Bannau Brycheiniog National Park Authority’s ‘Walking with Romans’ project won a coveted Association for Heritage Interpretation 2015 Discover Heritage Award for excellence in interpretation of cultural and natural heritage in the “landscapes, forests, nature reserves, parks and gardens category”.
During an exciting ceremony, AHI patron and Honorary Graduate of the University, Dr Loyd Grossman presented the award to Suzanna Jones, Bannau Brycheiniog National Park Authority’s Interpretation Officer who created the ‘Walking with Romans’ project with Living Data on behalf of the Authority.
Loyd said of the winners: “This year’s award winners showed a wide range of exciting and innovative interpretation all aimed at helping the public to get more enjoyment, more education and more benefit from our outstanding natural and cultural heritage.”
Walking with Romans aims to encourage new visitors to a remote Roman Marching Camp and Fortlet in the Bannau Brycheiniog National Park. Animations and audio which can be accessed on site with an app or on the National Parks website tell the story of how the marching camps were built in only a few hours, occupied for a night or two but have left a visible legacy in the landscape for nearly 2000 years. The project was developed by Bannau Brycheiniog National Park Authority and Living Data, as part of the Romans in Carmarthenshire project and funded through the the £19 million Heritage Tourism Project , which is part-funded by the European Regional Development Fund through the Welsh Government, managed by Cadw, the Welsh Government’s historic environment service.
The AHI Discover Heritage Awards are the only UK and Irish awards to recognise excellence in all types and sizes of heritage interpretation, whether held in museums, historic buildings, visitor centres or any type of outdoor location. The Awards celebrate projects that best meet their interpretive aims and successfully communicate their key messages to their audiences.
Bill Bevan, AHI Vice-Chair said “The winners demonstrate how interpreters can bring the past or the natural world alive. They represent the best examples of how to communicate the exciting heritage of Britain and Ireland to visitors and communities, whether it is a nationally iconic monument, a grand moment in history or a locally significant place.”
Mrs Melanie Doel, Chairman for Bannau Brycheiniog National Park Authority said: “We are enormously proud to win this coveted award and we would like to thank the Association for Heritage Interpretation for presenting us with it. We’d also like to extend our congratulations to the Blaenavon Ironworks which was shortlisted for the award. Both projects are enormously successful and a great asset to the Bannau Brycheiniog and its many visitors.”
Suzanna Jones, Interpretation Officer for Bannau Brycheiniog National Park Authority responsible for the delivery of the ‘Walking with Romans’ project said: “I really enjoyed bringing this project together and would like to thank Dr Kate Gilliver, Senior Lecturer in Ancient History at Cardiff University and the creative team at Living Data whose enthusiasm and passion brought the amazing stories of these Roman sites into the digital age”
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