Wales’s heritage sites have been closed since 18 March but today, Cadw re-open selected unstaffed, outdoor monuments.
As of Monday, 06 July, members of the public will be able to safely visit some of Cadw’s 105 unstaffed heritage sites across Wales — from St Lythan’s Burial Chamber in the Vale of Glamorgan to Haverfordwest Priory in Pembrokeshire and Montgomery Castle in Powys.
Other unstaffed monuments in Cadw’s care will re-open later this summer — as soon as essential site maintenance, risk assessments and new site safety measures are completed and introduced, to ensure a safe and socially distanced visitor experience.
Cadw is encouraging visitors to keep Wales safe by avoiding extensive travel to these sites where possible — with visitors able to find out which unstaffed monuments are open in their local area via the Cadw website.
Furthermore, in line with Welsh Government guidance, visitors must adhere to social distancing at all times and are only permitted to meet up with one other household while on site. BBQs and the consumption of alcohol is also not permitted any of the monuments.
Cadw will monitor the safety of each heritage site by inviting visitors to provide feedback via an online survey — available through QR codes on signage at each monument.
In line with guidance from Welsh Government, Cadw is also preparing to re-open most of its staffed castles, abbeys and historic houses later in the summer — which will see the introduction of new visitation guidelines and restricted visitor numbers via advanced online ticketing.
Deputy Minister for Culture, Sport and Tourism, Lord Elis-Thomas, said: “Cadw’s unstaffed heritage sites range from magnificent castles built by Welsh Princes to historic chapels and Neolithic tomb, some over 5,500 years old.
“We’re delighted to be able to start removing public access restrictions to selected unstaffed sites — particularly for the benefit of local communities who often use these outdoor spaces for wellbeing and exercise.
“However, public health and safety is our highest priority during this time, so, in order to keep our unstaffed sites open and safe for everyone, we politely ask that those who visit, do so respectfully and responsibly.
“And please remember, although Monday 06 July marks the re-opening of 43 unstaffed heritage sites in Wales, all of Cadw’s other monuments will remain closed to the public for the time-being.”
To find out which unstaffed Cadw sites have re-opened in your local area, visit https://cadw.gov.wales/unstaffed-heritage-sites-a-gradual-reopening, search Cadw on Facebook or follow @CadwWales or @CadwCymru on Twitter.
