My first week at the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Wales

My name is Lucie Hobson and I’m the new Library and Enquiries Assistant at the Royal Commission. I am completely new to the Royal Commission so the purpose of this blog is to provide a flavour of my first week learning the ways of the Library and Enquiries Service!

My own background lies in the study of the history of Wales, having recently graduated from Aberystwyth University with a degree in History and Welsh History. Even so, I admit that I was unaware of the resources available at the RCAHMW; part of the role of the RCAHMW’s Public Enquiries service is to utilise these resources to bring the work of the Commission to a wider audience.

I was really nervous on my first day, which involved an induction to office health and safety procedures, meeting other staff members, and trying (and failing) not to get lost – fortunately there was always somebody friendly to point the way! I didn’t feel I had really ‘arrived’ until the afternoon, when I had my IT and e-mail accounts set up.

As part of my induction programme, I was introduced to the databases that I would be using to assist with public enquiries, and I learnt about resources such as Coflein and the People’s Collection Wales. On my second and third days I spent time with different staff members to gain an overview of aspects of the Commission’s work, such as aerial photography, mapping, record conservation, and site surveys, and how this information is all made available within the archive and library service.

Retrieving archive material from the stores of the National Monuments Record of Wales.

On my fourth and fifth days I had my first taste of working in the library and visited the numerous stores to collect material requested by members of the public – my unfamiliarity with archival cataloguing made this, at first, seem an insurmountable task! Fortunately, after a steep learning curve I was soon finding my way around, as this was to be one of my main tasks as Library and Enquiries Assistant. After my first week, I’m now looking forward to playing an active role in the work of the Library and Enquiries service; the diversity and range of the library and archive collections mean that I’ll never know what I’m likely to discover next.

By Lucie Hobson


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Exploring the Wreck of the ROYAL CHARTER with Cotswold Archaeology

Recent accessions to the Royal Commission’s Digital Collections include a series of short video clips of the 2014 exploration of the famous Anglesey wreck by Cotswold Archaeology. The programme of work was undertaken on behalf of Cadw and included a multi-beam echosounder survey which identified small areas of iron wreckage still upstanding on the seabed.

Contemporary engraving of the ROYAL CHARTER

• http://www.peoplescollection.wales/items/44463

The ROYAL CHARTER was a Liverpool-registered steamship built at the Sandycroft Ironworks on the River Dee. In its time, it was a celebrated fast passenger ship sailing a regular service to Australia – each round trip circumnavigating the globe. On its last return trip to Liverpool, it was only a few hours from River Mersey when it was caught in a tremendous storm. The storm had the strength of a hurricane and eventually drove the ship ashore near Moelfre on Anglesey. In the hours that followed a terrible tragedy unfolded with the vast majority of the passengers (including families with young children) being drowned. A monument stands on the cliff above the site today.

Welsh mariners onboard whose lives were lost include Thomas Jones and William Davies of Caernarvon; Griffith Jones, carpenter, and John Rees of Nefyn; William Hughes of Amlwch; Henry Williams of Cemaes; John Jones of Holyhead; and Isaac Griffiths of Moelfre.

One of the gravestones commemorating victims in St Gallgo’s churchyard.

• http://www.peoplescollection.wales/items/44325

Many of the dead were buried in the graveyard of St Gallgo’s Church, where Reverend Stephen Roose Hughes was the Rector. When Charles Dickens later visited the church, he wrote of the hundreds of letters Reverend Hughes had received inquiring about relatives and friends.

The archive service of the State of Victoria, Australia, has recently made available records of passengers arriving and embarking on ships for the port of Melbourne. These records include a list of passengers who were early confirmations for the ROYAL CHARTER’s last voyage. Notable amongst these are individuals and families whose graves can be seen today in the churchyard.

A short clip of underwater video and a copy of the last passenger list for the ROYAL CHARTER have been added to the resources created for the Great Storm of 1859 by the Royal Commission on the People’s Collection Wales.

• http://www.peoplescollection.wales/items/476122
• http://www.peoplescollection.wales/node/475078

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Ordnance Survey Large Print Collection

A significant proportion of the Aerial Photographic Collections within the National Monuments Record of Wales comprises large prints from the Ordnance Survey Aerial Mapping Programme. The prints are square format, measuring 30” x 30” (75x75cm) or more, dating from between 1962 and 2009. The large prints reveal an amazing level of ground detail.

A recent addition to the aerial photographic collections includes a significant number of large prints. However, a small number of photographs have no identification details on them. They cannot be included in our collections unless we know the area they cover.

Can you help us identify where this is? We believe it may have been taken in the early to middle part of the 1990s. To the left of the frame there is a straight section of main road, approaching the outskirts of a settlement. At the bottom corner there is a small industrial site, and a quarry located on the other side of the road. On the right-hand edge of the photograph there is a range of farm buildings, close to a house with a distinctive circular feature within the grounds – see the detailed view below.

If you know where this photograph was taken, please contact our offices.


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By Medwyn Parry

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Inspirational Archives: Come and be inspired by the Royal Commission’s archives 18 November, 12pm–7pm

As part of this year’s Explore your Archives campaign, the Royal Commission will be hosting Inspirational Archives: a programme of events designed to stimulate the creative use of our archives.

On Wednesday, 18 November 2015, we are holding an Open Day, inviting visitors to come and discover the many unique collections in our archives – and to be inspired to create something of their own.

The day will include creative workshops, and demonstrations on 3D modelling, reconstruction drawing, animations, photography, digital resources (LiDAR, GIS) and much more. In addition there will be exciting talks by the Royal Commission’s aerial investigator, Dr Toby Driver, on Patterns from the Past: The Wonders of the Aerial Archive and by its photographer, Iain Wright, on Through the Photographer’s Lens.

A selection of work by the Mad Mountain Stitchers, a group of highly-creative textile artists inspired by the unique collections in the National Monuments Record of Wales, will also be on display, including their wonderful wall hanging, Big Pit. The artists will also be on hand to talk about their work, and the materials and techniques used in their creation.

Throughout the afternoon and evening, visitors will have the opportunity to explore the vast range of the Royal Commission’s collections of photographs, maps, plans, drawings, texts, and other material in the National Monuments Record of Wales.

Visitors will be welcome to participate in workshops, working with students from Aberystwyth University’s School of Art to think creatively about using the archives to produce poetry, short stories, works of art, textiles, models, sculpture, knitting, cakes or anything else you feel inspired to produce.

Submission of work – having been inspired to create a piece of work in whatever medium – visual or written – please send us a digital version (photograph, recording, text document etc) by e-mail (nmr.wales@rcahmw.gov.uk) together with the submission form before 17 January 2016. Submissions will form part of an online exhibition called the Inspirational Archives Collection on the People’s Collection Wales website where you will be able to view, comment and share. A selection will also be published by Planet and shown in an exhibition in the New Year – details to follow.

For further information, please contact the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Wales, Plas Crug, Aberystwyth, Ceredigion SY23 1NJ, telephone: 01970 621200, email: nmr.wales@rcahmw.gov.uk

All are welcome. All events are free. Join us for the day and be inspired!


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Bargains at Swansea Museum’s Local History Book Fair, Saturday, 24 October 2015

This Saturday, 24 October 2015, staff from the Royal Commission will once again be attending The Royal Institution of South Wales’s annual Local History Book Fair at Swansea Museum between 10am and 4 pm. The day will offer the opportunity to buy new local history books, second-hand and antiquarian books, historical maps and paintings, postcards and much more. Authors, publishers and bookshops, representatives of local history societies, as well as staff from the Royal Commission, will be on-hand throughout the day to answer enquiries and chat to visitors. In particular, this year we will be offering a special discount of 50% or less on many of our publications. These will include:

		Cymru Hanesyddol o'r Awyr / Historic Wales From the Air,
		Fields of Play: The Sporting Heritage of Wales,
		The Western Brecon Beacons: The Archaeology of Mynydd Du and Fforest Fawr,
		Mynydd Hiraethog: The Denbigh Moors,
		Roman Frontiers in Wales and the Marches,
		Aerofilms: A History of Britain From Above,

Many of our other recent publications will also be available including our new titles:

		Welsh Slate - Archaeology and History of an Industry
		Llechi Cymru - Archaeoleg a Hanes
		Darganfod Tai Hanesyddol Eryri / Discovering the Historic Houses of Snowdonia

all at a 10% discount. There will also be a rare opportunity to buy a range of duplicate journals from the Royal Commission’s library.

The day promises to be a wonderful opportunity for all, so please come and join us!


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