The picture on the left shows a cockle girl from Penclawdd, taken in 1910. It was decided  that this costume would be adopted by the side for a number of reasons.

 

It was the most distinctive of the various costumes from the local area.

 

We dance a dance from the Gower peninsular which seemed to tie in with the costume.

 

Any costume adopted needed to have a skirt no lower than ankle length or it would obscure the steps being danced.

 

In researching local costumes Carol was able to locate a mill that actually produced the cloth that made most of the costumes in the Gower area, and although the mill was now closed it still had a roll of the material, which we purchased.

1993 costume before added lace collars and sleeves

The costume of the Penclawdd cockle picking girls consisted of a betgwn, skirt, and apron. For working, on the mud flats and processing the cockles the girls would have had bare fore arms and the betgwn would have been worn pinned up at the back.

 

However when the girls were taking their wares to sell at the market they would have added torchon lace collar and sleeves, and the betgwn would have been worn unpinned.

 

The girls also would have worn flat hats (not adopted by the dance side) or a thick Welsh shawl that could be pulled up over the head to keep warm.

1995 National Eisteddfod

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