin Richards braved the weather on Sunday, November 28, to walk up Mynydd Pwllyr-Iwrch, Bridgend, when he came across an “unbelievab­le” sight stretching along 130m of fencing.

Photos taken by the dad-of-one on the hill summit show the brown moor grass completely entwined in the barbed-wire structure, and it’s even been branded the “best fence ever”.

The 61-year-old said that the strong northerly winds had uprooted a sea of molinia – a type of moor grass – and wrapped every blade around the fence, creating the illusion that it had been “handwoven”.

The home carer shared his images online, where they have amassed more than 7,760 likes, comments and shares – and the “amazing” structure has also been dubbed the “waffle fence”.

Colin, of Maesteg, said: “It looks manmade but if you had a look at that you’d be up there for years – it’s 130m long, it goes on and on and on.

“I thought the pictures were so unusual and I shared them that evening. Everyone seems to like them and some people are not convinced that it’s natural.

“With the northerly winds coming off all the other hills, it picked up tonnes of grass and the only thing in its way was this fence.

“When I nipped over this gate and looked up the line of the fence and saw what a lot of people are calling ‘waffles’ or ‘the waffle fence’.

“Every blade of grass has wrapped itself around posts, barbed wire and the panels of the fence itself. It just looks like someone has woven it by hand. It was unbelievab­le.”

The amateur photograph­er said he’s been visiting this particular hill in Maesteg since the age of 10 and that the galeforce winds had also pulled some fence posts completely from the ground.

The photograph­er of 40 years published his pictures on Facebook and said he “couldn’t believe” the response he received, as they’d been shared more than 3,900 times.

Adrian Guest wrote: “So that’s how they grow Shreddies! I always thought they were knitted.”

Sharon Parton added: “A giant grassy waffle! Amazing!”

Kate Ray wrote: “Incredible!” Anya Clarke remarked: “How amazing! Mother nature making a masterpiec­e.”

Anna Rack aded: “Nature’s knitting.” Kale Taylor commented: “This is naturally occurring? Photograph­ically wonderful.”

 ?? KENNEDY NEWS/COLIN RICHARDS ?? The ‘masterpiec­e’ fence created by Storm Arwen’s winds
KENNEDY NEWS/COLIN RICHARDS The ‘masterpiec­e’ fence created by Storm Arwen’s winds
 ?? KENNEDY NEWS/COLIN RICHARDS ?? A close up of the woven fence
KENNEDY NEWS/COLIN RICHARDS A close up of the woven fence

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