Cadwraeth Cymru apprentices have been testing their skills using traditional repair techniques in stonemasonry and carpentry across Wales and tales of getting into traditional construction and repairing and maintaining historic monuments
Cadw writes:
Using techniques developed thousands of years ago, having Wales’s amazing heritage in your hands and cutting stone in an environment where power tools are strictly forbidden — it’s all in a day’s work for an apprentice with Cadw, the Welsh Government’s historic environment service.
Whether it’s constructing a bridge into an ancient castle, restoring 500-year-old Tudor doors or rebuilding farm walls, everything has to be done with extreme care by Cadwraeth Cymru, Cadw’s specialist conservation team which is responsible for 129 historic sites across Wales.
The team at Cadwraeth Cymru, which translates as Conservation Wales, are well known for their skill and pride of work, and are passing these qualities down to the next generation of craftspeople through apprenticeship schemes.
‘I did my apprenticeship 20 years ago and a lot has changed since then,’ said Gwynfor Olsen, a Conservation Work Supervisor based in north Wales.
‘There’s more of a philosophy behind conservation these days. We are far more aware that what we are doing may be improved upon in the future and we use materials that will make it easier for that work to be done.
‘It’s important that Cadw is leading the field in demonstrating best practice in heritage conservation, and it’s great that our apprentices are gaining experience during this time.’
