Opinion: Cottage project continues to inspire trust

Since I acquired the cottage in 1996, and sustained it as a youth project, I have learned a lot about its history. It is about 400 years old, with no running water or electricity. It was once the only building in the valley, until a small slate-quarrying community was established there at the end of the 19th century. The small shepherd's cottage was abandoned in the early 1950s, falling into dereliction and, according to the local farmer, providing refuge for his cows from the often-inclement weather.

Cadbury bought the building from the farmer in the late 1950s, restored the roof and maintained a primitive structure for weekend use by its young workers. Indeed, I sometimes meet men who are now in their sixties who have come on a nostalgic trip and recall with affection the time they spent there in the 1960s.