Interpret Wales

Maps for Interpretation

Frank OldingFrank Olding

Heritage OfficerHeritage Officer

Blaenau Gwent County Borough Blaenau Gwent County Borough CouncilCouncil

Maps and Plans

•Reading maps and plans is not instinctive;

•Maps and plans have a language of their own;

•Reading maps and plans is a skill . . .

•. . . that’s why they teach GEOGRAPHY in school!!!

For example . . .

Which tells us more . . .

. . . the map or the photo?

Archaeologists LOVE drawing plans . . .

Total Station

Hachured plan – analyses the earthworks

Horses for courses – maps are a good source of evidence.

Marquis of Abergavenny Estate Survey 1819

Sale Particulars 1872

R. M. A.

Regressive Map Analysis

Looking at old maps!

A very useful tool for gathering and presenting evidence

Not so useful for interpreting to the paying public!!!

Beaufort Ironworks – 1st Ed OS, 1880

GIS systems

Nantyglo Roundhouses

How much information does this convey to the visitor?

Cadw’s “buff” guides . . .

award-winning guidebooks . . .

for a very good reason!

1203 – wooden castle rebuilt in stone

1230 – Hubert de Burgh’s new curtain wall and towers

1350 – the Earl of Lancaster’s fortress-cum-palace

Even more important for industrial sites . . .

An industrial archaeologist’s idea of an “interpretative plan”!!

Aerial photos are great for landscapes.

Garnddyrys Forge

Happy Ramblers!!!