Morlais Castle near Merthyr South Wales

When the Normans conquered England and Wales, they knew the value of castles. A castle was a home but it was also well protected. It was a fortress where people and animals were safe from attack. Castles were built to defend vital places such as towns, river crossings, and borders or simply to defend places already won in battle.

Morlais Castle was a small fort built by the Normans to defend their borders.

The earliest evidence of occupation on Morlais Hill is believed to date back to the Iron Age, when a hill fort stood on the site.

The area is named after the nearby Morlais brook. It is believed this is derived from the Welsh “Mawr” and “Glais.” Another nearby brook is called “Glais,” meaning young salmon. The Morlais brook is the larger brook, hence it was known as “Mawr-Glais.”

Gilbert de Clare, Earl of Gloucester and Lord of Glamorgan built Morlais Castle sometime betwen 1286 and 1290. He had already built the much larger Caerphilly Castle in 1270. Both these castles were intended to strengthen de Clare's borders against the Welsh Prince Llewellyn ap Gruffydd. Although a defence against the Welsh, it was another Norman lord who challenged the construction of the castle.

The leaning tower at Caerphilly Castle.

Welsh Ape & Monkey Sanctuary, South Wales

Brown signs help you locate the sanctuary, but take care as your satnav may take you to a very small lane nowhere near where you want to go.

Gibbons, chimpanzees, baboons have all found safety and care at this old welsh farm.

Wonderful open welsh mountains and fresh air

The shop provides a few amenities, but its obvious the priority is care of the animals and raising funds for their upkeep. Many have been rescued from live of violence or abuse. Others, through no fault of their own were due to be shot or were surviving in a zoo dependent on the local people for their food.

Large labels not only advise the species in each enclosure but also the animals' pet names, their character traits and history.

The sanctuary allows a close-up experience of these wonderful but powerful animals.

The shop also has many donated items for sale and a huge collection of second-hand books on a great variety of topics. Always worth a good rummage.

As the mood of various animals often changes within a couple of minutes, it would be interesting to take time out to observe them over time.

You may hear the site before you get there. A few chimpanzees love running back and fore along the fence dragging a plastic bottle against the bars. It draws a crowd, but I'm not sure if that is the intention.

Please check opening hours before visiting.

Welsh Ape & Monkey Sanctuary
Caehopkin Road
Abercrave
SA9 1UD

Abergavenny Castle & Museum

The Museum at Abergavenny Castle was opened in July 1959 as the result of voluntary effort by the Abergavenny Museum Society led by Alfred and Ernest Jackson. It was taken over by Abergavenny Borough Council on s1st April 197l.

This motte – literally ‘mound of earth’ was probably built by the Norman Lord Hamelin de Ballon. Evidence suggests that the castle was founded in 1087 AD, although its large size hints at an earlier construction.

To construct a motte, labourers would dig a circular ditch then pile up a huge, smooth-sided earth mound within it. In Hamelin de Ballon’s time, the tower (known as the keep) built at the top of the motte would have been wooden, possibly reached via a flying bridge. The keep would have been surrounded by a timber palisade. Beneath the motte was the bailey – a courtyward containing the outbuildings and stables.

The  whole castle was destroyed in 1233 by Richard March, Earl of Pembroke, and the Welsh princes. The keep was in stone; it had a round tower with “pointed and gothic doorways and windows, as described by Archdeacon Coxe in 1799. The illustration here depicts this stone keep as it might have appeared around 1250AD. At this time, other buildings and outer defences were still made of timber.

The keep, along with most of the other castle buildings were destroyed in the Civil War, between 1645-1645. Archdeacon Coxe was describing a ruin.

In 1818/1819, the present tower – now the mjuseum – was constructed on top of the motte and became the hunting lodge for the Marquis of Abergavenny. Fragments of the original stonework can still be seen in the present structure.

The Cellars

Openings to these shafts can be seen from the rooms on the ground floor. They were probably originally covered with a metal grille.

It is believed the cellar dates to the thirteenth or fourteenth century and various suggestions have been made as to their use.

It may have been a prison. Accounts from 1256-7 record “For two pairs of manacles for the prison – 6d.” In 1389, following the death of John Hasting the Younger, documents refer to a prison.  In the accounts of 1499-1500 there is a reference to debtors being detained in the castle.


Advice before visiting:
Please check opening hours before visiting.
Plenty of space for children to enjoy outdoors, but need supervising because of stonework.

Figure Four Exhibition, South Wales

Pontypool Museum is attempting to recruit 1000 new members, their membership fees will help finance their collection and the work they do.


For more information on the exhibition or the Museum itself telephone 01495 752036. Please check the opening times before visiting.

Why not combine your visit with a stroll around Pontypool Park. Donated by the Hanbury family and once probably the best park in South Wales, it is still a fantastic space with points of interest dotted around. This is the site of Pontypool Rugby Pitch, the home of the Legendary "Pontypool Front Row."

Llanhilleth Heritage Centre

The Llanhilleth Heritage Centre is located at Llanhilleth Miners' Institute near Abertillery. The Centre is manned every Tuesday afternoon from 2.00pm to 4.00pm and anyone interested in the heritage of the Llanhilleth Ward, that's Aberbeeg, Brynithel, Llanhilleth and Swffryd, is welcome to call in and have a chat. 

The aim of the Centre is to preserve and record the heritage of the ward. They have a Community Archive for photographs, documents and digital recordings - a link is given below.  There is a Chronicle of Events which lists many interesting events from the 13th Century to the present day. A few are listed here. Do you have any you can add?

 "Chronicle of Events" 

 1213  the completion of St. Illtyd's 

 2014  Llanhilleth RFC winning their League

 2014  Alun Davies AM opening the Heritage Centre. 

This chronicle will never be complete and the Trustees are always looking for any additional information they can add. Anything interesting about buildings, people, sporting or cultural organistions is more than welcome. Display space is limited but small donated items can be accommodated.


http://llanhilleth.gwentheritage.org.uk/

Cyfarthfa Castle, Merthyr, South Wales

Cyfartha Castle was built by the Crawshays, the owners of the large ironworks, and built the property on the hillside above the works not only as a place to live but as an expression of their wealth and authority.

Now a free museum with gardens open to the public, it has an interesting gift shop and cafe. A large water play area was popular last summer on hot sunny days. With water spurts and cascades but no standing water this area is safe for even the youngest of children to enjoy (accompanied by an adult, of course.) During our visit, adults also seemed to be enjoying the fun, some being caught out fully-clothed, by the surprise water-spurts.

Information from Cyfarthfa Museum:

 Cyfarthfa Castle required a considerable number of servants. In 1874 Mary Crawshay reported, "I keep six ordinary servants indoors, viz two men servants, my daughter's maid, two strong under house maids and a strong, willing Welsh scullery maid, who comes daily as charwomen might come in England."  It may have been cleaner and less dangerous and even a more prestigious place of work than the ironworks but the wages were poor and hours long, with personal freedom severely restricted.

In 1869, when reporting on the condition of women ironworkers, a journalist commented, "It is strange to see them so merry over it, but if they threw it up, they could only take their choice between farm labour and domestic service. Neither of which is remunerative in Wales. A servant in every respect as handy and as useful as many who are getting £10 or £12 a year in London can be hired for 5s. a lunar month. (£3 per year) 

With an excellent cafe and parking this facility makes for a great day out with something for the whole family: history, scenery, and play areas for the children. Please check opening hours before visiting.

http://www.visitmerthyr.co.uk/attractions/cyfarthfa-park-museum/cyfarthfa-castle-museum.aspx