The great medieval masonry monuments of Wales can be used to illustrate the changing approach to the conservation, interpretation and presentation of historical sites in State care in Wales, initially by the London-based Office (later Ministry) of Works. By the late 1970s decisions affecting the monuments of Wales were being taken by Inspectors based in Cardiff and from 1984 under the auspices of Cadw. For much of the twentieth century, the prevailing approach, both in Wales and elsewhere in Britain, involved clearing away vegetation and even the remains of later buildings and excavation to reveal what was perceived to be the key phase of a monuments history. This was followed by the consolidation, and presentation of a newly legible monument through small cast-iron labels and scholarly guidebooks that assumed a knowledgeable audience. Few interventions were permissible that might impact on the historic fabric of the monuments. Whilst it is easy in hindsight to critique the Office/Ministry of Works approach to conservation, they effectively saved the monuments and made them accessible and intelligible. They began a process that was to result in an extraordinary national collection that is rightly considered one of our great treasures. From the late 1980s, factors such as the drive to engage with wider audiences, the importance of cultural tourism and changing conservation approaches, lay behind a very different approach to the presentation of monuments. Following Welsh devolution in the late 1990s, the rise of a new self-confidence in Wales as a nation may have further influenced the approach to the presentation of medieval monuments across the country. Today, Cadw takes a much more eclectic approach, using a new conservation philosophy and approaches that seek to engage new audiences through everything from creative interventions and artworks at monuments, to innovative public programming. More importantly there has been a distinctively Welsh element to monuments in State care, influenced by the revival of Welsh language and culture and the importance of uncovering the distinctive stories and narratives of Wales.
Gwilym Hughes (Thu,) studied this question.