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Cyfarthfa

Cyfarthfa Museum and Art Gallery

Cyfarthfa Castle is widely regarded as the best-preserved and grandest Ironmaster’s house in Wales. The building, which is Grade 1 listed, is of national, historical, and architectural significance and was built in 1825 for the Ironmaster, William Crawshay II.


After the Crawshay family vacated the castle in the late nineteenth century, Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council converted the castle into a museum and art gallery on the ground floor and a school on the upper floors. The school is no longer situated within the castle, but the museum and art gallery that first opened its doors in 1910, continues to this day and has often been described as a 'hidden gem' due to its spectacular art and eclectic social history collections.


Visitors to the museum and art gallery can learn about Merthyr Tydfil's rich heritage from the Roman conquest to the Industrial Revolution and beyond. There is also a yearly programme of walks, talks, workshops, family trails and temporary exhibitions.


The Castle is situated in 160 acres of parkland with formal gardens, a lake, children’s play area and a model railway with a tearoom offering delicious food, and an outdoor seating area, which is perfect for relaxing in the summer months.