Written by:
John Jackson
Industry Editor
Heritage in Wales stretches back over 29,000 years with the earliest human burial in the UK – The Red Lady of Paviland (actually a male) being discovered by William Buckland in 1823 at Paviland on the Gower.
From a built environment perspective it means Wales has a rich vein of heritage that runs throughout the centuries, and it's one that has influenced many aspects of our present day Nation.
This depth of heritage provides Wales with compelling stories that are of local, national and international interest, and crucially they make a significant contribution to the Welsh economy. As shown by the headline message from Cadw’s: Heritage Counts 2019 report: “..heritage tourism and heritage construction in Wales create employment for 40,000 people, and that the school visits to the National Museum and historic sites managed by Cadw make the heritage sector a major force for learning in Wales. The heritage sector is also a major attraction for visitors to Wales, whose spending contributed £1.72bn to the Welsh economy last year.”
Whilst any aspect heritage remains set in its specific time, time itself moves on. In a rapidly changing world this presents a valuable opportunity to engage with our heritage in a way that presents the story in a compelling way, and yet at the same time also has the power to change perceptions of a place. On a city scale, opened in 2012 and housed in a critically acclaimed building, Titanic Belfast shows how the shipbuilding heritage of the City has been used effectively as the basis for a heritage attraction. In this instance by taking the world renowned story of the Titanic and placing it in a highly contemporary setting. As a result Belfast itself has also gained a new story to tell in terms of regenerating as a modern, attractive and forward thinking city.
This approach isn’t new, in 1989 architect Ieoh Ming Pei’s pyramid opened in the very heart of The Louvre in Paris. This uncompromising modern addition in a highly traditional setting provided a new entrance to the museum, and worked to move the focus away from the Museum being predominantly known for one work of art; the Mona Lisa, and instead invited visitors and Parisians to widen their appreciation of the overall setting. Whilst initially this severe juxtaposition with the Louvre’s classical French architecture was the subject of criticism, the pyramid is now a popular aspect of the Museum. This example shows the importance of being confident in our approach to heritage even in the most traditionally sensitive of settings.
Well executed heritage projects have the potential to offer a raft of benefits in their respective built environments. These include:
- Acting as a catalyst for wider urban regeneration projects
- Increasing the sense of civic pride for the local community
- Ensuring the heritage in question is preserved, documented and interpreted
- Creating new employment opportunities
- Attracting new visitors to the area
- Increased spend in local shops and hospitality
- Increased demand for accommodation
- Cost effective, ongoing promotion through visitor generated Social Media posts.
With Wales having a wealth of heritage, logic suggests there is exceptional potential to further embrace heritage as a means to support urban regeneration in key locations. One such aspect of our heritage, that is of global significance, centres around the 200-year-old Cyfarthfa furnaces, and rescuing this critically important part of our industrial heritage is one of the core elements of the Cyfarthfa Plan that was launched in January 2021.
This innovative plan aims to celebrate Merthyr Tydfil’s unique history, whilst at the same time embracing and enhancing the surrounding natural environment that will contextualise its heritage in a bucolic setting for recreation, education and scientific advance.
From the outset, the Cyfarthfa Plan has called on the expertise of the Design Commission for Wales to support its development, and Chief Executive, Carole-Anne Davies highlights how design led thinking has helped to shape the Plan;
“Our heritage is a key part of our genetic make-up; defining landscapes, distinguishing communities and forming our natural character as a nation that shares a unique passion and pride.
“Our heritage defines our legacy and what we pass on to future generations. It’s not just about restoring old things; it’s about using our history and our sense of identity to create new opportunities. That’s why good placemaking and design is so important because our heritage can be used to revive communities, create jobs, develop tourism and strengthen local economies.
“As a project of national as well as local importance, the Cyfarthfa Plan is a great example of how we can use our past as a springboard to address the challenges of the 21st century. By working with the hugely talented design team, the community and other key stakeholders from the outset, we were able to bring people together, in an already extraordinary place, to generate and test ideas before designing bespoke client support for a design-led brief and tender process.
“This early intervention and planning is what will make all the difference; identifying early opportunities for good design and securing public value with design excellence that supports the health, wealth and well-being of future generations. It’s important to remember that what we know as heritage was once the ‘Shock of the New’ to pinch Robert Hughes’ great book title. As such it not only reminds us of what we once were, but of what we can be.”
This level of detailed thinking shows an exceptional commitment to ensure that what will be achieved will allow this industrial heritage to play a significant, sustainable and beneficial role for both the immediate community and for Wales as a whole.
To further highlight the transformational potential of the Plan, Chair of the newly founded Cyfarthfa Foundation, Geraint Talfan Davies explains;
“In realising the plan we must strive for both the highest international quality and the deepest community engagement. That is the combination needed to make it truly transformative. At the same time, while rooted in the local, it also has to set that story in a national and international context. Anything less than that belittles Merthyr’s epic history.
“But it isn’t just about history and heritage. Cyfarthfa Castle is set in a large park that we want to extend right across the valley to heal a wounded environment. In the process it can also be a means of energising the Valleys Regional Park concept. In pursuing these twin themes of history and the environment, that are really inter-twined, I hope that Cyfarthfa, as a re-shaped institution, can also be an engine of creativity and a catalytic force within the wider Valleys Regional Park.”
The Cyfarthfa Plan is a perfect illustration of embracing heritage in a way that ensures not only the preservation and presentation of the story itself, but also of interpreting and celebrating heritage in a considered way to drive forward regeneration. In addition to the opportunities and benefits this will create for the local community, significantly this also has the potential to become a valuable flagship heritage site for Wales.
