From the start of my I'r Gad Welsh Battlefield Campaign, I have realised the best course of action was to work with, rather than against official bodies that have concerns in the area of my campaign objective and aims. They being the O.S, RCAHMW, CADW and WTB in particular - although, during the course of the campaign, I have also contacted Archaelogical Associations and other bodies, including our political representatives. From the onset the O.S, RCAHMW and CADW have been most interested and cooperative - as you will see from below, this was not a case of making promises and then not delivering. We can all, now, be very happy and pleased that the RCAHMW has delivered, and that CADW will live up to it's promise to provide a list to local authorites of Battlefield Sites that should be given 'special care' and attention in case of any threat. This is not exactly the same as the English Battlefield Register but I am assured that it is CADW's intention to work towards a similar Welsh Battlefield Register. This, no doubt, will take time but I am requesting CADW to publish an illustrated pamphlet on these 12 Battle sites similar to the one they have published on Welsh Heritage areas of special scenic value. In time, we can be assured that the O.S. will live up to it's commitment to mark these Welsh Battlefield Sites on maps as they are republished. The only body, in all this, from which there has been no response - indeed no replies to letters, was the old Welsh Tourism Board, it looks as if the new Assembly body responsible for tourism is going down the same road as being totally disinterested in the idea I have also proposed the development of a Tourism based on Welsh Military History to them, still awaiting a reply.
Of course, even if there was a Welsh Battlefield Register, it would be no absolute guarentee that Battlefield Sites would be totally protected as is the case in England where a Register has existed for some years. For a good account regards such fears, see an article by the English Battlefield Trust in the September issue of SKIRMISH - Living History Magazine. Thus, the work of I'r Gad is not finished but will continue. My emphasis now will be on campaigning for the setting up of a WELSH BATTLEFIELD TRUST, similar to the one in England and Scotland. However, I really feel this would best come together if bodies such as RCAHMW, CADW, the Archaelogical Associations, University Departments (with interests in this area) and other specialist bodies worked together in the first instance to hold, what would become, an annual WELSH BATTLEFIELD CONFERENCE. I consider it appropriate and useful for such a Conference to be annually organised to take place in Builth Wells, as it is here that I am also proposing that a WELSH BATTLEFIELD - MEDIEVAL MILTARY HISTORY INTERPRETATION CENTRE be established. With such in mind, it is my intention to request that the Powys Archaelogical Association, with Builth Town Council, act as patrons - organisers of the proposed Welsh Battlefield Conference. If any reader has any other suggestions in this respect, do contact myself at the address given below.
Hopefully, the first such conference - or even meeting to discuss such for 2008, may be held in Builth in December of this year. Other than that, I shall continue my occasional additions to this 'I'r Gad' blog, look into the potential of a quarterly, or Bi- annual journal and, of course, an 'I'r Gad' Website. In time I would hope that such would come under the organisational umbrella of the aforementioned Battlefield Centre.
A special note: This blog was started well after I began this campaign. Material before the establishment of the blog was issued by means of E-mail attachments and 'snail mail' correspondence. I have been busy this year republishing much of this past material to this blog. If, in reading, you find postings in no particular sequence or not edited to suit republishing, Please do bear with me as I'm sure that you will appreciate that what is of paramount important is the content and revelance of articles and news on the issue. I am considering publishing much of this material as a book in due course, not quite a book on Welsh Battles, but more so a companion reader to such.
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Following are letters, I have recently recieved from RCAHMW with their statement, also a letter from Cadw.
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From RCAHMW: Dear Mr ap Gruffydd,
I have received your enquiry on battlefields by a circuitous route; please note the correct email address of the National Monuments Record of Wales enquiry service is: nmr.wales@rcahmw.gov.uk In response to your enquiry, please see the attached statement which I hope will answer your concerns.
Yours sincerely,
Brian Malaws
Pennaeth Mapio Archaeogol / Head of Archaeological Mapping Cangen Rheoli Gwybodaeth / Information Management BranchComisiwn Brenhinol Henebion Cymru / Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of WalesPlas CrugAberystwythCeredigion SY23 1NJFfôn / Phone: 01970 - 621216Ffacs / Fax: 01970 - 627701E-bost / E-mail: brian.malaws@rcahmw.gov.uk Gwefan / Website: www.rcahmw.gov.uk Noddir gan Lywodraeth Cynulliad CymruSponsored by Welsh Assembly Government
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The Following statement was attached:
From CADW: Dear Mr ap Gruffydd
Thank you for your recent enquiry of 17th July 2007 regarding the promotion of Welsh battlefields. I am pleased to confirm that Cadw received recently a copy of the list of battlefield sites intended for depiction on Ordnance Survey maps as recommended by the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Wales.Now that Cadw is in receipt of this list, it is our intention to consider fully the merits of establishing a Battlefields Register for Wales and to scrutinise how such an undertaking might be taken forward. This complex matter will involve detailed consideration and I am in the process of contacting Cadw’s sister heritage bodies in England and Scotland to ascertain how their respective Registers were compiled. Such an exercise would, of course, require an appropriate methodology to be drawn up in order to inform research concerning the location and extent of each proposed battlefield site.I hope that this brief summary is suitable for your intended purpose. If I can be of any further help, please do not hesitate to contact me.
Yours sincerely
Jon Berry
Jonathan Berry Assistant Inspector of Ancient Monuments / Arolygydd Cynorthwyol Henebion Inspectorate of Ancient Monuments and Historic Buildings / Yr Arolygiaeth Henebion ac Adeiladau Hanesyddol Welsh Assembly Government / Llywodraeth Cynulliad Cymru Cadw, Plas Carew, 5/7 Cefn Coed, Parc Nantgarw, Cardiff / Caerdydd CF15 7QQ
( 01443 33 60 73 ) jonathan.berry@wales.gsi.gov.uk
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Other Matters - Please give your serious attention to the statement below:
It has come to my attention indirectly that a grouplet of nationalists are seeking to establish a Welsh Battlefield Society? Names attached to this document inform me that these people are also key members of Fforwm Hanes Cymru, Abaty Cwm Hir Heritage Trust, Pilleth Appeal, Cilmeri Commemoration Committee, Owain Glyndwr Society and Balchder Cymru and in time no doubt , anyone else who, amongst nationalists, are usually ''Habitual Joiners'' and ''constant attendees'' at one central committee meeting after another basically consisting of the same people who might also be members of Senedd'04 and what ever? The point, or rather points I am making are as follows; what do they think they will achieve that the "I'r Gad" Campaign has not already achieved and is still achieving. Indeed will they have time to make their so called WBS work, I think not! This disturbs me, as I feel they will hinder further great progress and advance by virtue of the fact they will distract people from priorities, waste peoples time in fruitless and endless meetings but worse are now blindly stepping into an area, they obviously have not reseached properly as to the problems. It can even get worse as such WBS becomes a dead weight on further progress which must be by means of local ''Autonomous'' enthusiasm, enterprise and effort. Can it get worse? you bet it can, they have already announced they intend to 'GRAB GRANTS', this could end up taking money away from local memorial groups.. Sorry, but theirs is an unthought out endeavour which could do more harm than good, I call upon those who are requested to support such, to not do so, ignore and get to grips with reality by supporting "I'r GAD" - Welsh Battlefield Campaign. After all, our track record is proven in this blog and with Embassy Glyndwr in a long running promotional TARIAN GLYNDŵR - Battlefield Registration Programme. Other than supporting "I'R Gad", if you really want to do something to advance this cause through really practical means and methods, then please, with other people in your community, adopt a local Battlefield and establish a local WELSH BATTLE FIELD RESEARCH GROUP with, as its purpose, the survey and study of your local battlefield, working with the "I'r Gad" purpose of seeking to Preserve, Protect and Promote Knowledge of Welsh Battlefields. We are here to aid and assist you in such local initiatives of just doing it, not holding endless meetings with the same old bunch of people, this achieves little. Our way involves new local people studying and preserving their own battlefields in their own communities not outsiders grabbing the grants, chewing the same old cud over and over and actually achieving nothing!. No! Sorry! this WBS is most definately not the way forward but more a complete waste of time. Trust me, time will tell but, in the meantime, our objectives does not have time to waste, nor the money to waste. Other, than associating and assisting "I'r Gad" we call upon one and all to support the RCAHMW and CADW, plus, all work towards a Welsh Battle Field Conference and of course a WELSH BATTLEFIELD TRUST. for further information I can be contacted at gethin.apgruffydd@ntlworld.com
.Yn Ffyddlon.
.Gethin Gruffydd.
.Welsh Remembrancer and Heritage Researcher.
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COFIWN.
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Just take a look into the below link, this is really something and the sort of website we need to develope regards Welsh Military History and Battlefield Sites. However, quite a major job. Perhaps something a Welsh Battlefield Trust or Welsh Battlefield Centre could take aboard one day. Note herein this below website you will find email address of the Wales Region of the Battlefield Trust, I shall contact and request they to consider some of my proposals, not least the proposed December Welsh Battlefield Conference.
UK Battlefields Resource Centre - UK Battlefields -
English Heritage manage a wide range of site of military interest, including the battlefield of Hastings at Battle. The National Trust ...www.battlefieldstrust.com/resource-centre/battlefieldsuk/periodpageview.asp?pageid=409 - 31k - Cached - Similar pages
