Subject: Internal Review: FOI 2026-020 - Great House Farm, Llandough | Cardiff Castle Furniture From: FOI Requests Direction: received Date: Tue, 08 Sep 2026 08:29 UTC Institution: Amgueddfa Cymru - Museum Wales Refs: none Archive id: gm-1a080232600c3e70 ------------------------------------------------------------ Dear Mr Buckler Thank you for your request for an internal review of FOI 2026-020 concerning furniture, furnishings, antiques, fixtures, heirlooms and other movable property originating from Great House Farm (Ty Mawr), Llandough. The reviewer has considered your original request, the responses provided by the Museum, the additional enquiries undertaken following your request for clarification on 3rd August 2026, and the concerns raised in your email requesting an internal review. We are satisfied that the request was interpreted correctly and that reasonable and proportionate searches were undertaken to identify information falling within the scope of the request. Following the original response, the Museum undertook additional enquiries across relevant collections records and archived electronic records in order to satisfy itself that no information had been overlooked. We are satisfied that the searches undertaken were appropriate to the nature and scope of the request and that no further searches are required in order to determine whether Amgueddfa Cymru holds information within scope. The review therefore upholds the original decision that Amgueddfa Cymru does not hold recorded information concerning furniture, furnishings, antiques, fixtures, heirlooms or other movable property originating from Great House Farm (Ty Mawr), Llandough falling within categories 1 to 9 of your request. Response to the points raised 1. Information identified concerning Great House Farm During the additional enquiries, a small number of records referring generally to Great House Farm, Llandough were identified. These records do not relate to furniture, furnishings, antiques, fixtures, heirlooms or other movable property originating from Great House Farm and do not fall within categories 1 to 9 of your original request. The reviewer is therefore satisfied that they fall outside the scope of the request. 2. Scope of the archived electronic search We are satisfied that archived electronic records reasonably capable of containing information within scope were considered as part of the searches undertaken. Any data stored within a system or database pre-dating the existing Collections Management Systems, would have been migrated into the incumbent solution, and therefore included in the search. 3. Correspondence and administrative records The review considered whether correspondence or administrative records relating to the requested items were held. The Museum's collections records include accession documentation and associated collection records relating to objects acquired by the Museum. Searches of those records did not identify any furniture, furnishings, antiques, fixtures, heirlooms or other movable property originating from Great House Farm. As no such objects were identified as having been acquired by the Museum, no associated acquisition, provenance, ownership, loan, disposal or related correspondence concerning such objects was identified. The review did not identify evidence that the Museum holds correspondence concerning the identification, ownership, recovery or location of Great House Farm furniture or household effects. 4. Search terms We are satisfied that appropriate search terms and variants were used across the relevant collections management systems, collection records and associated documentation. These included relevant location names, property names, family names and associated variants reasonably capable of identifying records within scope. The review is satisfied that the search methodology was reasonable and proportionate in the circumstances. 5. Transfer, disposal and destruction The statement that the Museum is not aware of relevant records having been transferred or destroyed reflects the outcome of the searches undertaken and the knowledge of relevant collections staff. The review did not identify any records showing that information within the scope of your request had been transferred to another institution or destroyed. For clarity, the Museum's position is that no relevant records were identified. 6. Records concerning external institutions We note that your request sought records concerning communications with Cardiff Council, Cardiff Castle, the Bute Estate and other bodies regarding objects originating from Great House Farm. Searches were not limited solely to object catalogue records. Relevant collection documentation and associated records were also considered. No records were identified concerning furniture, furnishings, antiques, fixtures, heirlooms, or other movable property originating from Great House Farm, including correspondence with the organisations referred to in your request. 7. Advice and assistance The Museum does not hold information identifying a specific department, collection, archive or record series within Cardiff Council or Cardiff Castle that is likely to contain the information you seek. The advice previously provided reflected our general view that those organisations would be more likely than Amgueddfa Cymru to hold records relating to the ownership, management or disposal of property associated with Great House Farm. Conclusion Having considered all of the information available, we are satisfied that Amgueddfa Cymru undertook reasonable and proportionate searches and that, on the balance of probabilities, the Museum does not hold recorded information falling within the scope of your request. The original decision is therefore upheld. If you remain dissatisfied, you have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner's Office. Cofion cynnes, [A picture containing text, tableware, plate, dishware Description automatically generated] FOI Team [cid:image002.png@01DD3F74.8F8D9600] [email redacted]<[email redacted]> amgueddfa.cymru | museum.wales Rhif elusen | Charity number 525774 From: Sion Buckler <[email redacted]> Sent: 14 August 2026 18:40 To: FOI Requests <[email redacted]> Subject: Re: FOI 2026-020 - Great House Farm, Llandough | Cardiff Castle Furniture This email comes from outside the organisation. Do not click links or open attachments unless it is an email you expected to receive. FOI Team, Thank you for your detailed response and for undertaking the additional enquiries. I appreciate the further information you have provided concerning the searches undertaken. However, I would like to request an internal review under the Freedom of Information Act 2000. My concern is not simply that no objects have been identified. It is whether the searches undertaken have fully addressed the scope of my original request, particularly the documentary evidence concerning the provenance, acquisition, transfer, ownership, identification and dispersal of material originating from Great House Farm (Ty Mawr). I would be grateful if the internal review could consider the following points. 1. Information identified concerning Great House Farm Your response states that the additional enquiries identified "some information relating generally to Great House Farm and the surrounding area". Please could you identify what categories of information this refers to and, where it is not exempt, provide the relevant recorded information or explain where it can be accessed? This appears potentially relevant to the original request even if it does not itself identify furniture or household objects. 2. Scope of the archived electronic search You state that the Information Technology team reviewed "archived electronic systems and records retained by the Museum". Please could the review clarify: * which archived systems were searched; * the approximate date ranges covered; * whether historical email or correspondence archives were searched; * whether legacy collections-management databases were searched; * whether databases or systems preceding the current CMS were searched; and * whether any archived systems were unavailable, incomplete or incapable of being searched. 3. Correspondence and administrative records My original request expressly sought correspondence concerning the identification, recovery, ownership or location of objects, as well as correspondence with the Bute Estate, Cardiff Council, Cardiff Castle and other public authorities. Your response refers generally to "associated collection documentation" and "administrative records", but does not make clear whether historical correspondence files were specifically searched. Please could the internal review establish whether searches were made of: * curator correspondence; * departmental correspondence files; * donor correspondence; * acquisition correspondence; * disposal correspondence; * loan correspondence; * provenance correspondence; * correspondence with Cardiff Council; * correspondence with Cardiff Castle; * correspondence with the Bute Estate; * correspondence with other museums or public authorities; and * any relevant institutional or external correspondence indexes. 4. Search terms Thank you for identifying many of the search terms used. Please could the internal review confirm whether the search also included combinations and variants involving: * "Bute Estate" * "Bute" * "Cardiff Castle" * "Cardiff Council" * "Great House Farm" * "Ty Mawr" * "Great House" * "Llandough" * "Buckler" * "Williams" * "Mary Williams" * "Mary Doreen Williams" * "household effects" * "contents" * "furniture" * "furnishings" * "heirlooms" * "fixtures" * "estate" * "dispersal" * "recovery" * "provenance" * "ownership" * "transfer" * "demolition" I appreciate that historical records may not have been consistently indexed, which is why I would be grateful for confirmation of the methodology used. 5. Transfer, disposal and destruction Your response states: "We are also not aware of any relevant collection records relating to such material having been transferred to another institution or destroyed." Please could the internal review clarify whether this conclusion is based upon: a. a search of transfer/accession-out records; b. a review of retention and disposal records; c. enquiries with relevant collections staff; d. review of archival transfer documentation; or e. institutional knowledge rather than a documentary search. I am particularly interested in distinguishing between "no record exists" and "no record was identified in the systems searched". 6. The original request concerning external institutions The original request was deliberately framed broadly because the question concerns possible dispersal of the contents of a demolished historic property. It expressly included records concerning Cardiff Council, Cardiff Castle, the Bute Estate, museums, Arts Council England, DCMS, RCEWA and other public authorities. I would therefore be grateful if the review could confirm whether records of communications or transactions involving those bodies were searched within Amgueddfa Cymru's records, rather than simply searching the Museum's object catalogue for Great House Farm objects. 7. Advice and assistance You have stated that Cardiff Council and Cardiff Castle "would appear to be the organisations most likely to hold records relating to furniture, furnishings or other movable property associated with Great House Farm". I appreciate that you cannot transfer another authority's records to me. However, could you please provide any further information available to the Museum as to which particular department, collection, archive or record series at Cardiff Council or Cardiff Castle is most likely to contain such material? That would materially assist me in directing subsequent FOI and archival enquiries. I am grateful for the additional work already undertaken. I am requesting the internal review because I would like the record to be clear as to precisely what was searched, what information was identified, and what the negative result does and does not establish. I am not asking Amgueddfa Cymru to determine any allegation concerning the historical ownership of Great House Farm. The purpose of the review is simply to ensure that the documentary search corresponds fully with the scope of the original FOI request. Please treat this email as my formal request for an internal review of FOI 2026-020. Regards, Sion Buckler (Ret'd Sergeant) Royal Signals Cyber and Electronic Warfare Professional and Life Member Williams / Buckler Family Estate On Fri, 14 Aug 2026, 05:43 FOI Requests, <[email redacted]<[email redacted]>> wrote: Dear Sion Thank you for your email. Following receipt of your query, Amgueddfa Cymru undertook further enquiries to satisfy itself that no information had been overlooked when responding to your request. These enquiries included a review of records held across the Museum's collections and a review of archived electronic systems and records by the Museum's Information Technology team. The review considered all collections management systems used by the Museum, including those most likely to contain information falling within the scope of your request. For the History collections, searches were undertaken of the Collections Management System (CMS), accession files, donor indexes, location indexes and associated collection documentation. Searches were carried out using terms including "Great House Farm", "Ty Mawr", "Llandough", "Buckler" and "Bute". Additional consideration was given to acquisition records, provenance information and associated administrative records. For the Art collections, searches were undertaken within the collections management system across description, comments, acquisition notes and place fields using the terms "Ty Mawr", "Great House Farm", "Great House", "Williams", "Buckler", "Llandough" and combinations of those terms. No additional paper archives relating to Great House Farm, Ty Mawr, Great House or Buckler were identified. The Museum's Information Technology team also reviewed archived electronic systems and records retained by the Museum. These enquiries identified some information relating generally to Great House Farm and the surrounding area. However, no information was identified concerning furniture, furnishings, antiques, fixtures, heirlooms or other movable property originating from Great House Farm (Ty Mawr), Llandough. We did not identify any inventories, catalogues, acquisition records, disposal records, loan records, provenance files, ownership records, photographs, correspondence or other records falling within categories 1 to 9 of your request. We are also not aware of any relevant collection records relating to such material having been transferred to another institution or destroyed. Accordingly, having completed these additional enquiries, Amgueddfa Cymru remains satisfied that it does not hold recorded information within the scope of your request and our response under section 1(1)(a) of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 remains unchanged. In relation to your request for advice and assistance, Cardiff Council and Cardiff Castle would appear to be the organisations most likely to hold records relating to furniture, furnishings or other movable property associated with Great House Farm. If you remain dissatisfied with this response, you may request an internal review within 40 working days of the date of this email. Cofion cynnes, [A picture containing text, tableware, plate, dishware Description automatically generated] FOI Team [cid:image002.png@01DD3F74.8F8D9600] [email redacted]<[email redacted]> amgueddfa.cymru | museum.wales Rhif elusen | Charity number 525774 From: Sion Buckler <[email redacted]<[email redacted]>> Sent: 03 August 2026 17:29 To: FOI Requests <[email redacted]<[email redacted]>> Subject: Re: FOI 2026-020 - Great House Farm, Llandough | Cardiff Castle Furniture This email comes from outside the organisation. Do not click links or open attachments unless it is an email you expected to receive. Dear FOI Team, Thank you for your response. I note your position that Amgueddfa Cymru does not hold recorded information within the scope of my request. However, I would be grateful if you could clarify the searches undertaken to reach that conclusion. In particular, please confirm: * Which collections management systems, databases and "associated records" were searched. * Whether searches extended beyond accessioned objects to include acquisition files, provenance files, curator correspondence, donor files, temporary custody records, unaccessioned material, photographs and administrative records. * The search terms used (for example: "Great House Farm", "Ty Mawr", "Llandough", "Williams", "Buckler", "Bute Estate" and any other relevant variants). * Whether any potentially relevant records have been transferred to another institution or destroyed in accordance with a retention policy. My original request was not limited to identifying surviving objects. It also sought records relating to their provenance, acquisition, transfer, ownership, photographs and correspondence. This reflects the fact that the contents of Great House Farm may have been dispersed following the property's demolition, meaning relevant records could exist even if no objects were ultimately accessioned by the Museum. If, following those searches, Amgueddfa Cymru remains satisfied that no recorded information is held, I would be grateful for confirmation of that position. Finally, if you are aware of another public authority that is more likely to hold records falling within the scope of my request, I would appreciate your advice in accordance with your duty to provide advice and assistance. Thank you for your assistance. Yours faithfully, Sion Buckler On Mon, 3 Aug 2026, 10:39 FOI Requests, <[email redacted]<[email redacted]>> wrote: Dear Sion Thank you for your request for information received on 2nd July 2026, concerning furniture, furnishings, antiques, fixtures, heirlooms and other movable property originating from Great House Farm (Ty Mawr), Llandough. Following searches of the Museum's collections management systems and associated records, Amgueddfa Cymru has not identified any furniture, furnishings, antiques, fixtures, heirlooms or other movable property recorded as originating from Great House Farm (Ty Mawr), Llandough. Accordingly, Amgueddfa Cymru does not hold recorded information falling within the scope of items 1 to 9 of your request relating to such objects. For clarity: * We have not identified any objects of the type described in your request as originating from Great House Farm. * We have not identified inventories, catalogues, acquisition records, disposal records, loan records, provenance files, ownership records, photographs, correspondence, reports, memoranda or related records concerning such objects within the scope of your request. * We have not identified any records relating to the identification, recovery, ownership or location of furniture or household effects from Great House Farm. We note your references to archaeological material from land associated with Great House Farm. However, archaeological finds are outside the scope of this response because they do not fall within your request for furniture, furnishings, antiques, fixtures, heirlooms and other movable property. We understand that archaeological material is the subject of a separate information request and will be dealt with separately. Under section 1(1)(a) of the Freedom of Information Act 2000, our response is therefore that Amgueddfa Cymru does not hold the requested information. Cofion cynnes, [A picture containing text, tableware, plate, dishware Description automatically generated] FOI Team [cid:image002.png@01DD3F74.8F8D9600] [email redacted]<[email redacted]> amgueddfa.cymru | museum.wales Rhif elusen | Charity number 525774 From: Sion Buckler <[email redacted]<[email redacted]>> Sent: 02 July 2026 20:51 To: [email redacted]<[email redacted]> Cc: [email redacted]<[email redacted]>; [email redacted]<[email redacted]>; [email redacted]<[email redacted]>; [email redacted]<[email redacted]>; FOI Requests <[email redacted]<[email redacted]>>; [email redacted]<[email redacted]>; [email redacted]<[email redacted]>; National Library of Wales <[email redacted]<[email redacted]>> Subject: ALLANOL/EXTERNAL - Great House Farm, Llandough | Cardiff Castle Furniture You don't often get email from [email redacted]<[email redacted]>. Learn why this is important Freedom of Information Act 2000 Request Sir/Madam, I am making this request under the Freedom of Information Act 2000. I seek all recorded information held concerning furniture, furnishings, antiques, fixtures, heirlooms and other movable property originating from Great House Farm (Ty Mawr), Llandough, including any and all items we received from Bute Estate, Cardiff Castle, Cardiff Council. Weather it be museums, archives or any other public body. I know museums have artifacts from our land in Llandough. Specifically, I request copies of all: 1. Inventories, catalogues and asset registers. 2. Acquisition, disposal, loan and transfer records. 3. Provenance files and ownership records. 4. Photographs of items identified as originating from Great House Farm. 5. Correspondence concerning the identification, recovery, ownership or location of such items. 6. Internal reports, legal advice and memoranda relating to Great House Farm furniture or household effects. 7. Correspondence mentioning the Buckler or Williams families in connection with these items. 8. Records concerning any efforts by Cardiff Council or Cardiff Castle to trace, recover or secure items believed to have originated from Great House Farm. 9. Correspondence with the Bute Estate, museums, the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, the Reviewing Committee on the Export of Works of Art and Objects of Cultural Interest (RCEWA), Arts Council England or any other public authority regarding objects from Great House Farm. For context, I am allegeing that my family was unlawfully dispossessed of Great House Farm through fraud, and that furniture and other historic possessions belonging to the family were consequently dispersed. It's possible the bailiffs from BP were also SAS soldiers. We are still gathering actionable intelligence. I appreciate that the Freedom of Information Act does not require the authority to determine the merits of that allegation. However, it is directly relevant to understanding why I seek the recorded information. I am currently developing a full-scale replica of Great House Farm in Patagonia, Argentina as a museum dedicated to preserving the history of the house, its occupants and its contents. Should records identify surviving items from the farm, whether held by Cardiff Council, Cardiff Castle, museums or other public institutions, I intend to pursue their lawful return or transfer so they may ultimately be reunited with the reconstructed Great House Farm museum. This statement is provided solely as context for my request and does not seek a determination under the Freedom of Information Act. If any information is withheld, please identify each exemption relied upon and explain why it applies, including the outcome of any public interest test where required. If another public authority is more likely to hold the requested information, I would be grateful if you would transfer the request or advise me accordingly. I look forward to your response within the statutory time limit. Yours faithfully, Sion Buckler (Ret'd Sergeant)