Dr Matthew Rowland completed his doctoral project entitled ‘An Analysis of Country House Interpretation in Wales' in 2023.
Matthew holds a BA in History with Archaeology from Bangor University and an MA in Cultural Heritage Management from the University of York. In 2018 he returned to Bangor University to undertake his doctoral project with ISWE, which was supported by Y Werin Legacy Fund. The project investigated heritage interpretation methods in country houses across Wales and explored what the future holds for the country house across the spheres of heritage and tourism. It contended that they are a significant feature in the cultural heritage of Wales, capable of acting as hubs for communicating important narratives about local, Welsh, British and global histories. Towards the end of his project, Matthew had the opportunity to share his research with the National Trust when he was invited to a workshop to discuss the future interpretation of houses in their custodianship. Matthew worked part-time as a Tour Guide & Welcome Assistant at Chester Cathedral alongside his studies.
Since completing his project, Matthew has been appointed Heritage Officer at Denbighshire County Council. In this role he works to drive footfall and engagement across Denbighshire County Council's heritage sites, including Ruthin Gaol, Plas Newydd (Llangollen), Nantclwyd y Dre, and Rhyl Museum. He is extremely passionate about improving access to heritage.
