How a renovation of a former Welsh steelworks uncovered a fossil older than dinosaurs
Just a few miles from Wrexham lies the former Iron and Steelworks in Brymbo.
Through every window and around every corner nature has reclaimed the land which lies dormant and is a reminder of time gone by.
Nick Aymes is the chair of Brymbo Heritage Trust and has been involved in getting the site up and running. As part of the local history group, he knows how this land was shaped.
"It started really in the 18th century when a gentleman called John Wilkinson came here. John Wilkinson was an entrepreneur. He had set up Ironworks right across the country. And what you're seeing here is what is left of that time, which is truly amazing," he said.
After John Wilkinson and the production of iron came steel.
The area of Brymbo was decimated when the steelworks closed in 1990 with the loss of over one thousand jobs.
"The people in Brymbo were devastated," said Mr Aymes.
"There were shops all down the high street which closed when the steelworks stopped operating. People just didn't know what to do with themselves."
Finally, after years of talking, the site is being reclaimed. They have had £9m funding from the Heritage Fund and they can now start work on Stori Brymbo, a state-of-the-art visitor attraction.
There will be a cafe and shop on the site and visitors will be taken back in time but not just to learn about the iron and steel which was produced here.
During excavation work, developers uncovered a fossil - work was halted whilst investigations got underway and it was revealed that it was from 300 million years ago, now the Fossil Forest will also form part of the exhibition, headed up by Dr Tim Astrop.
"We are attempting to excavate a 300 million year old fossilized forest that was buried in- situ," he said.
He added "Three million years ago, the Earth was a very different place and Brymbo would be approximately where New Delhi is today, full of really, really weird plants and some giant insects."
The fossils found are of world wide interest and PhD students from across the country have visited the site but Dr Astrop said all visiting school children want to ask, is whether a dinosaur bone has been found.
The answer is "no".
He adds "All of the fossil material on this site were already fossils by the time the first dinosaurs started mucking about, so 100 million years before dinosaurs. However, there are still many, many interesting things to find here, but no dinosaurs."
The visitor attraction - which will also see job opportunities in Brymbo, is expected to open in 2026.
Want a quick and expert briefing on the biggest news stories? Listen to our latest podcasts to find out What You Need To know...