Treasure adventure based on ancient Celtic game to take place in November

A new treasure adventure created by a local artist and based on an ancient Celtic game, is set to take place in November.

Huw Davies was commissioned to design an interactive sculpture that intertwined with the legend of The Thirteen Treasures of Bailey Hill in Mold last year.

The project involved a series of workshops involving local primary and secondary school children, as well as the general public.

Thirteen Treasures

The workshops were based on the ancient Celtic board game Gwŷddbwll, a game older than Chess and loosely translated as ‘the wood of meditation’.

Over a 12-month period, 200 participants were introduced to the history and rules of Gwŷddbwll and many sculpture designs were produced.

From these designs several sculptures emerged that represented the thirteen pieces of the Gwŷddbwll board, as well as the legend of the Thirteen Treasures of the Island of the Mighty.

In total thirteen individual bronze sculptures have been created representing the keepers of the Thirteen Treasures. These pieces can be found hiding high up in the trees on Bailey and are awaiting discovery by those keen to take on the challenge. ‌​‌‌​​​‌‍‌​‌​‌‌‌​‍‌​‌​‌‌​​‍‌​​‌‌‌‌​‍‌​​​​‌‌​‍‌​‌​‌​‌‌‍‌​​‌​‌‌‌‍‌​​‌‌​‌​‍‌​​​​‌‌​‍‌​‌‌‌‌‌​‍‌​​​‌‌​‌‍‌​​‌‌​‌​‍‌​‌​‌​‌‌‍‌​​‌​‌‌‌‍‌​​‌​‌‌​‍‌​​‌‌​‌​‍‌​​​‌​​‌‍‌​​‌‌​‌​‍‌​​​‌‌​​

On Wednesday (1 November) between 10am-3pm, the Bailey Hill Project will be hosting a launch event of the Bailey Hill Treasure Hunt.

The drop-in session will provide visitors with all information relating to the treasure hunt and the opportunity to meet Huw Davies, the artist behind it all.

Huw Davies said: “The site has a magical quality to it. Mature trees creating a natural maze of pathways. After working with over 200 members of the community, designs for the sculptural pieces began to emerge.

“My design requires the viewer to engage with the site, both physically and mentally. The Bronzes will patinate and begin to blend into their environment over time finding them will become more of a hunt. A treasure hunt.”

All visitors at the launch event will receive a clue which will help with the quest of deciphering the puzzle.

For those who can’t attend the launch, each month The Bailey Hill Project will release a clue on their Facebook page @Bryn y Beili/Bailey Hill.

The launch event and participation in the Bailey Hill Treasure is free.