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CADWWelsh Historic Monuments
by Barbara Ballard
A tour of each section of the Palace points outs and gives
information on the details worthy of note. With this guide in hand there won’t
be a thing missed and you’ll understand and appreciate better what you do see.
The Guide includes the plan and construction of the palace. There are various
feature articles as well. Examples are The Wealth and Power of the Bishops of St
Davids, Sculpted Decoration and the Arcaded Parapet and information on the
various bishops who ruled the Palace. Another Guidebook in the series, Beaumaris Castle, tells of
the history of the Castle from its building through the later Middle Ages and
the Civil War and beyond. The tour of the castle gives a plan, detailed
information on the features of the inner and outer wards. Feature articles
include a letter of 1296, the purpose of the Castle’s residential
accommodation, the Borough of Beaumaris and its defenses and more. Each guide
has a map showing the location of the monument along with others in the same
area. Cadw also prints a series of short, summary guides, Cadw
Pamphlet Guides, that contain a brief history and tour of the site for tourists
who want the highlights. There is a themed series of books as well: Historic
Gardens of Wales, A Mirror of Medieval Wales and A Nation Under Siege: the Civil
War in Wales, 1642-48. Another series, A Guide to Ancient and Historic Wales, is
four regional guides giving information on 150 ancient and historic monuments.
In their General Titles, you can obtain such books as Chieftains and Princes or
The Cistercian Abbeys of Britain. Cadw also produces a map and gazetteer of the
Cadw Historic Monuments, which is a great help when traveling. One publication of particular interest to me is “What
Style Is It? This is a pocket guide to architecture in Wales that includes a
gazetteer of important buildings along with a map of their location. Each style
is delineated along with photos and drawings. It is an invaluable resource for
identifying whether a building is Early Gothic, Late Gothic, Tudor, etc. and a
wonderful learning resource. I cannot speak highly enough of this organization
and its publications. For more details and to join, visit their website: http://www.cadw.wales.gov.uk/.
Click on the button that says Cadw sites. This gives you a map of north or south
Wales to choose from. Once you’ve done that you can choose from Castles,
Prehistoric, Roman, Ecclesiastical and Other sites. They will all be listed with
their locations shown on the map. Clicking on their name will give you the basic
information you need. Book covers courtesy CADW. ©2000 by Barbara Ballard. Reproduction of this work in
whole or in part, including images, and reproduction in electronic media,
without documented permission from the author is prohibited. Book cover photos
courtesy Cadw -Updated 12-15-00-
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CADW,
Welsh Historic Monuments, is the organization that has the responsibility for
protecting, conserving and presenting ancient monuments and historic buildings
in Wales. The name Cadw comes from the Welsh word that means “to keep” or
“to preserve”. It cares for over 100 ancient monuments and historic
buildings of national importance, which are open to the public. If you are
visiting Wales, you’ll want to join. Membership provides you entry to the
sites. Even if you’re not visiting, you may want to join to support their
efforts.
Cadw
prints a range of publications, each meticulously researched. In fact, I have
never seen any better. Their scholarly Guidebook Series gives detailed
information about the history and architecture of sites i addition to a
comprehensive tour. They are fully illustrated with the highest quality photos,
drawings, historical documents, maps and plans. A case in point is the 56-page
guide for St Davids Bishop’s Palace. The history of St Davids from its
beginnings through the Norman centuries, the 13th and 14th century, later Middle
Ages and Reformation and Decline are presented.