October 27, 2026 - 308 views
More than 1,500 photographs, recordings, documents and other items connected with Conwy are available online, helping residents discover the people, places and events that have shaped the town’s history.
The collection has been brought into focus by a visit from the National Library of Wales to the Conwy Culture Centre as part of its Your Library tour, which aims to connect communities with the nation’s archives and encourage people to contribute their own memories and historical material.
The items are available through People’s Collection Wales, a national digital archive bringing together material contributed by individuals, community groups and organisations. It offers a way to explore Welsh history through personal memories and local stories, alongside more formal historical records.
The Conwy event also showcased the Welsh Broadcasting Archive, which preserves material documenting the history of broadcasting in Wales, and featured Below the Waves, a stop-motion film project drawing inspiration from archive material to create characters, settings and locations.
The work highlights how historical collections can be used in new ways, allowing people to engage with the past through film and creative projects as well as traditional photographs and documents.
Dafydd Tudur, Head of Engagement at the National Library of Wales, said the tour had provided an opportunity to introduce the library and its collections to communities across Wales.
He said visits were tailored to local interests, with the library’s Welsh Broadcasting Archive community engagement officers working alongside individuals, groups and organisations to develop activities reflecting each area's history and culture.
He also encouraged communities to help preserve, grow and share Wales’s collective memory.
For Conwy, the opportunity to explore archive material continues through the town’s Clip Corner at Conwy Culture Centre.
The facility provides a local access point for exploring material from the National Library of Wales, including the Wales Broadcast Archive. This can help people discover historic television and radio material, as well as stories about the communities in which they live.
The project also offers a practical way for people to investigate family history, research local places or learn more about how life in Conwy has changed over the years. For community groups, schools and local historians, archive material can provide a starting point for projects that connect generations and preserve memories that might otherwise be lost.
Digital collections such as People’s Collection Wales are particularly valuable because historical material is often held in private homes or small community collections and may not be widely accessible. Making it available online allows people to discover and share items beyond the places where they were originally kept.
People who have photographs, recordings or documents relating to Conwy’s past may also find opportunities to contribute to the wider record of Welsh life through community heritage initiatives.
Conwy Culture Centre is open from 9.30am to 5pm on Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays, from 10am to 7pm on Tuesdays, and from 10am to 1pm on Saturdays.
Anyone wishing to access the National Library of Wales’s collections can register for a reader’s ticket through the library’s website: https://www.library.wales/visit/before-your-visit/readers-ticket
With more than 1,500 items connected to Conwy already available through People’s Collection Wales, the resources offer residents an opportunity to explore the town’s past — and help ensure its stories remain accessible to future generations.
