European Travellers to Wales 1750–2010
A collaborative AHRC-funded project
Project Details
‘European Travellers to Wales 1750–2010’ was a collaborative AHRC-funded project involving Bangor University (Professor Carol Tully, Principal Investigator), Swansea University (Dr Kathryn Jones, Co-investigator) and the Centre for Advanced Welsh and Celtic Studies (Dr Heather Williams, Co-investigator). It ran for three years from 2013.
The project examined the representation of Wales and Welshness in texts by European travellers from 1750 to 2010. Drawing on expertise in several languages and cultures, the investigation centred on texts in French and German as these constitute the majority. Works studied include travelogues, travel guides, almanacs, encyclopaedias, private correspondences, diaries, creative works and periodical contributions which have Wales as their focus. This important area of study has been neglected, but is central to our understanding of European intercultural relations, the development of Welsh identity and the establishment of the tourist industry in Wales. The project produced a website and a searchable database.
The Follow-on project, also funded by the AHRC, entitled ‘Travellers to Wales’ involved Bangor University (Professor Carol Tully, Principal Investigator), the Centre for Advanced Welsh and Celtic Studies (Dr Heather Williams, Co-investigator), The Royal Commission on Ancient and Historical Monuments of Wales and Visit Wales began in 2017 and produced a new website.