Published: 06 May 2008
Treftadaeth 08
Heritage Minister, Rhodri Glyn Thomas, launched the 2007 Welsh Historic Environment Position Statement and highlight his future priorities for this section of his portfolio at a one-day conference, Treftadaeth 08, at the Wales Millennium Centre last week.
The 2007 Welsh Historic Environment Position Statement sets out the key facts and figures for the Historic Environment sector in Wales and is the second such report to be published.
In looking forward to the conference, the Minister, said:
“The Welsh historic environment is a potent source of local pride and national identity.
The diversity and richness of its character and the contribution it makes to social and cultural well-being and economic vitality is demonstrated in our second statement on the Welsh historic environment.
There are challenging times ahead for the historic environment, with many pressures bearing upon the traditional character of our townscapes and landscapes.
The report outlines the many opportunities that exist to increase the level of public engagement with the nation’s heritage and highlights evidence of the value we place upon it”.
The report also recognises the work undertaken by: the Welsh Assembly Government’s historic environment service, Cadw; the Assembly Government Sponsored Body, the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Wales; and the Assembly Government’s advisory bodies for ancient monuments and historic buildings.
It also features snapshots of the contribution made towards preserving and presenting the Welsh historic environment by the four regional Welsh Archaeological Trusts, the National Trust, and other organisations and institutions which come together in the Assembly Government’s Historic Environment Group.
Cadw and its Historic Wales partners, the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Wales (RCAHMW), the Ancient Monuments Advisory Board, and the Historic Buildings Advisory Council, have had a busy and productive year, building upon the achievements highlighted in the 2006 report.
The following snapshots highlight some of the achievements in bringing Wales’ Historic Environment alive and enabling visitors and the people of Wales to engage with our past:
- Cadw has provided grants worth more than £10m over the last five years for the repair and restoration of important historic buildings and ancient monuments in Wales, and has also allocated £2m for schemes to regenerate historic townscapes
- Cadw undertook a number of major conservation projects during the reporting period, including complex repairs to the roof of Castell Coch to prevent water ingress and damage to the ornate Victorian decoration; work to conserve important and rare surviving medieval plasterwork in Marten’s Tower at Chepstow Castle; masonry consolidation and repairs at, among many, Tintern Abbey, Newport Castle, St Davids Bishop’s Palace and Conwy Town Walls
- New interpretation was introduced at a number of sites, including an important new exhibition on the restoration works undertaken at Caerphilly Castle in the 19th and 20th Centuries by the Marquesses of Bute and touch screen virtual tours of Castell Coch and Plas Mawr
During research carried out for Cadw in 2007, Caernarfon Castle was the monument most visited by family groups, but by relatively few Welsh residents.
Castell Coch received the highest percentage of Welsh visitors and the second highest percentage of family visits.
Of the Welsh residents in the ‘Omnibus Survey’ sample, 91% agreed or strongly agreed with the statement ‘caring for our Welsh historic environment is important’.
The RCAHMW’s online database, Coflein, delivers information about more than 75,000 historic buildings and archaeological sites, helping people and communities to enjoy their history and providing key resources for education, planning and tourism.
The first phase of Cymru Hanesyddol/Historic Wales, a web-based map portal, was launched in late 2006.
This enables simultaneous searching of hundreds of thousands of records relating to archaeological monuments, historic buildings and artefacts held by various organisations across Wales.
The service was developed by the RCAHMW in partnership with Cadw, AmgueddfaCymru – National Museum Wales and the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland.
The RCAHMW and Cadw have been core partners in helping prepare the nomination of Pontcysyllte Aqueduct and its associated sections of canal for World Heritage Site status. The aqueduct is recognised internationally as a masterpiece of waterway engineering and a pioneering example of iron construction.
A major focus during 2006–07 was the completion and publication of the report, Traditional Building Craft Skills: Skills Needs Analysis of the Built Heritage Sector in Wales.
The purpose of this report was to:
- analyse & quantify the size of the pre-1919 building stock
- assess existing traditional building skills levels and future needs
- identify training provision and
- make recommendations to address the identified problems
During his address the minister also outlined his priorities for the Historic Environment, concentrating on widening access to heritage and bringing the historic environment closer to the customer.
He explained how the One Wales Commitment to give free access to Cadw sites and the new Heritage Protection Bill will help bring about these changes.
As well as appreciating the historic environment in its own right the minister will outline how heritage can bring about regeneration and revitalise our communities.
The conference provided an opportunity for people interested in our historic places to help inform government policy – allowing voluntary, public and private sector representatives to help shape the evolution of Wales’s built heritage and to realise its cultural ambitions.
A central theme was how people can work together to create more effective partnerships, helping the sector secure a sustainable future for historic places within a better Wales.
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