As you probably know, we've got
loads of castles in Wales. One of which is Cyfarthfa
Castle, which as it happens isn't a castle at
all.
It was the grand home of the 19th century ironmaster William
Crawsay. He owned the huge Merthyr Tydfil ironworks and it's no
coincidence that Cyfarthfa Castle is built on the hillside
overlooking the town so that he could keep on eye on his empire
below him. His grand residence was in stark contrast to the squalid
conditions in which his workers and their families lived.
Today the museum is an excellent art gallery and museum which has
just completed a major refurbishment. The museum continues to
tell the town's history as a centre point of the industrial
revolution but is also home to a number of new exhibits and
exhibitions. The 'Made in Merthyr' exhibition, includes
dresses designed by Julien Macdonald and Laura Ashley, the
'Mosquito' device and the first steam whistle in the world; as well
as the 'Gentleman's Collections' exhibition featuring fascinating
items collected from around the world by the people of Merthyr
Tydfil.
The grounds of the castle are also well worth a taking a relaxing
stroll through and have in the past staged major open air concerts
from Status Quo and Merthyr's very own Donny Osmond (well it's
actually his great, great grandfather that's from Merthyr, but that
didn't stop him playing here).
The Museum is open daily from 10am to 5pm and entry into the Museum
is Free.
