Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Wales
Co-located at The National Library of Wales, Aberystwyth
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| Type | National archives |
|---|---|
| Established | 1908 |
| Reference to legal mandate | Established by Royal Warrant on 10 August 1908. |
| Location | Aberystwyth |
| Coordinates | 52°24′52″N 4°4′8″W / 52.41444°N 4.06889°WCoordinates: 52°24′52″N 4°4′8″W / 52.41444°N 4.06889°W |
| Collection | |
| Items collected | Printed Works, Maps, Archives, Manuscripts, Photographs, Paintings |
| Size | 2M Photographs, 530,000 pages of text and reports, 125,000 Drawings, 32,000 Maps |
| Criteria for collection | Acquisition through purchase, bequest and archival deposit |
| Legal deposit | Yes |
| Access and use | |
| Access requirements | Library open to all. |
| Other information | |
| Director | Christopher Catling |
| Staff | around 30 FTE |
| Website | rcahmw |
The Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Wales (RCAHMW; Welsh: Comisiwn Brenhinol Henebion Cymru), established in 1908, is a Welsh Government sponsored body concerned with the archaeological, architectural and historic environment of Wales. It is based in Aberystwyth.
The Royal Commission has a national role in the management of the archaeological, built and maritime heritage of Wales as the originator, curator and supplier of authoritative information for individual, corporate and governmental decision-makers, researchers and the general public. To this end it;
In 1882 Sir John Lubbock pioneered the First British Ancient Monuments Act. This Act, concerned principally with prehistoric monuments rather than with later, medieval structures, encouraged owners to voluntarily transfer important sites into the safekeeping of Her Majesty's Commissioners of Works. It also discouraged the public from damaging monuments by threatening to impose stiff penalties.
The first Schedule of monuments resulted from a nationwide inquiry among interested local antiquarian societies. In order to add monuments to this Schedule, the First Inspector of Ancient Monuments, General Pitt-Rivers, travelled the British Isles examining the known sites, and searching for new ones. Unfortunately, only limited information was available to him and his helpers about the nature, location and condition of many monuments, and there was no easy way to assess the potential national significance or value of any given site.
In Wales, there were only three monuments on the first Schedule. These were Plas Newydd megalith, Anglesey, Arthur's Quoit, Gower, Glamorgan and the megalith at Pentre Ifan, Pembrokeshire.
By the turn of the century it was becoming clear that a census of archaeological sites was needed, so that a selection of the best could be put forward for Statutory Protection. Consequently, by 1908 the administrative frameworks were in place to establish individual Royal Commissions on Ancient Monuments separately in Scotland, England and Wales. Significantly, their original remit was to encompass not only Historic Monuments, but also Constructions.
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Wikipedia