The Royal Commission leads on new €4m EU funded project
The Royal Commission leads on new €4m EU funded project supporting collaboration on coastal and heritage sites in Wales and Ireland
The Royal Commission, in partnership with the Discovery Programme: Centre for Archaeology and Innovation Ireland, Aberystwyth University: Department of Geography and Earth Sciences and Geological Survey, Ireland, is heading up an exciting and innovative new EU funded project aimed at researching coastal heritage sites in Wales and Ireland.
Funded through the European Union’s Ireland-Wales programme, the 5 year CHERISH project (Climate, Heritage and Environments of Reefs, Islands and Headlands) – ‘Climate Change and Coastal Heritage’ – will support specialist organisations in Wales and Ireland to employ cutting-edge technologies to analyse coastal and island archaeology and maritime heritage sites most affected by climate change, coastal erosion, storminess and rising sea levels.
Among the tourism and heritage sites under study in Wales are the renowned Pembrokeshire nature reserves of Skomer and Ramsey Islands, and remote off shore islands and reefs like Grassholm Island and The Skerries, Anglesey, along with eroding coastal promontory forts and cliff top heritage sites in south-west and north-west Wales.
Christopher Catling, Secretary of the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Wales, said:
“This is an exciting new project. CHERISH brings a strong partnership of archaeologists, geoscientists and maritime specialists to bear on the significant challenges posed by climate change to the historic environment.”
“The project will also enable us for the first time to undertake fieldwork on some of Wales and Ireland’s richest archaeological landscapes, which we believe will open up many new and exciting opportunities for coastal and heritage tourism across both nations.”
Read the full Press Release
Web links:
- Royal Commission: CHERISH project
- Aberystwyth University, Department of Geography and Earth Sciences
- Discovery Programme: Centre for Archaeology and Innovation Ireland
- Geological Survey, Ireland
For further information please contact:
Louise Barker, Senior Investigator: Louise.barker@rcahmw.gov.uk
Dr Toby Driver, Senior Investigator: Toby.driver@rcahmw.gov.uk
Royal Commission staff surveying on the remote Grassholm Island in 2016, which is owned and managed by the RSPB. No public landing is permitted on this highly protected nature reserve.
Ramsey Island, an RSPB nature reserve, looking north-east to the Pembrokeshire mainland. (AP_2006_2398).
The remote Skerries islet off Anglesey, home to a lighthouse, historic buildings and fragile archaeological earthworks. The Skerries is managed by the RSPB for its bird populations during the summer months. (AP_2016_4682)
01/12/2017
I applaud this initiative and I too do hope that the general public are allowed to have input as well, as they are important stakeholders to whom this heritage belongs after all. We need similar initiatives in the Caribbean where many of our historic sites: ports, coastal forts etc are located along the coast and threatened by both climate change and development pressures.
I hope this initiative is going to be peer reviewed on a regular basis with reports made available to the general public. The biggest danger is that this becomes yet another sinecure for academics.
Very good points, thank you. CHERISH will be peer reviewed by an independent Advisory Committee, and any reports, photos, data or surveys done for CHERISH will be made freely available via a web portal (coming soon) and via the Royal Commission’s online database http://www.Coflein.gov.uk. A key part of the project will also be to set up community training events, walks, talks and conferences in different parts of rural, coastal Wales. We are looking forward to the next 5 years,
Many thanks. I look forward to the reports.