2012 Welsh Heritage Schools Initiative

Prof. Chris Williams, Commissioner and Chairman of the Welsh Heritage Schools Initiative, will be presenting the schools with their prizes which includes the Royal Commission’s publication Hidden Histories.

Congratulations to Edwardsville Primary School, Treharris, Merthyr Tydfil and St David’s High School, Saltney, Flintshire for winning the Royal Commission’s prizes for their entries to the 2012 Welsh Heritage Schools Initiative.

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Tŷ’r Castell: Tŷ Mawr Uchelgeisiol

Yr ardd o flaen Castell y Gelli yn ei hanterth yn y cyfnod Edwardaidd.
DS2012_280_001   NPRN 25592

Cafodd Tŷ’r Castell ei adeiladu yn yr ail ganrif ar bymtheg gan y teulu Gwynn ar ôl i arglwyddiaeth broffidiol y Gelli Seisnig ddod i’w meddiant. Tŷ mawr cynnar ac uchelgeisiol ydyw ar gynllun dyfnder dwy-ystafell. Dywedir fel rheol i’r tŷ gael ei godi yn dilyn yr Adferiad ym 1660. Ond mae’r Comisiwn Brenhinol wedi dyddio’r coed drwy astudio blwyddgylchau ac wedi dangos i’r tŷ gael ei adeiladu cyn y Rhyfel Cartref, gan ddefnyddio coed a dorrwyd i lawr ym 1636.

Gweld delweddau pellach o Tŷ’r Castell 

Mae Tŷ’r Castell yn dal i sefyll er gwaethaf dau dân yn yr ugeinfed ganrif.
DS2012_280_009   NPRN 25592

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Castle House: An Ambitious Great House

The garden front of Hay Castle in its Edwardian heyday.
DS2012_280_001   NPRN 25592

Castle House was built in the seventeenth century by the Gwynn family after they had acquired the profitable lordship of English Hay. It is an early and ambitious great house of double-pile plan. The house is usually said to have been built with the Restoration in 1660. Tree-ring dating by the Royal Commission has now conclusively established that the house was built before the Civil War from timber felled in 1636.

View further images of Castle House 

Castle House still standing after two twentieth-century fires.
DS2012_280_009   NPRN 25592

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Enthusiasts Explore Pen Dinas Iron Age Fort

Approaching the summit of Pendinas.

On Saturday 14 July an impressive contingent of enthusiasts explored Pen Dinas Iron Age fort under the expert guidance of Royal Commission archaeologist, Dr Toby Driver. Cambian News photographer, Arvid Parry Jones, photographed the happy throng as they set off from the Neuadd Goffa, Penparcau, in unexpected sunshine.

The turnout of 147 enthusiasts (plus 3 dogs) demonstrated the commitment of local people to their heritage. Toby Driver recreated the landscape of 2000 years ago when Pen Dinas was the largest hillfort in north Ceredigion. Young and old archaeologists explored the hillfort from the southern gate to the isthmus and admired the formidable north and south enclosures. The group rested at the Wellington Monument before descending Pen Dinas and enjoying tea and biscuits at the Communities First Centre in Penparcau.

Civic Society Group.

The event was part of the Festival of British Archaeology fortnight and organised by The Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Wales in association with Communities First Penparcau. Earlier in the week Toby Driver and Nicola Roberts of the Royal Commission had talked about Pen Dinas with 95 enthusiastic children at Llwynyreos School.

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Aberystwyth Castle Captured!

The Mayor of Aberystwyth, Dylan Lewis, wearing his historic chain of office.

On the 28 July a small army of archaeology enthusiasts captured Aberystwyth castle. As part of the Festival of British Archaeology, a group of archaeologists, community organisations, and craftspeople had set up camp within the castle bailey. Ranged around the 1914 Gorsedd circle were the tents of the Royal Commission, Dyfed Archaeological Trust, Ceredigion County Council, and craftspeople and entertainers, including a wood-turner, a story-teller, a spinner and weaver, and many more. Visitors were delighted by the traditional music played by Ceri Owen-Jones (‘Ceri Harp’) and friends. Guests of honour included the Mayor of Aberystwyth, Dylan Lewis, wearing his historic chain of office (see photo). Tours of the castle and town were led by David Browne and Michael Freeman, and there were talks and activities at Ceredigion Museum. This successful event again demonstrated the deep interest of people of all ages in the history and archaeology of Ceredigion. The event was co-ordinated by Alice Pyper.

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Lleoliad Hyfforddi a Ariannir Drwy Fwrsariaeth Cronfa Dreftadaeth y Loteri/Sefydliad yr Archaeolegwyr Mewn Arolygu ac Ymchwilio i Adeiladau Hanesyddol

Dyddiad Ago: 6 Awst 2012
Dyddiad Cau: 24 Awst 2012
Lleoliad: Aberystwyth

Disgrifiad o'r Swydd:
Mae’r Tîm Cofnodi ac Ymchwilio yn y Comisiwn Brenhinol yn chwarae rôl arweiniol o ran sicrhau y caiff treftadaeth adeiledig Cymru ei chofnodi’n awdurdodol a’i deall. Y tîm sy’n gyfrifol am brosiectau thematig yr ymchwilio; am lunio dogfennau o safon ar yr asedau treftadaeth nodedig a’r rhai sydd mewn perygl, ac am ddarparu gwybodaeth arbenigol a diduedd i wneuthurwyr penderfyniadau yn sector yr amgylchedd hanesyddol. Bydd deiliad y swydd yn ymwneud â phob maes yng ngwaith y tîm adeiladau hanesyddol, a chaiff ei hyfforddi i gofnodi, dadansoddi a chyflwyno adeiladau, adeiladweithiau a threfweddau hanesyddol ledled Cymru. Bydd y gwaith yn canolbwyntio ar brosiectau thematig, sef capeli anghydffurfiol yn bennaf, ond bydd hefyd yn cynnwys amrywiaeth mawr, ac amrywiol gyfnodau, o adeiladau y nodwyd eu bod yn asedau treftadaeth nodedig neu mewn perygl.

Graddfa Cyflog: TSB
Cyflog: £17,000 per annum
Hyd y cytundeb: 12 month
Cysylltwch â: Louise Barker

Dogfennau sy'n ymwneud â swydd benodol:

• Flurflen Monitro Cyfle Cyfartal (DOC, 0.2MB)
• Disgrifiad O'r Swydd A Manylef Y Person (DOC, 0.3MB)
• Hysbyseb (DOC, 0.6MB)
• Y Cynllun Hyfforddi (DOC, 0.3MB)
• Ffurflen Gyflwyno (DOC, 0.6MB)

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HLF/IfA Bursary Funded Training Placement in Historic Building Survey and Investigation

Opening Date: 6 August 2012
Closing Date: 24 August 2012
Location: Aberystwyth

Job Desription:
The Recording and Investigation Team at the Royal Commission plays a lead role in ensuring that Wales’ built heritage is authoritatively recorded and understood. The team is responsible for thematic projects of investigation; high quality documentation of both outstanding heritage assets and those at risk and the provision of impartial, expert advice to decision makers in the historic environment sector. The post-holder will be involved in all areas of the historic building team’s work and will be trained in the recording, analysis and presentation of historic buildings, structures and townscapes across Wales. Work will be focused upon thematic projects, principally nonconformist chapels, but will also include a wide variety and period of buildings highlighted either as outstanding heritage assets or those at risk.

Pay Scale: TSB
Salary: £17,000 per annum
Contract: 12 month
Contact: Louise Barker

Job-specific documentation:

• Equal Opportinities Monitoring Form (DOC, 0.1MB)
• Job Description (DOC, 0.3MB)
• Advertisement (DOC, 0.6MB)
• Training Plan (DOC, 0.3MB)
• Cover Form (DOC, 0.6MB)

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Fulbright Students Visit the RCAHMW & North Ceredigion’s Mining Heritage

The US-UK Fulbright Commission Summer Institute (Wales) students with the tour leaders from Metal Links/RCAHMW.

Staff from the RCAHMW’s Metal Links Project recently played host to a group of American students participating in the US-UK Fulbright Commission Summer Institute educational exchange programme. Students from across the United States have the opportunity to experience an academic programme at highly regarded UK educational institutions, whilst exploring the culture, heritage and history of the UK and developing academic skills in areas such as research and presentation. The Metal Links team led the group of eight students, who have spent six weeks at Cardiff, Bangor and Aberystwyth Universities, on a tour of sites relating to the metal-mining heritage of north Ceredigion.

The day started with an introductory session at the RCAHMW, where the students learnt about the NMRW archive and collections, which include aerial photographs, maps, drawings, notebooks and archaeological records, among many other things. Following this, the first stop on the tour was the village of Cwmsymlog. This was once home to one of the premier lead and silver mining sites in the area; it was described by Lewis Morris in the 18th century as ‘the richest in Lead and Silver of any in his Majesty’s Dominions’ (NPRN 33830). As well as learning about the metal mining history of the area, RCAHMW Investigator Louise Barker also told the students all about the archaeology of the wider landscape around Cwmsymlog, which has some fine examples of prehistoric sites and monuments, including Darren Camp hillfort (NPRN 303592). From here, the group travelled to Ysbyty Cynfyn, where the students visited the church with its interesting graveyard and heard about various community initiatives in the area from the ever-enthusiastic churchwarden, Delyth.

The RCHAMW's Louise Barker explains the process of lead mining and the history of the site at Cwmystwyth, Ceredigion.

After a break for lunch at Devil’s Bridge, the next destination was Cwmystwyth and a chance for the students to see the stunning landscape formed by centuries of metal mining activity. There was also the opportunity to discuss present day issues affecting former mining sites, such as pollution, the modification of historic mining remains for energy generation, fly-tipping and the presentation of remote historic sites. To round off the day, the group visited Eglwys Newydd (Hafod Uchtryd Church; NPRN 743) on the boundary of the famous Hafod Estate, and learnt about the estate’s most famous owner, Thomas Johnes. It was a pleasure to introduce the students to the industrial heritage of north Ceredigion, to discuss wide-ranging topics and to showcase some fascinating historic sites to them. Hopefully they will take away good memories of their brief experience of this diverse historic landscape.

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Dewch i gyfarfod â’r Comisiwn Brenhinol yn yr Eisteddfod Genedlaethol yr Wythnos Nesaf

Eisteddfod Genedlaethol, 2012

Dewch i gyfarfod â’r Comisiwn Brenhinol yn yr Eisteddfod Genedlaethol yr wythnos nesaf, o’r 4ydd i’r 11eg o Awst ar stondin 511-514. Bydd staff wrth law drwy’r wythnos i ateb cwestiynau ac i arddangos ein cronfa ddata ar-lein, Coflein. Bydd yr arddangosfa newydd eleni yn cynnwys paneli ar dreftadaeth chwaraeon cyfoethog Cymru ym mlwyddyn y Gemau Olympaidd, Y Tu Mewn i Gartrefi Cymru, a delweddau o faes yr Eisteddfod. Dewch i nôl copi di-dâl o lyfryn y Comisiwn Brenhinol ar Forgannwg, y sir sy’n croesawu’r ŵyl eleni. Bydd gostyngiad o 10% ar ein cyhoeddiadau, gan gynnwys ein cyhoeddiad diweddaraf uchel ei glod Cymru Hanesyddol o’r Awyr: Historic Wales From Above gan Dr Toby Driver a Dr Oliver Davies. Bydd y Comisiwn Brenhinol yn cyflwyno dwy sgwrs arbennig yn yr Eisteddfod Genedlaethol eleni. Ar Ddydd Mawrth y 7fed o Awst, am 11 o’r gloch, bydd Spencer Smith, un o ymchwilwyr y Comisiwn Brenhinol, yn siarad am Cofnodi Treftadaeth Cymru Trwy Gelfyddyd: Gwaith Falcon Hildred. Y diwrnod wedyn, bydd Dr Eurwyn Wiliam, Cadeirydd y Comisiwn Brenhinol, yn rhoi sgwrs ar Morgannwg Hanesyddol o’r Awyr am 1 o’r gloch. Cynhelir y ddwy ddarlith ym Mhabell y Cymdeithasau 2 ar y Maes. Mae croeso cynnes i bawb, felly dewch yn llu a gobeithiwn eich gweld chi yno!


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Come and meet the Royal Commission at the National Eisteddfod Next Week

National Eisteddfod, 2012

Come and meet the Royal Commission at the National Eisteddfod next week, from the 4-11 August at stand 511-514. Staff will be on-hand all week to answer questions and to demonstrate our online database, Coflein. This year’s new exhibition will include panels on the rich sporting heritage of Wales in this Olympic year, Inside Welsh Homes, and images of the Eisteddfod field. Come and collect your free copy of the Royal Commission’s booklet on our host county Glamorgan. Our publications will be on offer at a 10% show discount, including our most recent publication, the acclaimed Cymru Hanesyddol o’r Awyr: Historic Wales From Above by Dr Toby Driver and Dr Oliver Davies. The Royal Commission will be presenting two special talks at this year’s National Eisteddfod. On Tuesday 7 August, at 11 am, Royal Commission investigator Spencer Smith will be talking on Cofnodi Treftadaeth Cymru Trwy Gelfyddyd: Gwaith Falcon Hildred. The following day, Royal Commission Chairman, Dr Eurwyn Wiliam, will be giving a talk on Morgannwg Hanesyddol o'r Awyr at 1pm. Both lectures will be held in Pabell y Cymdeithasau 2 on the Maes. Everyone is most warmly welcome, so please come along and we hope to see you there!

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