Cyfarthfa Castle
While Merthyr’s once dominant iron and coal industry have declined, Cyfarthfa Castle retains its prominent prevailing position and is the town’s beating heart.
I highly recommend that anyone who visits Merthyr should explore this historic landmark, set in luscious parkland, and features in Secrets of the Royal Maid.
Please do not be misled by its name as it is not, in fact, a castle – the kind built to defend against invaders – but planned as a luxurious mansion for William Crawshay II, owner of the Cyfarthfa Ironworks, once the largest ironworks in the world, whose family dominated the local economy.
It was built between 1824-1830 and its grand design was intended to reflect the immense wealth and industrial power of its owner. It overlooked Crawshay’s booming ironworks and his workers’ housing below – a clear symbol of social hierarchy in industrial Merthyr.
After William Crawshay II’s death in 1867 the castle remained in family ownership, but was not used to the same extent. The decline of Merthyr’s iron industry began due around this time due to competition and changes in technology and transport and the Crawshay family gradually moved away from Merthyr.
The imposing building was purchased by Merthyr Tydfil Borough Council in 1908 and it served as a High School and was used by evacuee children in the 1940s to attend classes. Last year, 2025, it celebrated its 200th anniversary.
Today it is a museum and art gallery and its excellent displays recount Merthyr’s industrial and social history. One of the displays that caught my eye was the Sinclair C5 that was built at the Hoover plant in Merthyr and was one of the first attempts to mass-market an affordable, electric personal transport vehicle. This shows how again Merthyr was at the forefront of creating innovative technology, and although the C5 did not prove to be a success, its creation may have helped pave the way for the electric vehicles that are common on today’s roads.
Gallery
