Cadw, the Countryside Council for Wales (CCW) and the four Welsh Archaeological Trusts have for some time been working in partnership on several projects which are aimed at improving our understanding of the historic landscape of Wales, at both the national and local levels.

Register of Landscapes of Historic Interest in Wales

In 1998 and 2001, as a first step towards raising the profile of historic landscapes in Wales, Cadw, CCW and ICOMOS (UK)(International Council on Monuments and Sites) published the two-volume Register of Landscapes of Historic Interest in Wales. This advisory and non-statutory document highlights what are considered to be the best examples of different types of historic landscape in Wales. However, the selection of areas for this Register does not reduce the importance of the rest of Wales’s rich historic landscape. A good practice guide explains how the Register should be used in assessing the effect of major developments on the historic landscape.

The historic landscape characterization project

The initial study of the Welsh landscape for the Register of Landscapes of Historic Interest in Wales has now been broadened into another initiative, involving Cadw, CCW and the four Welsh Archaeological Trusts. The initiative has started by looking in more detail at the character of each of the fifty-eight landscapes on the Register. These detailed historic landscape characterization studies are being undertaken by specialist staff in each of the four Trusts and the results have greatly enhanced our previous understanding of the historical development of these areas.

Historic landscape studies

 Reports on the more detailed historic landscape characterization studies are available at the offices of the four Welsh Archaeological Trusts. These are also now becoming available on the Trusts’ websites  and are being advertised through a series of leaflets.

Right: Both rural and industrial landscapes are considered in the Register.

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