Britain’s “smallest house” is among the sites at risk from climate change, according to a new report.
The tourist attraction, located in Conwy, has suffered from the effects of flooding before.
But Wales‘s future generations commissioner says it could be at further risk due to the effects of climate change.
It’s one of thousands of heritage sites across Wales that are under threat, identified using flood risk mapping.
Jan Tyley, owner and manager of the Smallest House in Great Britain, hopes the report will “raise awareness” and that the council acknowledges the risk posed by flooding.
“There is a limited amount that we can do, but there is a lot the council can do in terms of protecting those buildings and protecting the quay front itself,” she told Sky News.
“I also know that their finances are very stretched sadly. It’s a difficult conundrum that everyone finds themselves in, I think.
“The whole of Conwy Valley, as far as I understand it, the water levels fluctuate quite substantially, which increases the threat for everybody.”
Ms Tyley said it was a “privilege” to own the grade-two listed building, which has been in her family since 1891.
“I am merely a custodian of it, to hold for now to pass it on to the next generation, to keep it there for everybody who wants to come and see it,” she added.
Sky News has approached Conwy County Borough Council for its response.
‘Devastating impacts’
The research, conducted by Dr Lana St Leger from Cardiff Metropolitan University, analyses more than 30,000 cultural sites.
Of those, 4% are within touching distance of the sea flood zone and 12% are touching or within the river flood zone.
The report finds Welsh castles could face reduced structural integrity, accessibility and visitor safety.
The future generations commissioner says there needs to be better protection for Wales’s heritage assets.
But researchers say data is limited when it comes to the extent of the risk for individual sites.
Dr St Leger told Sky News it was “really difficult” to understand the exact impact on some of the buildings.
“Climate change could have lots of different impacts on some of these buildings. So some of the buildings might not necessarily have flooding issues, but they may have issues related to moisture and things like that which could have an impact on buildings and artefacts within them,” she said.
“The important message from the report is that there are current threats to heritage and cultural sites in Wales, but it also highlights the importance of listening to community voices for planning for climate change.
“And that’s with particular regard to understanding local concerns, or people who are perhaps more in the know about how heritage within their area is, and to understand the wide range of issues associated with climate change.”
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Extreme weather, rising sea levels, wind and coastal erosion are likely to have the “most devastating impacts”, the report concluded.
Some of the buildings assessed could be damaged, disappear, altered, become unsafe or inaccessible.
‘Action required’
Wales’s future generations commissioner Derek Walker told Sky News he’s calling on public bodies to give “due consideration to the impact of climate change and to take action”.
“For young people in particular, but I think for all of us, there’s actually a sense of anxiety about what the future might hold and, for many people, a sense of powerlessness, that they can’t do anything about it,” he said.
“What I try to do in my role is to show that something can be done about it, we can shape the future, we can take action to mitigate climate change. The future will be different but it doesn’t need to be any less positive if we take the action required.”
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A Welsh government spokesperson said it recognised the threat posed to Wales’s historic assets by climate change.
“Cadw and the heritage sector in Wales are actively working together on research to better understand and map impacts of climate change as well as identify approaches to adaptation and mitigation,” they added.
