Clwyd-Powys Archaeological Trust
The Clwyd-Powys Archaeological Trust (CPAT) ( (YACP) is an educational charity which was established in 1975. Its objective is ‘to advance the education of the public in archaeology’. CPAT is one of four Welsh Archaeological Trusts (WATs) which work to help protect, record and interpret all aspects of the historic environment. This includes providing advice to local authorities on archaeology and planning, undertaking archaeological projects for private- and public-sector clients, and delivering a programme of community archaeology events and activities. History. CPAT was established in 1975 along with three other Welsh Archaeological Trusts. It emerged  from the ‘Rescue Archaeology Group’ (RAG) which was set up in 1970 by Chris Musson, who became the first Chief Executive of CPAT. The Trust undertook pioneering work on prehistoric sites in mid-Wales, beginning with the excavation of the Breidden hillfort (Powys) which was being destroyed by quarrying. This was followed by the excavation of a late Iron Age hillslope enclosure at Collfryn (Powys), which found evidence for intensive occupation and remodelling of the site, including round-houses and ‘four-poster’ structures that were probably granaries. CPAT has also undertaken extensive excavations of medieval sites such as Offa's  Dyke and Hen Domen, near Montgomery. CPAT and the other Welsh Archaeological Trusts were pioneers in developing Historic Environment Records (HERs). In the 1970s Wales was the first part of the UK to develop a fully national system of what were then called ‘Sites and Monuments Records’; this fully computerised system was pioneered by Don Benson who was then Chief Executive of the Dyfed Archaeological Trust. During the 1980s there had been good support from government for archaeology, including from Cadw which had been established in 1984. However, with the decline of the Manpower Services Commission funding models began to  shift to a more ‘development driven’ model during this period. With the rise of planning-related archaeology in the 1990s CPAT evolved to develop commercial ‘contract’ archaeology services, whilst at the same time maintaining the HER, planning services and other public-facing project work. Operation and organisation. Along with the other Welsh Archaeological Trusts CPAT forms part of a ‘tripod’ of institutions which help understand, conserve and interpret archaeology and cultural heritage in Wales. The Trust system in Wales is characterised by depth of regional knowledge and expertise, which partly comes from having many different roles in one organisation. The  Clwyd-Powys Archaeological Trust is organised into three principal departments. CPAT is a Registered Organisation with the Chartered Institute for Archaeologists. CPAT is both a limited company (1212455) and a registered charity (508301). It therefore provides publicly-accessible accounts to Companies House and to the Charity Commission in the UK. The governing body is the Board of Trustees, who are voluntary non-executive directors. The Trustees delegate their authority for the day-to-day running of the Trust to the Director (Chief Executive). The current Director was appointed in 2013. Beacon Ring. Since 2008 the Trust has owned Beacon Ring , a hillfort on the Long Mountain near Welshpool. The site was purchased to help safeguard the earthworks for the future. In recent years CPAT has undertaken some archaeological excavations on the site. Fieldwork in 2018 and 2019 investigated the ramparts and entrances. In 2020 a mound at the centre of the site was investigated. Some accounts had suggested that this was a prehistoric burial mound. However excavation found that this was probably the location of the eponymous beacon, almost certainly of post-medieval date. The mound had later been re-used by the Ordnance Survey as a trig point, both  in the 19th century Principal Triangulation of Great Britain and subsequently, with the most recent trig point being installed in 1948.