It’s hoped that a new website will allow communities to preserve their history
A new website will anyone to record Welsh and historic names missing from online maps(Image: InYourArea)
New plans have been launched to protect Wales’ linguistic heritage. The public are being asked to help safeguard Welsh language and historic place names that are currently missing from online maps through a brand new website.
The public are also being encouraged to contribute to online resources like Wikipedia by recording sound clips showing how place names should be pronounced and providing phonetic spellings. It’s hoped the new initiatives will also help people understand the rich stories behind local names.
Welsh language secretary Mark Drakeford said the new measures will ensure Welsh language place names “are protected for future generations.”
The website highlights that many Welsh and historic place names do not appear on online maps, including names for hills, mountains, streams, landmarks, houses, ruins, bridges and old works.
The plans are intended to preserve local heritage for future generations(Image: media Wales)
The launch of the website on Tuesday comes as part of a set of priorities are announced to safeguard Welsh place names. For our free daily briefing on the biggest issues facing the nation, sign up to the Wales Matters newsletter here
These respond to recent research which found that most changes to property names don’t involve a change in language, but when they do they are three times more likely to be renamed from English to Welsh than the other way around.
Other priorities include issuing clearer guidance for local authorities and organisations responsible for place names, and commissioning further research into the names of physical features in the landscape, like hills and streams.
The website builds on the work being done by Welsh mapping projects such as Mapio Cymru and the List of Historic Place Names, as well as public bodies such as Eryri and Bannau Brycheiniog National Parks.
Mr Drakeford said: “Place names tell the story of who we are and where we’ve come from.
“These new measures will ensure that our Welsh place names – from legendary mountains like Cadair Idris to Felin Wen, an old mill that tells the story of a small community – are protected for future generations while making it easier for everyone to get involved.”
Naomi Jones, director of land management at Eryri National Park Authority said: “Place names are a vital feature of the cultural heritage of Snowdonia.
“They belong to the land and to the story of generations of residents in the area, and our communities are a hub of unique knowledge about our wonderful place names.
“We are particularly proud to see an opportunity for people to contribute their knowledge in a way that will protect the names and inspire others to use them widely in the countryside.”