The birth of Heneb
A new organisation has come into being in Wales, in a bold move designed to increase the capacity of the four Welsh Archaeological Trusts (WATs) to compete for major developer-funded contracts, while building on their reputation for specialist regional expertise and service delivery. Heneb: the Trust for Welsh Archaeology was officially formed on 1 April 2024 by combining the staff of the four WATs (CA 314) – one for each of the new counties created by the 1974 local government reorganisation: Gwynedd, Dyfed, Clwyd-Powys and Glamorgan Gwent.
The big difference between the WATs and the units that evolved elsewhere in the UK was the focus on developing a deeper understanding of the archaeology of one region that would grow richer all the time. This would therefore give the WATs a competitive advantage when bidding for local contracts; improve the quality of the archaeological interpretation; and deliver the educational and community engagement activities that qualify archaeological units for charitable status.
That strategy has served Wales well since the first two WATs were formed in 1974 (the other two were formed in 1975 and 1976) and remains a fundamental strength. However, by combining the WATs under one trustee board, chair, and chief executive, Heneb (which means ‘monument’) now has more than 70 staff and the ambition to compete for the large-scale projects that it needs in order to grow. The merger also puts them in a better position to form partnerships with other units. This will allow them to field the large teams required for infrastructural projects, such as new roads, railways, power stations, pipelines, wind farms, or forestry schemes.
