Rhondda Cynon Taf is recognised as one of the World’s most significant culturally and historically significant areas of industrial and social heritage.
Our new five year strategy aims to celebrate, protect and develop our unique heritage.
The five-year Rhondda Cynon Taf Heritage Strategy showcases our history and heritage, including industry, sporting achievements, inspirational residents, iconic buildings, Welsh language, traditions and unique communities.
It aims to inspire residents, groups, businesses, the voluntary sector and others to work collaboratively with Rhondda Cynon Taf Council and become more involved in preserving our heritage, while working innovatively to make it inclusive and accessible for future generations.
The development of the strategy involved more than 900 residents in consultation events and an online survey, which helped us identify four strategic objectives:
- Secure our shared heritage with high standards of conservation in the management of collections and archives, partnership work to conserve and protect historic buildings, locations and landscapes and document living history for the future.
- Advocate our shared heritage and champion our roles as custodians of heritage, communicating the importance of our heritage, including the Welsh language, to all.
- Value our shared heritage it’s recognised as having worldwide significance! We want to increase understanding of this rich heritage, including that of the Welsh language and encourage research and heritage-based activities.
- Engage communities with our shared heritage – residents, visitors and partners can join heritage initiatives, including through the Welsh language, to promote health, well-being and the protection of our history and heritage.
S.A.V.E. provides us with a positive vision for our heritage, and offers a pathway to the effective management of it. The action plan that accompanies the strategy is focused on regeneration, on community wellbeing, the economy, tourism and the development of Welsh Language skills.
The Rhondda Cynon Taf Heritage Strategy was launched at Rhondda Heritage Park Museum on Friday, March 7.
You can download a full copy of the document here.
Cllr Ann Crimmings, Rhondda Cynon Taf Council’s Cabinet Member for Environment, Leisure and Heritage, said: “This exciting strategy showcases our heritage. The world-famous industry, sporting greats, musical icons, inventors and trailblazers. It protects our buildings, landscapes and centuries of precious artefacts holding the stories and memories of our choirs and colliers.
“It sets out how we can work together, using heritage to inspire future generations culturally, socially and economically. By volunteering, engaging and collaborating we can research, collect, protect and showcase heritage to benefit education, tourism, communities, businesses and culture for years to come.
“It’s fitting the strategy was completed as Wales’ ancient tradition, the National Eisteddfod, returned to its birthplace, Pontypridd. The first modern-day Eisteddfod happened in Pontypridd in 1861 - its forefather Iolo Morgannwg held bardic ceremonies in the years before at the Rocking Stone, which you can still visit.
“A vision of an “urban” 2024 Eisteddfod, surrounded by shops and eateries, with open-air swims on the Maes for the first time at historic Lido Ponty, plus modern transport linking visitors with the heritage attraction Rhondda Heritage Park Museum, created the “best Eisteddfod ever”.
“The 2024 Eisteddfodd depicted perfectly what the Heritage Strategy seeks to achieve across our heritage. Celebrating perfectly-preserved history, while working together to add a new “twist” to increase future inclusivity, accessibility and appeal.”
Notes to Editors
The Heritage Strategy was written by Rhondda Cynon Taf Heritage Service, funded by The National Lottery Heritage Fund.
Thanks to National Lottery players, The Heritage Service has completed work, including the Altered Images project, which received £250,000 from The National Lottery Heritage Fund, to enable three years of activities, consultation and the creation of the Heritage Strategy, putting heritage and culture at the heart of the future vision for Rhondda Cynon Taf.
Written following ‘people’ and ‘places’ focused engagement and consultation, the Heritage Strategy sets out to: “Celebrate and value the rich heritage of Rhondda Cynon Taf by showcasing our cultural legacy, recognising the people and stories that shape our history and preserving our buildings, collections and physical assets for the present and future generations.”
The strategy was developed in 2024, the year Rhondda Cynon Taf hosted the Eisteddfod Genedlaethol (National Eisteddfod), Europe’s largest and oldest touring cultural festival.
The Eisteddfod Genedlaethol is a unique part of Wales’ and RCT’s heritage, where the first modern-day Eisteddfod was held in 1861.
The County Borough has much to offer its residents and visitors alike, and the Eisteddfod Genedlaethol provided the opportunity to showcase our people and places – key aspects of our heritage – and use its legacy to inspire engagement and support the achievement of the Welsh Language Promotion Strategy ambitions.
Heritage can provide a historical perspective and offers us an understanding of who we are today and our place in the world. The strategy aims to not just provide us with a context as to where we came from, but to also stimulate our future hopes and aspirations, and reinforce our pride in place.
People and communities, stories and traditions, culture and Welsh language, are our heritage.
The strategy recognises how our historic built environment is a powerful resource for economic development, regeneration, supporting business and enterprise, tourism, and attracting people to live, work, visit and invest in the County Borough.
About the National Lottery Heritage Fund in Wales
Using money raised by the National Lottery, we inspire, and resource the UK’s heritage to create positive and lasting change for people and communities, now and in the future.
https://www.heritagefund.org.uk/in-your-area/wales
Thanks to National Lottery players, more than £30 million goes to good causes across the UK every week.
Follow @HeritageFundCYM on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram and use #NationalLotteryHeritageFund
Posted on 11/03/2025