Welsh Government and Cadw — Email Correspondence Catalogue (Part 1)

From: Sion Buckler
To: cadw@gov.wales (cc foi@gov.wales)
Date: 23 January 2026, 12:56 UTC
Subject: BP vs Buckler 1987 - FOI Request

Sirs/ Ma'am,

I am writing to make a request under the Freedom of Information Act 2000.

At your earliest convenience please would you provide me copies of all information held by Cadw relating to Great House Farm, formerly occupied by my Buckler / Williams family, which was subject to a refusal to list and subsequent demolition in or around the late 1980s.

Specifically, I request disclosure of the following:

1. All records, assessments, reports, site visit notes, photographs, desk-based evaluations, or recommendations produced by or for Cadw in relation to Great House Farm, including any material connected to decisions not to list the building.

2. All internal correspondence (including letters, memoranda, emails, and briefing notes) held by Cadw that relate to:
The heritage significance of Great House Farm

3. The decision not to list the building
Any consideration of archaeological, historical, or associative significance Any communications between Cadw and third parties (including local authorities, developers, landowners, or commercial entities) concerning Great House Farm prior to demolition

4. Records of any archaeological notifications, alerts, or discoveries associated with Great House Farm, whether before or after demolition, including references to artefacts later recovered during excavations in the early 1990s.

5. Any documentation referring to historical associations between Great House Farm and early radio or wireless experimentation, including any mention of Guglielmo Marconi or related activity in the Cardiff Bay / Lavernock / surrounding area that may have been considered or dismissed.

6. Policy or guidance documents in force at the time (1980s) that governed Cadw’s criteria for listing historic farmhouses or buildings with associative historical value.

7. If any information is withheld, please specify the exemption relied upon and provide the reasoning as required under the Act.

I would prefer to receive the information electronically, by email.

Please confirm receipt of this request too.

I understand that under the Freedom of Information Act you're required to respond within 20 working days. It's not that urgent so please take the time you need, within reason, and keep me updated where possible.

And if you have any questions, queries or concerns please feel free to reach out to me too.

Regards,

Sion Buckler
02031377118
07845933262
5 Robin Hill, Dinas Powys, CF64 4TF

Note: Both addresses rejected this email the same minute (550 5.4.1 Recipient address rejected: Access denied) for cadw@gov.wales and foi@gov.wales, so it never reached Cadw.

From: Sion Buckler
To: pacac@parliament.uk (cc kanishka.narayan.mp@parliament.uk, Jane.Hutt@senedd.wales, cadwplanning@gov.wales, scheduledmonuments@gov.wales, ask@ombudsman.wales, contactus@futuregenerations.wales, adviserline@equalityhumanrights.com) (bcc feedback@parliament.uk)
Date: 5 February 2026, 15:52 UTC
Subject: Re: Systemic governance concern regarding historic land registration and administrative reliance - BP vs Buckler 1987 (inc. BP Land Registry 1982)

*Kate Johal,*

I appreciate your prompt reply and thank you. I assure you I'm not out to waste your departments or anyone's time. I just finished 22 years in Oath in 2024 as a public servant, employed at the Vale of Glamorgan Council, under the Welsh Government. I'm not only bona fine, I left my military career beforehand - with honours. I truly believe I have the most befitting case, that I understand your department specifically exists to handle.

Is it not PACAC's role to ensure that the *machinery of the state*—the courts, the Land Registry, and planning authorities—operates with transparency and protects the constitutional rights of citizens against administrative abuse? My case relates specifically to *maladministration* and *constitutional overreach*: it involves the judicial "erasure" of a 320-year ancestral lineage through the tactical misnaming of Mary Williams to "Mrs. Buckler", the administrative suppression of a known national heritage site (the 1888 Roman find) to facilitate demolition permits, and the suspicious disappearance of public title records from state-run libraries. By focusing on how these public institutions failed to maintain accurate records and fair procedures, I am presenting a case of *systemic failure in public administration*, which is the core reason I understand your Committee to exist.

I must formally contest the assertion that this matter falls outside the Committee’s remit. While the origin of this case involves a dispute with a private entity (BP), the core of my grievance concerns *constitutional issues* and the *quality of administration provided by government-funded bodies*, specifically regarding the protection of national heritage and the integrity of land registration.

I ask the Committee to review this matter under the following three pillars of your mandate:

*1. Constitutional Issues: The Erasure of Customary and Indigenous Title* The 1987 Court of Appeal ruling (*BP Properties Ltd v Buckler*) created a significant legal precedent regarding "unilateral licenses". My family asserts that the administration of justice in this case allowed for the tactical erasure of the "Williams" identity—a lineage with de facto possession dating back to 1667—to facilitate a corporate land grab. The use of the judicial system to overwrite centuries of documented continuity with a "paper title" is a constitutional matter regarding the rights of citizens against aggressive corporate-state interests.

*2. Standards of Administration: Suppression of Heritage by Public Bodies* The Committee examines the quality of administration. My investigation reveals that:

-

*Archaeological Suppression:* Evidence of a Roman soldier was discovered in 1888, providing "actual notice" of the site's significance. This was reportedly suppressed or ignored by planning authorities and the Glamorgan-Gwent Archaeological Trust (GGAT) to allow for demolition.

-

*Misrepresentation in Planning:* The 13th-century Great House Farm was administratively classified as a "dilapidated utility building" to bypass heritage protections. -

*Missing Records:* Vital title evidence and Bute Estate deeds disappeared from the public library system—a failure of public record administration.

*3. Accountability of the Land Registry and Parliamentary Oversight* The registration of this land under BP’s title occurred during a period of transition in Welsh land law (c. 1982). If public registries accepted title without disclosing active disputes or the presence of a known national monument (the Roman/Medieval site), this represents a failure in the "standards of administration" by the Civil Service. Furthermore, this matter was raised in the House of Commons by MP Ted Rowlands in 1980, yet the administrative failures continued unabated.

*Conclusion* I am not asking the Committee to act as a court of appeal, but to investigate the *systemic administrative failures* that allowed a historically significant site and a family's ancestral rights to be "buried" through procedural maneuvers and the suppression of evidence.

If the Committee exists to ensure the Civil Service and constitutional frameworks protect the public interest, then the demolition of an 800-year-old heritage site under a cloud of administrative "silence" must be within your purview.

I look forward to your reconsidered response.

Sincerely,

Sion Buckler

Note: This email was addressed to the House of Commons PACAC committee and copied to Cadw Planning and Cadw Scheduled Monuments.

From: Cadw Planning
To: hywelapbuckler@gmail.com
Date: 5 February 2026, 16:52 UTC
Subject: Automatic reply: FORMAL ALLEGATION OF FRAUD: Ref: 260202-5732372

Diolch am eich ymholiad.
Nid yw'r blwchpost yma'n cael ei fonitro dros y penwythnos a gwyliau banc.
Os yw eich ymholiad ar frys, ffoniwch 0300 025 6000.

Thank you for your enquiry.
Please note that this mailbox is not monitored over the weekends or bank holidays.
If your enquiry is urgent, please call 0300 025 6000.
Sganiwyd y neges hon am bob feirws hysbys wrth iddi adael Llywodraeth Cymru. Mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn cymryd o ddifrif yr angen i ddiogelu eich data. Os cysylltwch ? Llywodraeth Cymru, mae ein hysbysiad preifatrwydd<"https://gov.wales/about/welsh-government-privacy-notice/?lang=cy"> yn esbonio sut rydym yn defnyddio eich gwybodaeth a sut rydym yn diogelu eich preifatrwydd. Rydym yn croesawu gohebiaeth yn Gymraeg. Byddwn yn anfon ateb yn Gymraeg i ohebiaeth a dderbynnir yn Gymraeg ac ni fydd gohebu yn Gymraeg yn arwain at oedi. ----------------- On leaving the Welsh Government this email was scanned for all known viruses. The Welsh Government takes the protection of your data seriously. If you contact the Welsh Government then our Privacy Notice<https://gov.wales/about/welsh-government-privacy-notice/?lang=en> explains how we use your information and the ways in which we protect your privacy. We welcome receiving correspondence in Welsh. Any correspondence received in Welsh will be answered in Welsh and corresponding in Welsh will not lead to a delay in responding.

Note: Automatic reply to a family email titled 'FORMAL ALLEGATION OF FRAUD: Ref: 260202-5732372'. That email is not in the family mailbox's sent items, so only this auto-reply survives.

From: Sion Buckler
To: scheduledmonuments@gov.wales (cc ask@ombudsman.wales, reportafraud@landregistry.gov.uk, Vikki.Howells@senedd.wales) (bcc news@senedd.cymru)
Date: 6 February 2026, 05:21 UTC
Subject: Formal Report of Suspected Indigenous Dispossession, Systemic Fraud, and Archaeological Suppression – Great House Farm, Llandough
Attachments: 1000043889.jpg, Great_House_Farm_Timeline (1) (1).pdf

*To whom it may concern,*

I am writing to formally report a long-standing and systemic case of what I suspect may be dispossession, fraudulent misrepresentation, and archaeological suppression concerning my family’s ancestral land, Great House Farm (historically Tŷ Mawr/Cedfin), Llandough.

I am the descendant of the Williams/Buckler family, who held de facto possession and indigenous tenure of this land from 1667 until our forced displacement in 1988. I am currently the only member of my family who is not too traumatized to speak of these events. My mother (Mary Williams daughter in law), remains to this day too terrified to speak up about this multi-generational "lawfare" campaign waged against us. Our family have not seen justice or received reperations, nor have we sued or reopened this case under limitations act clauses of fraud and consealment. Yet. But this may not be just a grave injustice upon our family, but our nations archeological history and indigenous people on our ancestral birthland. We are Welsh Nationals, Welsh speaking, under Welsh flags. This is some British Colonisation-grade trespass I'm seeing and it's tandamount to a declaration of civil war on me, my family, community and people.

*The core of this report involves the following suspicions I have of concealment and fraud (see attached for my timeline and notes):*

1.

*Archaeological Suppression:* In 1888, my family discovered a Roman soldier in full armor beneath the living room floorboards. This discovery provided "actual notice" of the site's national significance a century before its demolition. We allege this notice was systematically suppressed by corporate and state actors to allow for commercial development. 2.

*Fraudulent Misrepresentation in Planning:* During the 1987 planning process, the 13th-century fortified manor was described by developers as a "dilapidated utility building" or "ruined barn" to secure a demolition permit that would have otherwise been denied under heritage protection laws. 3.

*Legal Identity Falsification:* In 1974, BP Pension Trust issued a "unilateral license" intended to bypass our possessory title. This correspondence was falsely addressed to "Mrs. Buckler" to bind my grandmother to her deceased husband’s name and legal status, despite her public rejection of their claim. She used her maiden name Williams and her husband Bucklers' intent to accept license died with him. My nan also alledgedly didn't expressly deny the offer and so accepted through her silence. But she was near enough voiceless from screaming for decades that she will not do deals with any of them. That's a different kind of silence, if any. And to have responded to license to Mrs Buckler would have been identify fraud as she was Mrs Williams. And she did in fact reject BPs license offer and advanced, countless times, but publically. I believe these objections were suppressed too. There's allegedly news coverage from October 30th 1974 but I'm yet to find the evidence. But see attached a 1978 article I unearthed. My nan clearly maintains her position "It's my home".

4.

You'll also see in landmark legal case BP Vs Buckler 1987 the judge says that she might have responded to BP, but to BP Pension Trust, but the claimant was BP Properties Ltd which were two separate companies. But in my dads appeal when he challenges that BP Pension Trust Ltd should have been the claimant the same judge dismissed his appeal citing both BP companies are effectively the same. This is clearly a case of heads BP won, Tails we lost. 5.

*Missing Evidence:* Critical title deeds and Bute Estate records from our families deal with Daniel Thomas, for title after quarrying completed, in exchange for our permission to quarry, also disappeared from the loft of our home and the Cardiff Library according to my families accounts, precisely when they were needed to support our ownership claim in the Court of Appeal. Regardless we should have still remained on grounds we'd been there since 1667, and failing that on grounds of adverse possession. 6.

It was evident lawfare to remove us, to get to the burials known about since 1888, BP profited from the land sale, the state and Crown have the exhevated artifacts and my displaced family are left traumatised, cheated and dead. My dad's appeal was dismissed to when it shouldn't have been and his ECHR request blocked, before dying abruptly at age just 41.

The confirmation in 1994 of a high-status Roman villa and over 1,000 burials on the exact site of our demolished home proves that the "official narrative" used to evict us was predicated on the concealment of known facts.

Under *Section 32 of the Limitation Act 1980*, the limitation period for action does not begin until such fraud or concealment is discovered. As the heir to this possessory title, I am seeking a formal investigation into the institutional failures that permitted this dispossession and the destruction of a national monument.

I have compiled my account and understanding of these events in timeline order and I'm prepared to provide further testimony and evidence.

Given the extreme trauma my family has suffered, I request that all correspondence be handled with the gravity this human rights violation deserves.

Considering the lack of cooperation from my traumatised family. And authorities who maybe complicit and implicated. And possible corruption of records and fraud and consealment, I'm open to the fact my account and understanding may not be perfect. But if even a single other person or group looked into this too, even briefly, I'm sure you'll agree there's merrit to the concerns I'm raising with all of this.

I look forward to your response regarding the appropriate next steps for investigation and restitution.

I do ask for some small sense of urgency in that justice delayed is justice denied. I understand this is ancient news for many, but my family still feel a tremendous sense of disposition and disposition over all of this. Bringing this all up means to re live it.

I will have been 3 or 4 at the time, but I still remember my toys in our house, being bulldozed. And my mum handing us rocks to throw at them, bulldozing down our home. As my dad was held without charges to prevent him defending us and our home. I'd have to visit him in a hospital bed after his heart attack and see him in a coffin shortly afterwards.

I'm 41 years old now. I'm a certified and experienced military commander and leader. I left my military career with honours. I finished 22 years in Oath in 2024, bond afide, my last 2 employed under the Welsh government.

I kindly request but also require of you, that this matter be layed to rest correctly.

My family never surrendered. Never relinquished claim to that land. We we're in honour in that we weren't there with force, stealth/ secrecy or license. But BP and the British State did use force, stealth/ secrecy and license.

All things considered I believe I find myself in honour here, and the British Establishment in dishonour. This matter must be escalated. I'm duty bound.

Regards,

Sion Buckler

From: Cadw Planning
To: hywelapbuckler@gmail.com
Date: 25 February 2026, 11:37 UTC
Subject: RE: Formal Report of Suspected Indigenous Dispossession, Systemic Fraud, and Archaeological Suppression – Great House Farm, Llandough

Dear Sion,

Thank you for your email regarding Great House Farm, Llandough. However, I must inform you that much of the content in your correspondence falls outside the scope of Cadw’s work.

In relation to the claim of 'archaeological suppression' involving the discovery of a Roman soldier in full armour in 1888, any such find would typically have been reported in the antiquarian press at either the national or local level. It is possible that records of this nature may be held by local museums. It is worth noting that the first Ancient Monuments Act was passed in 1882, focusing solely on bringing threatened ancient monuments into guardianship. The legal recognition of nationally important archaeology did not come about until the Ancient Monuments Consolidation and Amendment Act of 1913.

Upon reviewing the Cof Cymru database, I found that there are no designated historic assets relevant to this topic. However, Archwilio contains two records that document the involvement of the Glamorgan-Gwent Archaeological Trust (GGAT):

1. Great House Farm HER site entry - GGAT03586s
2. Land at Great House Farm HER event entry - GGATE003872, which includes GGAT's 1990 archaeological assessment report commissioned by BP Properties Ltd.

Any advice or correspondence that Cadw may have provided should be preserved in the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Wales (RCAHMW) National Monuments Record of Wales (NMRW). I recommend you contact the NMRW to access any relevant documents. Additionally, you may want to reach out to Heneb and the Vale of Glamorgan Local Planning Authority (LPA) to explore what records they might hold concerning this matter.

Kind regards,

Jenna Arnold

Jenna Arnold
Arolygiaeth yr Amgylchedd Hanesyddol / Historic Environment Inspectorate
Llywodraeth Cymru / Welsh Government
Cadw, Rhydycar Business Park | Parc Business Rhydycar, Merthyr Tydfil | Merthyr Tudful CF48 1UZ

Ymunwch â Cadw<https://www.aelodaethcadw.gwasanaeth.llyw.cymru/>
Join Cadw<https://www.cadwmembership.service.gov.wales/>

From: Sion Buckler
To: CadwPlanning@gov.wales
Date: 20 May 2026, 19:26 UTC
Subject: Re: Great House Farm, Llandough
Attachments: 16416.jpg

I have all my evidence. Consider CADW on notice.

All I'm asking is you cooperate to find out what really happened in this case.

I'm putting together the timeline and all evidence as I believe its in the public interest and I have reason to suspect fraud.

More so I believe my family have the rightful superior claim and manorial title.

As the possible, rightful possesor of lordship of manor of Llandough, I would be the executor of the estate.

Fraud unravels all. And the limitation clock only begins from discovery not occurance of fraud. Which is this year.

So please consider yourselves, CADW, on formal notice of this concern I'm raising of fraud. Not just for reperations and narrative justice for my family, but for archelogical and historical corrections, as the gaps in records and proceedural unfairness and court mistakes and things like the ITV press coverage and 1978 news article which appear to have been supressed, all imply fraud.

In summary it looks as if we weren't tenants but in fact held virtual freehold since 1667 and eventual fee simple absolute manorial title. Which was stolen. And thereafter my families standing was diminished and we were eventually dispossessed by armed force. Which neither estinguished our land claim nor means we surrendered, transfered, sold or gifted it. And therefore still retain claim. A reason to pursue this matter.

My family were and still are terrorised into silence and alledgedly nothing could be done about this because of the time that has past. That was until I discovered the fraud.

It would be ill advised for CADW or individuals, to participate in any past or ongoing efforts to conseal occurances of fraud.

Also consider this a freedom of information request. I require of CADW answers. Records. All you hold concerning my family and estate. Without further delay.

Regards,

Sion Buckler Esq. (Ret'd Sergeant)
Manor of Llandough, Vale of Glamorgan
bpvsbuckler.datro.xyz

From: Sion Buckler
To: scheduledmonuments@gov.wales (cc Correspondence.Eluned.Morgan@gov.wales, cadwplanning@gov.wales, cadw@gov.wales, culture@gov.wales, Correspondence.Jack.Sargeant@gov.wales)
Date: 17 May 2026, 04:11 UTC
Subject: BP vs Buckler, Great House Farm, Llandough

To whom it may concern,

I am writing as the child of Branwen and William (“Billy”) Buckler regarding the destruction of Great House Farm, Llandough, and the long-running dispute surrounding BP Properties Ltd v Buckler [1987].

I have compiled a substantial historical archive, including newspaper reports, court references, family testimony, archaeological material, estate history, and public records relating to Great House Farm (“Ty Mawr”), a site associated with medieval, monastic, and Roman occupation.

The archive is currently being made into a website at:

bpvsbuckler.datro.xyz

The material raises serious unresolved questions regarding:

• The treatment of us Williams/Buckler family’s longstanding occupation and asserted ownership claims. • The repeated use of possession proceedings without a full adjudication of superior title. • Missing or allegedly suppressed title documentation connected to Bute estate transfers and later transactions. • The demolition of an allegedly medieval structure during an active heritage controversy. • Whether the archaeological significance of the site was fully disclosed during planning and demolition processes. • The wider public interest and cultural significance of the site and its destruction.

It's looking to me like my family actually did obtain fee simple absolute and manorial title. Then it was stolen and attempts were made by the possessor of the stolen title, to make my family lessee's / tenants as we were when we were on the virtual freehold (999 year lease) aquired in 1667. Thereafter it appears to be a death of a thousand cuts of proceedural unfairness, audacity, fraud, court "mistakes" , purgery and more.

https://youtu.be/4GXmR7mAas0?feature=shared

Contemporaneous newspaper coverage from the 1970s and 1980s demonstrates that these concerns were publicly known at the time, including heritage objections, petitions, and public claims of ancestral ownership.

I am requesting:

1. Review and preservation consideration of all surviving records connected to Great House Farm.
2. Clarification as to whether any formal heritage review or investigation into the demolition process was ever completed.
3. Guidance regarding access to archival and planning materials relevant to the site.
4. Consideration of whether this matter warrants renewed historical or heritage examination.

I appreciate that some claims remain disputed or unproven, and I am not asking recipients to accept every allegation as established fact. However, I believe the totality of the historical material warrants serious review rather than dismissal.

I would be grateful for acknowledgement of receipt and guidance on the appropriate next steps.

Kind regards,

Sion Buckler Esq. (Ret'd Sergeant)

Manor of Llandough, Vale of Glamorgan

Note: Copies addressed to cadw@gov.wales and Correspondence.Eluned.Morgan@gov.wales were rejected on delivery, and Correspondence.Jack.Sargeant@gov.wales was reported as not found.

From: Cadw Planning
To: hywelapbuckler@gmail.com
Date: 17 May 2026, 04:11 UTC
Subject: Automatic reply: BP vs Buckler, Great House Farm, Llandough

Diolch am eich ymholiad.
Nid yw'r blwchpost yma'n cael ei fonitro dros y penwythnos a gwyliau banc.
Os yw eich ymholiad ar frys, ffoniwch 0300 025 6000.

Thank you for your enquiry.
Please note that this mailbox is not monitored over the weekends or bank holidays.
If your enquiry is urgent, please call 0300 025 6000.
Sganiwyd y neges hon am bob feirws hysbys wrth iddi adael Llywodraeth Cymru. Mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn cymryd o ddifrif yr angen i ddiogelu eich data. Os cysylltwch ? Llywodraeth Cymru, mae ein hysbysiad preifatrwydd<"https://gov.wales/about/welsh-government-privacy-notice/?lang=cy"> yn esbonio sut rydym yn defnyddio eich gwybodaeth a sut rydym yn diogelu eich preifatrwydd. Rydym yn croesawu gohebiaeth yn Gymraeg. Byddwn yn anfon ateb yn Gymraeg i ohebiaeth a dderbynnir yn Gymraeg ac ni fydd gohebu yn Gymraeg yn arwain at oedi. ----------------- On leaving the Welsh Government this email was scanned for all known viruses. The Welsh Government takes the protection of your data seriously. If you contact the Welsh Government then our Privacy Notice<https://gov.wales/about/welsh-government-privacy-notice/?lang=en> explains how we use your information and the ways in which we protect your privacy. We welcome receiving correspondence in Welsh. Any correspondence received in Welsh will be answered in Welsh and corresponding in Welsh will not lead to a delay in responding.

From: Mike Weatherhead, Cadw (Listed Buildings mailbox)
To: hywelapbuckler@gmail.com
Date: 21 May 2026, 15:16 UTC
Subject: FW: Great House Farm, Llandough (aka Ty Mawr)
Attachments: 1990-08-xx - Great House Farmhouse, Llandough - GGAT Assessment.pdf, 1988-07-29 - Barn at Great House Farmhouse, Llandough - survey photo.pdf, 1988-07-29 - Great House Farmhouse, Llandough - survey photo.pdf

Good afternoon Mr Buckler,

Thank you for your email of 17 May regarding Great House Farm, Llandough, and also for your email of 20 May.

I have searched our electronic records relating to Great House Farm and Barn and I can confirm they were assessed and rejected for listing in the 1988 community survey of Llandough. I have attached two photos, dated 29 July 1988. The "YYY" marking on the rear of the photo indicates that the buildings were considered marginally below the bar for listing. We hold no other electronic records.

I note the SW Echo report suggesting that Cadw inspectors would visit again in December 1988, but I can find no record (as-yet) of this. The one paper file we have located, dated 2002, makes no mention of Great House Farm. I have asked a colleague to search for other related paper files, including the Welsh Office files, and I will write to you again when I have the result of the search. This may take a couple of weeks, and I must advise that is quite likely that at least some of these files will have been destroyed, but I will seek to disclose any records we recover to you.

In the meantime, would suggest contacting the following archives services, if you haven't already done so, as they may hold relevant records or be able to offer further assistance -

Glamorgan Archives<https://glamarchives.gov.uk/>
National Library of Wales<https://www.library.wales/catalogues-searching/about-our-collections/archives>
The Royal Commission on the Ancient & Historical Monuments of Wales<https://coflein.gov.uk/en/contact>, including their Coflein<https://coflein.gov.uk/en/> catalogue of historic buildings.

These mapping services may also be of use to you:
Tithe Maps of Wales<https://places.library.wales/> (1840s)
Historic Ordnance Survey Maps<https://maps.nls.uk/geo/find/#zoom=5.0&lat=56.00000&lon=-4.00000&layers=102&b=1&z=0&point=0,0> (1820s-1960s)

The following research guide may too also be of interest - Land ownership records and deeds: an overview - The National Archives<https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/help-with-your-research/research-guides/land-ownership-records-and-deeds-an-overview/>.

And finally for your records, you may wish to note this record about Great House Farm, held by the Royal Commission (Details | 20182 | Sites | Coflein<https://coflein.gov.uk/en/sites/20182>), this Historic Environment Record (GGAT02038s<https://archwilio.org.uk/her/chi3/report/page.php?watprn=GGAT02038s&dbname=ggat&tbname=core&sessid=CHI4idg6jee&queryid=Q528087001779371396>), and the attached Welsh Archaeological Trust report.

Yours Sincerely,

Mike Weatherhead

Arweinydd Tîm Gwaith Achosion / Casework Team Leader
Polisi a Gwarchod / Policy and Protection
Arolygiaeth yr Amgylchedd Hanesyddol / Historic Environment Inspectorate
Cadw

From: Sion Buckler
To: ListedBuildings@gov.wales
Date: 22 May 2026, 14:07 UTC
Subject: Re: FW: Great House Farm, Llandough (aka Ty Mawr)

Thank you Mike,
Very decent reply.

From: Sion Buckler
To: Freedom.ofinformation@gov.wales, listedbuildings@gov.wales
Date: 28 May 2026, 05:28 UTC
Subject: Great House Farm/ Church View Close, Llandough, nr. Penarth, Vale of Glamorgan

Dear Freedom of Information Officer,

I am requesting information held by the Welsh Government and/or Cadw concerning Great House Farm (also known as Great House or Ty Mawr), Llandough, Vale of Glamorgan, prior to its demolition in 1988.

I request copies of any recorded information held relating to:

1. Any consideration of the property for statutory listing.
2. Any listing assessments, surveys, inspections, recommendations or reports concerning the building.
3. Any correspondence between Cadw, Welsh Office officials, local authorities, conservation bodies, archaeological organisations or owners concerning the historic significance, preservation, demolition or protection of the property.
4. Any records explaining why the building was not added to the statutory list of buildings of special architectural or historic interest.
5. Any records discussing the age, architectural significance, archaeological significance or surviving historic fabric of the building.
6. Any records concerning emergency listing, spot-listing, preservation notices or other forms of protection considered for the property.
7. Any records held relating to public campaigns, petitions or representations seeking preservation of the building.
8. Any photographs, plans, surveys or architectural records held by Cadw or the Welsh Government relating to Great House Farm.

For the avoidance of doubt, I am seeking recorded information rather than an explanation or opinion created for the purpose of this request.

If any of the requested information is held by another public authority, I would be grateful if you could advise which authority is likely to hold the records.

I would prefer the information in electronic form.

Yours faithfully,

Sion Buckler Esq. (Ret'd Sergeant). Heir & Successors of Mary Williams, Great House Farm, Llandough

From: Sion Buckler
To: cadwplanning@gov.wales
Date: 28 May 2026, 05:29 UTC
Subject: Great House Farm/ Church View Close, Llandough, nr. Penarth, Vale of Glamorgan

Freedom of Information Officer,

I am requesting information held by the Welsh Government and/or Cadw concerning Great House Farm (also known as Great House or Ty Mawr), Llandough, Vale of Glamorgan, prior to its demolition in 1988.

I request copies of any recorded information held relating to:

1. Any consideration of the property for statutory listing.
2. Any listing assessments, surveys, inspections, recommendations or reports concerning the building.
3. Any correspondence between Cadw, Welsh Office officials, local authorities, conservation bodies, archaeological organisations or owners concerning the historic significance, preservation, demolition or protection of the property.
4. Any records explaining why the building was not added to the statutory list of buildings of special architectural or historic interest.
5. Any records discussing the age, architectural significance, archaeological significance or surviving historic fabric of the building.
6. Any records concerning emergency listing, spot-listing, preservation notices or other forms of protection considered for the property.
7. Any records held relating to public campaigns, petitions or representations seeking preservation of the building.
8. Any photographs, plans, surveys or architectural records held by Cadw or the Welsh Government relating to Great House Farm.

For the avoidance of doubt, I am seeking recorded information rather than an explanation or opinion created for the purpose of this request.

If any of the requested information is held by another public authority, I would be grateful if you could advise which authority is likely to hold the records.

I would prefer the information in electronic form.

Yours faithfully,

Sion Buckler Esq. (Ret'd Sergeant). Heir & Successors of Mary Williams, Great House Farm, Llandough

From: Mike Weatherhead, Casework Team Leader, Cadw
To: hywelapbuckler@gmail.com
Date: 1 June 2026, 15:58 UTC
Subject: RE: Great House Farm/ Church View Close, Llandough, nr. Penarth, Vale of Glamorgan (ATISN 27021)

Dear Mr Buckler,

Great House Farm, Llandough

Thank you for your request which I received on 1 June 2026. You asked for:

1. Any consideration of the property for statutory listing.
2. Any listing assessments, surveys, inspections, recommendations or reports concerning the building.
3. Any correspondence between Cadw, Welsh Office officials, local authorities, conservation bodies, archaeological organisations or owners concerning the historic significance, preservation, demolition or protection of the property.
4. Any records explaining why the building was not added to the statutory list of buildings of special architectural or historic interest.
5. Any records discussing the age, architectural significance, archaeological significance or surviving historic fabric of the building.
6. Any records concerning emergency listing, spot-listing, preservation notices or other forms of protection considered for the property.
7. Any records held relating to public campaigns, petitions or representations seeking preservation of the building.
8. Any photographs, plans, surveys or architectural records held by Cadw or the Welsh Government relating to Great House Farm.

You will receive a response by 25 June 2026. If you have any queries about this request, please do not hesitate to contact me at the address below. Please remember to quote the reference number above in any future correspondence (ATISN 27021).

The request you sent me contains personal information about you - for example, your name and address. The Welsh Government will be the data processor for this information and, in accordance with the General Data Protection Regulation, it will be processed in order to fulfil our public task and meet our legal obligations under the Act to provide you with a response. We will only use this personal information to deal with your request and any matters which arise as a result of it. We will keep your personal information and all other information relating to your request for three years from the date on which your request is finally closed. Your personal information will then be disposed of securely.

Under data protection legislation, you have the right:

* to be informed of the personal data we hold about you and to access it
* to require us to rectify inaccuracies in that data
* to (in certain circumstances) object to or restrict processing
* for (in certain circumstances) your data to be ‘erased’
* to (in certain circumstances) data portability
* to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) who is our independent regulator for data protection

For further information about the information which the Welsh Government holds and its use, or if you wish to exercise your rights under the GDPR, please see contact details below:

Data Protection Officer
Welsh Government
Cathays Park
CARDIFF
CF10 3NQ
Email: DataProtectionOfficer@gov.wales<mailto:DataProtectionOfficer@gov.wales>

The contact details for the Information Commissioner’s Office are:

Wycliffe House
Water Lane
Wilmslow
Cheshire
SK9 5AF
Website: www.ico.org.uk<http://www.ico.org.uk/>

Any information released under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 or Environmental Information Regulations 2004 will be listed in the Welsh Government’s Disclosure Log (at https://gov.wales/about/open-government/freedom-of-information/responses/?lang=en).

Yours sincerely,

Mike Weatherhead

Arweinydd Tîm Gwaith Achosion / Casework Team Leader
Polisi a Gwarchod / Policy and Protection
Arolygiaeth yr Amgylchedd Hanesyddol / Historic Environment Inspectorate
Cadw

From: Sion Buckler
To: Michael.Weatherhead@gov.wales
Date: 1 June 2026, 22:07 UTC
Subject: Re: Great House Farm/ Church View Close, Llandough, nr. Penarth, Vale of Glamorgan (ATISN 27021)

Thank you.

Might I have your name please?

Force/Stealth & Secrecy is the basis of the concern I'm raising.

Regards,

Sion Buckler

From: Mike Weatherhead, Casework Team Leader, Cadw
To: hywelapbuckler@gmail.com
Date: 2 June 2026, 05:17 UTC
Subject: RE: Great House Farm/ Church View Close, Llandough, nr. Penarth, Vale of Glamorgan (ATISN 27021)

Good morning Sion,

My name is Mike Weatherhead. My details are at the end of the below email.

Thanks

-Mike

From: Sion Buckler
To: Michael.Weatherhead@gov.wales
Date: 2 June 2026, 07:47 UTC
Subject: ATISN 27021

Hi Mike, I see, silly me.

Thank you for your email and for confirming receipt and handling of ATISN 27021.

For the avoidance of doubt, I would be grateful if searches include both digital and archived/historical records held by Cadw, the Welsh Government, and any predecessor bodies or contracted advisors.

I look forward to your response by 25 June 2026.

Yours sincerely,
Sion Buckler

From: Sion Buckler
To: ListedBuildings@gov.wales, CadwPlanning@gov.wales
Date: 7 June 2026, 07:11 UTC
Subject: Great House Farm / Ty Mawr, Llandough – Further Evidence of 1988 Involvement & Request for Comprehensive Records (Ref: Previous Enquiries incl. 21 May 2026)
Attachments: 20762.jpg

Dear Cadw Team / Mr Michael Weatherhead / Listed Buildings Team,

Thank you for your assistance to date with my enquiries regarding Great House Farm (Ty Mawr), Llandough, including the heritage assessment materials provided on 21 May 2026.

This is a matter of profound personal and historic importance to the Williams/Buckler family descendants. Mary Williams maintained until her death in 1983 that the family held ownership of the house following arrangements with Daniel Thomas involving the quarry on the land, with the surrounding farmland subject to a lease that defaulted. The family had occupied the property for centuries, with strong local and press recognition of their longstanding connection.

I attach a copy of a contemporary newspaper article from the *South Wales Echo* dated 3 December 1988 ("History fight to save farm" by Peter Bibby). It reports that officials from Cadw were actively considering an appeal to the Secretary of State for Wales to protect the farmhouse as a listed building. A Cadw spokeswoman is quoted on evaluating spot-listing and emergency procedures due to its historic significance (parts potentially dating to the 12th-13th century), with plans for an inspector's site visit and discussion with the Royal Commission on Ancient and Historical Monuments. This occurred amid the family's legal battle and imminent demolition.

In light of this clear evidence of Cadw's involvement at the critical time, I would be most grateful for a thorough review and full disclosure of *all* held records, correspondence, assessments, site notes, photographs, internal memos, or communications relating to Great House Farm / Ty Mawr from the 1970s to 1990s. This includes any listing considerations, heritage evaluations, interactions with the Vale of Glamorgan Council, BP Properties, or the family, and details of any records transferred to other archives (such as RCAHMW or Glamorgan Archives).

I appreciate Cadw’s focused remit on the historic environment and kindly request that searches extend across all relevant teams and archives to ensure nothing is overlooked. This would greatly assist our efforts to document and substantiate the family’s historic position in this sensitive matter.

Thank you once again for your understanding and support. I look forward to your substantive response at the earliest opportunity, and remain available for any clarification that may assist.

Kind regards,

*Sion Buckler* bpvsbuckler.datro.xyz 5 Robin Hill, Dinas Powys CF64 4TF (On behalf of the Williams / Buckler family descendants)

From: Mike Weatherhead, Casework Team Leader, Cadw
To: hywelapbuckler@gmail.com
Date: 11 June 2026, 15:54 UTC
Subject: RE: Great House Farm/ Church View Close, Llandough, nr. Penarth, Vale of Glamorgan (ATISN 27021)
Attachments: ATISN 27021 - 2026-06-11 - Response Letter.pdf, Doc 1. 1988-07-29 - Great House Farmhouse, Llandough - survey photo.pdf, Doc 2. 1988-07-29 - Barn at Great House Farmhouse, Llandough - survey photo.pdf

Dear Mr Buckler,

Thank you for your request which I received on 1 June 2026, and your follow-up request received on 8 June 2026.

Please see attached response and documents.

Thank you,

Mike Weatherhead

Arweinydd Tîm Gwaith Achosion / Casework Team Leader
Polisi a Gwarchod / Policy and Protection
Arolygiaeth yr Amgylchedd Hanesyddol / Historic Environment Inspectorate
Cadw

From: Sion Buckler
To: Michael.Weatherhead@gov.wales
Date: 11 June 2026, 20:03 UTC
Subject: Re: Great House Farm/ Church View Close, Llandough, nr. Penarth, Vale of Glamorgan (ATISN 27021)
Attachments: 21511.jpg, 20762.jpg

Hi Mike,

Appreciate the reply.

I kindly request an internal review of the response provided under ATISN 27021.

I am grateful for the release of the two inspection photographs dated 29 July 1988. However, I am not satisfied that the searches undertaken were sufficient to establish that no other relevant records are held or can be accounted for.

The response states that Great House Farm was visited and assessed for listing by Cadw inspectors, but that the only surviving records are two photographs. It further states that any associated records may have been transferred to the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Wales or destroyed under the Public Records Act 1958.

I respectfully submit that this conclusion appears difficult to reconcile with the contemporary evidence.

Contemporary newspaper reports from December 1988 record that:

Cadw was actively considering emergency listing ("spot-listing") procedures in relation to Great House Farm;

Cadw inspectors visited the site;
Cadw assessed the architectural and archaeological significance of the property; Cadw communicated a decision that the building did not warrant statutory protection.

These activities would ordinarily be expected to generate records such as inspection notes, recommendations, assessments, correspondence, memoranda, listing files, briefing notes, internal communications, or decision records.

In addition, a surviving family witness who was present during the inspection recalls that a written assessment was produced and supplied to the family. The witness recalls that the assessment concluded that, although the site was old, the building had undergone substantial alteration over the centuries and was therefore not considered sufficiently significant for listing.

This recollection appears broadly consistent with the reasoning attributed to Cadw in contemporary press reports. I therefore request clarification of the following:

Were searches undertaken for inspection notes, site notes, assessment reports, recommendations, listing files, briefing papers, internal memoranda, correspondence, and decision records relating to Great House Farm? Were accession records, transfer schedules, disposal schedules, or archive catalogues searched to determine whether such records once existed?

If records were transferred to RCAHMW, please identify any transfer references, accession numbers, file references, or other metadata recording that transfer. If records were destroyed, please identify the disposal authority, retention schedule, and date of destruction.

If no written assessment, recommendation, report, or decision record ever existed, please explain how Cadw reached and communicated conclusions regarding the architectural and archaeological significance of the property.

I am not seeking reconsideration of the 1988 listing decision itself. Rather, I seek clarification regarding the apparent absence of records relating to a matter that was publicly reported at the time as being under active consideration by Cadw and which resulted in a communicated decision.

Thank you for undertaking an internal review.

Yours faithfully,

Sion Buckler (Ret'd Sergenant)
Cyber & Electronic Warfare Professional
Life Member of the Royal Signals

Note: On the same evening the family forwarded the Cadw response and its attachments to family members. That forward is not reproduced here.

From: Amy Longford, Senior Inspector of Historic Buildings, Cadw
To: hywelapbuckler@gmail.com
Date: 15 June 2026, 15:44 UTC
Subject: REVIEW of EOI ATISN 27021
Attachments: Internal Review Acknowledgement Letter.pdf

Dear Mr Buckler

Many thanks for your email requesting an internal review of you EOI request, I will be the case officer dealing with the review, please see the attached acknowledgement letter with key dates. Any questions, please let me know and I will do my best to help.

Kind Regards

Amy

Amy Longford IHBC MRTPI
Uwch Arolygydd Adeiladau Hanesyddol, Parciau a Gerddi
/ Senior Inspector of Historic Buildings, Parks and Gardens
Amgylchedd Hanesyddol / Historic Environment
Cadw
Llywodraeth Cymru / Welsh Government
Ffôn / Tel: 07751 715011

Ymunwch â Cadw<https://www.aelodaethcadw.gwasanaeth.llyw.cymru/>
Join Cadw<https://www.cadwmembership.service.gov.wales/>

Sganiwyd y neges hon am bob feirws hysbys wrth iddi adael Llywodraeth Cymru. Mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn cymryd o ddifrif yr angen i ddiogelu eich data. Os cysylltwch â Llywodraeth Cymru, mae ein hysbysiad preifatrwydd<"https://gov.wales/about/welsh-government-privacy-notice/?lang=cy"> yn esbonio sut rydym yn defnyddio eich gwybodaeth a sut rydym yn diogelu eich preifatrwydd. Rydym yn croesawu gohebiaeth yn Gymraeg. Byddwn yn anfon ateb yn Gymraeg i ohebiaeth a dderbynnir yn Gymraeg ac ni fydd gohebu yn Gymraeg yn arwain at oedi. ----------------- On leaving the Welsh Government this email was scanned for all known viruses. The Welsh Government takes the protection of your data seriously. If you contact the Welsh Government then our Privacy Notice<https://gov.wales/about/welsh-government-privacy-notice/?lang=en> explains how we use your information and the ways in which we protect your privacy. We welcome receiving correspondence in Welsh. Any correspondence received in Welsh will be answered in Welsh and corresponding in Welsh will not lead to a delay in responding.

From: Sion Buckler
To: Amy.Longford@gov.wales
Date: 16 June 2026, 04:37 UTC
Subject: Re: REVIEW of EOI ATISN 27021

Ms Longford,

Thank you for the acknowledgement letter and for handling the internal review.

For the record, my communications with Cadw have been enquiries and requests for information under FOI/EIR (ATISN 27021), specifically regarding the statutory listing history, assessments and related records (including the 1988 inspection photographs) for the building known as Great House Farm / Ty Mawr / Church View Close. I subsequently requested an internal review of the response provided.

This was not framed or intended as a formal complaint. I would therefore be grateful if the matter could be treated and recorded as an information request and internal review under FOI/EIR, rather than as a complaint.

My enquiries concern Cadw's functions in relation to the listing and assessment of the building only.

Regards,
Sion Buckler (Ret'd Sergeant)
Military Cyber & Electronic Warfare Professional
Life Member: Royal Corps of Signals

From: Amy Longford, Senior Inspector of Historic Buildings, Cadw
To: hywelapbuckler@gmail.com
Date: 16 June 2026, 08:08 UTC
Subject: RE: REVIEW of EOI ATISN 27021

Dear Mr Buckler,

Many thanks for the quick response and for confirming your position. I totally understand and whilst the letters may appear formal, there are set templates to use for a review, I will bear this in mind whilst taking this forward.

Just to let you know, I have had initial conversations internally which I will continue. I will keep you updated as best as I can.

Kind Regards

Amy

From: Sion Buckler
To: Amy.Longford@gov.wales
Date: 16 June 2026, 08:10 UTC
Subject: Re: REVIEW of EOI ATISN 27021
Attachments: 22930.mp4

I suspected so.

Thanks Amy.

I look forward.

Sion

From: Amy Longford, Senior Inspector of Historic Buildings, Cadw
To: hywelapbuckler@gmail.com (cc CADWMinisterials@gov.wales)
Date: 2 July 2026, 11:10 UTC
Subject: RE: REVIEW of EOI ATISN 27021
Attachments: ATISN 27021 Review Ressponse.pdf

Dear Mr Buckler

Please see attached my review of your request noted ATISN 27021.
Please let me know if you have any questions or queries.

Kind Regards

Amy Longford

Amy Longford IHBC MRTPI
Uwch Arolygydd Adeiladau Hanesyddol, Parciau a Gerddi
/ Senior Inspector of Historic Buildings, Parks and Gardens
Amgylchedd Hanesyddol / Historic Environment
Cadw
Llywodraeth Cymru / Welsh Government
Ffôn / Tel: 07751 715011

Ymunwch â Cadw<https://www.aelodaethcadw.gwasanaeth.llyw.cymru/>
Join Cadw<https://www.cadwmembership.service.gov.wales/>

From: Sion Buckler
To: Amy.Longford@gov.wales
Date: 2 July 2026, 20:01 UTC
Subject: Re: REVIEW of EOI ATISN 27021

Dear Ms Longford,

Thank you for your letter of 2 July 2026 responding to the internal review of my Freedom of Information request (ATISN 27021) concerning Great House Farm, Llandough.

I appreciate the additional searches undertaken during the review and the explanation provided regarding the physical record series examined.

However, having considered both the original response of 11 June 2026 and the outcome of the internal review, I would be be grateful if you could clarify a number of points which appear to remain unresolved.

*1. Documentary basis of the original response*

The original response stated that Great House Farm was visited and assessed by Cadw inspectors and that the building did not satisfy the statutory listing criteria.

The internal review now confirms that no assessment, report or case file relating to that decision has been located and further states that any relevant file may have been destroyed before being entered onto the electronic records system.

Please therefore identify the documentary basis upon which the original response concluded that the property was assessed and found not to meet the listing criteria.

Specifically:

- Is that conclusion derived from a surviving record?
- If so, please identify that record.
- If not, please explain how that conclusion was reached.

*2. The inspection of 29 July 1988*

The original disclosure included two photographs dated 29 July 1988.

Please confirm:

- whether those photographs were taken as part of a formal listing inspection;
- whether they formed part of a wider inspection file;
- whether any inspection notes, recommendation forms, field notebooks, photographic registers or other associated records were created; and
- if such records once existed, whether they are now believed to have been destroyed.

*3. Basis for the statement that records may have been destroyed*

The review states that it is possible documentation dating from around 1988 was destroyed before being entered onto the electronic records system.

Please clarify whether that statement is based upon:

- documentary evidence relating specifically to Great House Farm;
- records management documentation such as retention schedules, destruction registers or disposal logs; or
- a general understanding of historic records management practices.

If no destruction records exist for the relevant file series, please confirm this.

*4. Scope of the searches*

Please confirm whether searches extended beyond the registered listing files to include, where appropriate:

- ministerial correspondence;
- senior officials' correspondence;
- legal files;
- inspector's working papers;
- site visit records;
- archaeological or conservation files;
- policy records; and
- correspondence with external organisations, including the Vale of Glamorgan Council, the former Welsh Office and other heritage bodies.

If any of these categories were not searched, I would be grateful if you could identify which.

*5. Welsh Government's position*

Finally, I would be appreciate clarification of the Welsh Government's position regarding Great House Farm.

Does the Welsh Government's position now amount to one of the following:

- that Great House Farm was never considered for statutory protection;
- that it was considered, but the records no longer survive; or
- that it is no longer possible to determine whether consideration took place because the relevant records are unavailable?

If none of those accurately reflects your position, I would be grateful if you could explain what the Welsh Government's position is.

These questions arise directly from the original response and the internal review and are intended to clarify the historical record rather than seek the creation of new information.

I look forward to your response.

Yours sincerely,

Sion Buckler

From: Amy Longford, Senior Inspector of Historic Buildings, Cadw
To: hywelapbuckler@gmail.com
Date: 3 July 2026, 15:00 UTC
Subject: RE: REVIEW of EOI ATISN 27021

Dear Mr Buckler,

Many thanks for the email. This is a courtesy response to say that I will review your questions below and aim to get a response back to you by the 17th July.

Kind Regards

Amy

From: Sion Buckler
To: Amy.Longford@gov.wales
Date: 4 July 2026, 02:41 UTC
Subject: Re: REVIEW of EOI ATISN 27021

👍🏻

From: Amy Longford, Senior Inspector of Historic Buildings, Cadw
To: hywelapbuckler@gmail.com
Date: 10 July 2026, 11:57 UTC
Subject: RE: REVIEW of EOI ATISN 27021

Dear Mr Buckler

Many thanks for the below email and follow up questions, for clarity I have responded to each in turn. I hope this helps provide the clarity you are looking for.

1. Documentary basis of the original response

The two photographs illustrate that the building was inspected for listing and ‘yyy’ reference on the reverse of the photograph was the coding at the time to signify that the building did not met the criteria to be listed.

1. The inspection of 29th July 1988

The photographs are dated 29/07/1988 and would have been taken as part of the listing assessment. The practice was to keep all photographs separate from the official file in a cabinet. No official file containing additional information has been located and the Records Department have indicated that the documentation from 1988 has, most likely, been destroyed.

1. Basis for the statement that records may have been destroyed.

No destruction record exists. An official in the Records Department provided this advice based on their experience and understanding of the records within their management.

1. Scope of the searches

I can confirm that the searches included all 8 categories

1. Welsh Government’s position.

I can confirm that the building was considered for listing, however other than the 2 photographs provided, no other records survive.

Kind Regards

Amy

Amy Longford IHBC MRTPI
Uwch Arolygydd Adeiladau Hanesyddol, Parciau a Gerddi
/ Senior Inspector of Historic Buildings, Parks and Gardens
Amgylchedd Hanesyddol / Historic Environment
Cadw
Llywodraeth Cymru / Welsh Government
Ffôn / Tel: 07751 715011

Ymunwch â Cadw<https://www.aelodaethcadw.gwasanaeth.llyw.cymru/>
Join Cadw<https://www.cadwmembership.service.gov.wales/>

From: Sion Buckler
To: Amy.Longford@gov.wales
Date: 10 July 2026, 16:47 UTC
Subject: Re: REVIEW of EOI ATISN 27021

Dear Ms Longford,

Thank you for your response and for the time taken to clarify Cadw's current position regarding ATISN 27021. I note your confirmation that:

Great House Farm was inspected for statutory listing on 29 July 1988; the two photographs formed part of that listing assessment; the "YYY" code on the reverse of the photographs indicated that the building did not meet the listing criteria; no official listing file has been located; and apart from the two photographs, no further records have been identified. I am grateful for those clarifications.

As this request is being considered under the Environmental Information Regulations 2004 (and, where applicable, the Freedom of Information Act 2000), and bearing in mind the EIR's presumption in favour of disclosure, I would be grateful for one further clarification regarding the scope of the searches undertaken.

Contemporary newspaper reports from December 1988 indicate that Cadw was actively engaged with a number of parties during its consideration of Great House Farm. These reports refer to:

Cadw considering emergency ("spot") listing;
discussions with the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Wales; comments made by a Cadw spokesperson explaining why the building did not satisfy the listing criteria; and public statements regarding the architectural and archaeological significance of the site.

Given those contemporary reports, could you please confirm whether the searches undertaken for ATISN 27021 specifically included records such as:

internal memoranda;
inspector-to-management correspondence;
briefing notes;
file notes and telephone notes;
meeting records;
press office files, media briefings or press releases;
correspondence with the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Wales; correspondence with the Welsh Office; correspondence with the local planning authority, conservation officers or other public bodies; ministerial submissions or briefing papers; and any other correspondence, whether internal or external, relating to the consideration of Great House Farm for statutory listing.

The public interest in ensuring that all environmental information has been identified is considerable. Great House Farm was a site with a recorded history extending over approximately 800 years, associated with the historic manor of Llandough, incorporating significant historic fabric including the coach house and outbuildings, and lying within the wider context of the Marconi wireless experiments at Lavernock. It had also been the subject of a 1974 public petition concerning its preservation and, as confirmed by Cadw, was sufficiently significant in 1988 to warrant consideration for emergency ("spot") listing. These factors underline the importance of establishing whether any additional environmental information relating to Cadw's assessment survives.

Finally, if the official listing file and/or any associated correspondence once existed but are no longer held, I would be grateful if you could clarify Cadw's records management position by confirming:
whether any retention schedule applied to those records;

whether any authorised destruction took place;
whether any destruction certificate, disposal log or other records management documentation exists; if no such documentation exists, whether this is because no destruction record was created or because any such record is itself no longer held.

My intention is simply to establish whether any further environmental information relating to Cadw's consideration of Great House Farm survives beyond the two inspection photographs already disclosed. Thank you again for your assistance, and I look forward to your response.

Yours sincerely,

Sion Buckler

From: Sion Buckler
To: Amy.Longford@gov.wales
Date: 15 July 2026, 17:27 UTC
Subject: Re: REVIEW of EOI ATISN 27021

Ms Longford,

Before responding to my earlier email, please may I add the following to my enquiry, even if you require addition time to respond due to this addition to my enquiry;

In addition to my email of 2 July, there are a small number of further points which I would be grateful if you could address as they arise directly from comparing the original response with the internal review.

The original response of 11 June 2026 stated:

"Any other associated records would have been either transferred to the Royal Commission on the Ancient & Historical Monuments of Wales for permanent preservation, or destroyed under the Public Record Act 1958."

However, the internal review of 2 July 2026 states instead that:

"There is also no evidence that any relevant files have been transferred to the RCAHMW."

and

"It is possible that the file was destroyed before it was ever updated on our electronic filing system."

These appear to be materially different positions.

Accordingly, I would be grateful if you could clarify the following:

1.

What evidence supported the original statement that any associated records would have been transferred to the RCAHMW or destroyed under the Public Records Act 1958? 2.

Following the internal review, does Welsh Government now accept that there is no evidence that any relevant records were transferred to the RCAHMW? 3.

Does Welsh Government hold any transfer lists, accession records, archive schedules or other documentation recording whether records relating to Great House Farm were ever transferred to the RCAHMW? 4.

If no such documentation exists, on what evidential basis was the original statement regarding transfer to the RCAHMW made? 5.

Likewise, if there is no destruction register, disposal log or audit trail relating to the relevant file, on what evidential basis has destruction been suggested?

Finally, the original response stated as fact that Great House Farm was visited by Cadw inspectors and did not meet the statutory listing criteria. The internal review, however, confirms that no assessment, report or case file has been located.

Could you therefore identify the documentary evidence upon which that conclusion was based, or alternatively confirm whether the statement in the original response was an inference drawn from the existence of the two photographs rather than from any surviving assessment records.

These points are intended simply to clarify the historical record and to reconcile what appear to be two materially different explanations contained within the original response and the internal review.

Thank you again for your assistance, and I look forward to your response.

Yours sincerely,

Sion Buckler (Ret'd Sergenant)

Royal Signals Cyber & Electronic Warfare Professional & Life Member

From: Amy Longford, Senior Inspector of Historic Buildings, Cadw
To: hywelapbuckler@gmail.com (cc Michael.Weatherhead@gov.wales)
Date: 29 July 2026, 12:10 UTC
Subject: RE: REVIEW of EOI ATISN 27021

Dear Mr Buckler

Many thanks for your email, apologies for the delay in responding I have been on annual leave. To answer your queries I must refer you back to my previous emails of the 10th 3rd and 2nd July.

I appreciate your concerns and desires to find the information. However, I can confirm that all records were checked for the information you requested and we hold no further information or a record of the destruction. Cadw’s inspector advised, based on his experience, that he understood the practice was to either transfer records to the RCAHMW or destroy them under the Public Records Act 1958. We have no record of any transfer lists, accession records, archive schedules or other documentation recording whether records relating to Great House Farm were ever transferred to the RCAHMW. The photograph provides the only documentary evidence that Great House Farm was visited by Cadw and did not meet the criteria as it was not included on the list.

To be clear, we do not have any further information which would help with your search for the relevant information. If you remain dissatisfied with this response you have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner. The Information Commissioner can be contacted at:

Information Commissioner’s Office,

Wycliffe House,

Water Lane,

Wilmslow,

Cheshire,
SK9 5AF.

Kind Regards

Amy

Amy Longford IHBC MRTPI
Uwch Arolygydd Adeiladau Hanesyddol, Parciau a Gerddi
/ Senior Inspector of Historic Buildings, Parks and Gardens
Amgylchedd Hanesyddol / Historic Environment
Cadw
Llywodraeth Cymru / Welsh Government
Ffôn / Tel: 07751 715011

Ymunwch â Cadw<https://www.aelodaethcadw.gwasanaeth.llyw.cymru/>
Join Cadw<https://www.cadwmembership.service.gov.wales/>

From: Sion Buckler
To: Amy.Longford@gov.wales
Date: 29 July 2026, 12:59 UTC
Subject: Re: REVIEW of EOI ATISN 27021

Ms Longford,

Thank you for your email.

I note your confirmation that Cadw holds no transfer lists, accession records, archive schedules or other documentation recording whether records relating to Great House Farm were transferred to the RCAHMW, and that Cadw also holds no record of their destruction. I also note that the suggestion that records may have been transferred or destroyed is based upon an inspector's understanding of historic practice rather than documentary evidence relating to this case.

However, there remain a small number of points on which I would be grateful for clarification.

1.

The original response of 11 June stated that associated records "would have been either transferred to the RCAHMW or destroyed under the Public Records Act 1958". As no transfer or destruction documentation has been identified, on what evidential basis was that statement made? 2.

Does the Welsh Government now accept that it holds no documentary evidence that any records relating to Great House Farm were transferred to the RCAHMW? 3.

Contemporary press reports concerning the proposed protection of Great House Farm referred to consultation with other departments and bodies before a decision was reached. During this correspondence I therefore asked whether searches extended to correspondence with other departments, external bodies and related records. Although you have confirmed wider searches were undertaken, no such records have been identified. Could you therefore confirm whether the Welsh Government's position is that it holds no surviving correspondence, memoranda, consultation records or other documents relating to any such consultations concerning Great House Farm? 4.

Is the Welsh Government's position therefore that, apart from the two photographs dated 29 July 1988, no inspection report, recommendation, consultation correspondence, assessment, case file or associated documentation relating to the 1988 consideration of Great House Farm survives?

These questions are intended solely to clarify the historical record and to reconcile the original response with the findings of the internal review.

Thank you for your assistance, and I look forward to your reply.

Yours sincerely,

Sion Buckler