Gwynedd Archaeological Trust

The Gwynedd Archaeological Trust was an archaeological organisation established in 1974, until its dissolution in 2024 as the four Welsh Archaeological Trusts merged as Heneb.

Overview

The organisation was one of four Welsh Archaeological Trusts in Wales.
The trust maintained Historic Environment Records for their area to provide archaeological advice to central government, planning authorities and other public bodies. The Gwynedd Archaeological Trust along with the other Welsh Archaeological Trusts were pioneers in developing [Sites and monuments record|Historic Built environment|Environment Records]. In the 1970s Wales was the first part of the UK to develop a fully national system of what were then called ‘Sites and Monuments Records’; this fully computerised system was pioneered by Don Benson who was then Chief Executive of the Dyfed Archaeological Trust. The Welsh Government is required to maintain HERs as a statutory obligation under the Historic Environment Act 2016; these active databases are an essential component of the planning system in Wales.

In September 2023 the four Welsh Archaeological Trusts agreed to merge. As part of this process, in November 2023 the Dyfed Archaeological Trust changed its name to Heneb: the Trust for Welsh Archaeology. On 1 April 2024 the other three Welsh Archaeological Trusts merged into Heneb: the Trust for Welsh Archaeology. The resulting organisation has a pan-Wales overview, whilst maintaining regionally-based operations.