A collection of Welsh-language Bibles will be saved for future generations thanks to a multi-million-pound investment in a new archive.

It was feared that the William Morgan Bibles collection, which is currently kept in Ruthin, could deteriorate to the point of destruction if urgent action wasn’t taken to keep the precious texts safe from damage.

Plaid Cymru councillor Emrys Wynne, cabinet member for the Welsh language, culture and heritage on Denbighshire County Council, hailed the investment as “hugely important to our cultural heritage in Wales”.

The William Morgan Bibles collection is currently stored at Ruthin Gaol, on Clwyd Street, but the system used to maintain the delicate air quality that is necessary to safeguard the material is old and will cease to function in a few years.

The texts are also at risk from the Gaol flooding again.

But thanks to a £7.3million grant from the National Lottery Heritage Fund, which is subject to a successful development stage review, contributions of £2m from Denbighshire County Council and £3m from Flintshire County Council their future has been secured.

The investment will be used to establish a new facility for the North East Wales Archives (NEWA).

Archives currently spread across Ruthin and Hawarden, will be moved to a single, purpose-built, net carbon-zero facility in Mold.

Moving the archives will enable Ruthin Gaol to be further developed as a popular attraction.

You can read more in an article by Matthew Chandler published in the denbighshirefreepress.co.uk web site at: