Further information
Whilst this website is about terraced Valleys houses, many other houses in the South Wales Valleys are, of course, important in their own right and the principles mentioned here often apply. The most important principle of all is to be true to the period of your house, whether it be 18th, 19th, 20th or even 21st century.
Useful Links
Heritage Lottery Fund
The organisations below offer information and advice on the conservation and restoration of historic buildings
Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings (SPAB)National pressure group, which provides advice and fights to save old buildings from decay, demolition and damage.
CadwHistoric environment service of the Welsh Assembly. Offers a wide range of publications (some in PDF format) and technical conservation advice.
English HeritageHistoric Building and Monuments Commission for England. Provides technical advice and publications related to building conservation. See particularly, ‘Looking after your property’ and ‘Energy Efficiency’.
Historic ScotlandHistoric environment service of the Scottish Government. Website includes a range of free online publications and guidance including ‘Maintaining Your Home: A Short Guide for Homeowners’.
Civic Trust for WalesPromotes a sustainable, well designed and historically-respectful built environment, and supports a network of regional civic societies.
Local authority contacts
Your council conservation officer or planning department may be able to provide technical advice and useful of information about experienced contractors and suppliers in your area. Contact details for the South Wales Valleys are as follows:
TorfaenThe Conservation Team: 01633 648288.
Blaenau GwentPlanning Department: 01495 355 555.
CaerphillyStrategic Planning Team: 01495 235235.
Merthyr TydfilThe Conservation Officer: 01685 726268.
Rhondda Cynon TaffPlanning and Conservation Services: 01443 494700.
Neath Port TalbotPlanning Section: 01639 764281.
BridgendConservation and Environmental Policy Section: 01656 643643.
SwanseaBuilding Conservation Team: 01792 635743.
Finding a builder and undertaking conservation work
Federation of Master BuildersOffers advice on finding a reputable builder.
Building Conservation DirectoryList of over 1,000 contacts for building conservation requirements.
AECB (Sustainable Building Association)Network that promotes best practice in sustainable building.
The Victorian SocietyPublishes a series of guides to the care and restoration of Victorian and Edwardian houses.
Technical Q and AsAdvice on various aspects of building restoration from SPAB.
Sash WindowsArticle advising on painting and draft-proofing windows.
Further reading
Some of these publications may be out of print but still available from local libraries.
John B. Hilling, Historic Architecture in Wales (University of Wales Press).
John B. Hilling, Cardiff and the Valleys: Architecture and Townscape (Lund Humphries).
Industrial Workers Housing in Wales (PDF)Booklet produced by Cadw, advising on the care and conservation of terraced housing.
Recent examples of good practice in the Valleys
There are a number of successful Townscape Heritage Initiative (THI) schemes in South Wales which have had a transformational effect. Although repair grants are generally not available to private property owners outside these schemes, the THI projects show what can be achieved by caring for traditional properties. Towns to look at include:
Cardigan Newport (search for Lower Dock Street THI) Llandovery and Llangadog (search for Llandovery and Llangadog) Pembroke Dock (search for Pembroke Dock THI)Bridgend and Maesteg (Contact Bridgend County Borough Council Conservation and Environmental Policy Section on 01656 643643 for information on both THI schemes).
HLF-commissioned report
A report titled The Economic Benefits of a Conservation Based Approach to Traditional Buildings and Streetscapes in the South Wales Valleys was produced by Arad Consulting in 2005 (PDF).
