Tender for a Geophysical Survey

Tender description

Pembrokeshire County Council (the Council) invite you to submit a bid (called a “tender”) to undertake a Geophysical Survey in North Pembrokeshire and North Wexford, as part of Rediscovering Ancient Connections; a new cross-border arts and heritage project linking these regions. This contract is part of a wider cross-border heritage and arts programme called Rediscovering Ancient Connections –The Saints abbreviated to Ancient Connections. The project is 80% funded by ERDF (European Rural Development Fund) led by Pembrokeshire County Council, with joint beneficiaries Wexford County Council, Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Authority and Visit Wexford. The overall scheme runs from April 2019 – March 2022. The project will help deliver Specific Objective 3 of the Ireland Wales Cross-Border Co-operation Programme 2017-20, i.e. “To sustainably realise the potential of natural and cultural assets in increasing visitor numbers to coastal communities in the Programme area.” The appointed contractor will implement a community archaeology exercise, undertaking a number of geophysical surveys with volunteers in each region. The surveys will help to build a clearer picture of the shared heritage linking these regions particularly in relation to the early Celtic Saints and medieval pilgrimage. This project will increase our knowledge and understanding of churches, cemeteries and settlements during the age of the Saints and the subsequent period of medieval pilgrimage. During the period AD 400 -1200, internal developments and external influences resulted in the foundation of Wales and South-East Ireland as we know it today. Many of the external influences in Wales were from South-East Ireland and can still be detected today and include place-names, Irish words in the Welsh language and, most obviously, ogham stones. Ogham is a form of Irish script and stones with this script can be found across West Wales. However, this evidence is slight and poorly understood. In Ireland, it was Cambro-Norman mercenaries who led what ultimately became an invasion of Ireland in the 12th century and who transformed the physical and cultural landscape of South-East Ireland. As well as increasing our understanding of the period, it is planned that this element of the Rediscovering Ancient Connections project will promote closer working practices across the Celtic Sea as well as informing and enhancing the visitor experience.