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

Packhorse Bridge, Aberbeeg, South Wales

Its amazing the information you find when you are in the process of looking for something else. All this information on the packhorse bridge at Aberbeeg was logged on the following geocaching site. From the reviews, the bridge is probably harder to find than the cache hidden close to it.

Have been looking for information on this fascinating little bridge for quite a while...

http://www.geocaching.com/geocache

Although covered with a concrete surface and a modern handrail and fence, the Aberbeeg Bridge is a well-preserved example of a 17th century packhorse bridge and comprises single-span, stone-built arch some 10.5m long, 2.2m wide.

The earliest known record of the bridge is found in a survey of the boundaries and customs of the manor of Wentsland and Bryngwyn (of which the parish of Llanhilleth formed a part) dated 1659: 

“a river there called Eboth which said Brook and River are the mears Between the parish of Lanhilleth and parish of Mynuthusloin and so upward . . . to a place called Cymmarddwy Eboyth which is the meeting of two Rivers of that name in which place are the meeting of  Three parishes that is to say Lanhilleth, Aberustruth and Mynuthusloin and so along the river called Eboyth vychan to the middle of a bridge there called Pont y Cymmar and from thence as the Highway leadeth towards the parish Church of Lanhilleth . . .”(Bradney, p. 465)

At this time, the bridge was known as “Pont y Cymmer” (“the bridge at the confluence of two rivers”).  In this case, the confluence was that of the rivers Ebwy Fawr and Ebwy Fach that formed the boundary between the parishes of Aberystruth and Llanhilleth.  By 1775, it was known as Llanhilleth Bridge and the Minute and Account Book of the parish of Aberystruth (GRO D.739 Vol I) records repairs carried out in that year by a John Watkins at a cost of 12 shillings, one penny and ha’pence!  In 1779, Edmund Jones recorded that there were ten stone bridges in the parish of Aberystruth (Jones, p. 56).  Aberbeeg Bridge is the sole survivor.

Local tradition maintains that John Wesley, the founder of Methodism, preached at the bridge.  However, despite the fact that John Wesley did visit the parish in April 1740 during his second visit to Wales, there is no mention of the place in either his Diary or Journal.  On Tuesday, April 8th, in the company of Howell Harris, he travelled from Pontypool to Llanhilleth and preached there on the text “I know that in me dwelleth no good thing”.  He stayed overnight and, the next morning, read prayers at St. Illtyd’s church before preaching on “I will heal their backsliding, I will love them freely”.  He then travelled on to Cardiff (Williams,
pp. 6-7).

The nearby Ebbw Fach Trail from Brynmawr to Llanhilleth (the old railway line)

By 1828, the Monmouthshire Tramroad, which ran from Nantyglo Ironworks to Newport, ran past the bridge on the east bank of Ebwy Fach (GRO D.397.390).  The 1843 tithe map for the parish of Llanhilleth (GRO D.1163) shows that by this time William Webb had already established his brewery and public house near the eastern end of the bridge.

Newport Medieval Ship

Just across the bridge from Newport Castle lies the Riverfront Theatre, but hundreds of years before a large wooden ship anchored against the quay on that very spot. When builders started digging the foundations of the theatre they found the ship, buried in the mud, already holed by previous building work. After much protest from the public, Newport Council agreed to keep the remains of the ship and preserve it.

Ever since, it has remained at a warehouse in Maesglas Industrial Estate. Large tanks preserve the huge wooden beams of this vessel which was sailing trade routes between the Severn estuary in South Wales and the Iberian Peninsula when Christopher Columbus was born and may even have crossed paths with him when he came to dock in Bristol on one of his ventures.

This ship (no-one has discovered her name), is not just "another boat," she is the only example, anywhere in the world, of a 15th Century ship and the people of Newport found her. She is here for the people of Newport and the rest of the world to treasure.

Ancient artefacts such as shoes and combs have been found amidst the wreckage and are on display during open days. Visitors can handle items that are 550 years old. Friends of Newport Ship organise a few days a year when the warehouse is open to the public. Visitors can help support their cause by purchasing items or making donations.

Unfortunately, due to cutbacks within the Senedd (Welsh Parliament) and Newport City Council, there are few funds to keep or even display this vessel, so its up to the Friends of the Newport Ship to come up with ideas to raise funds and help maintain the impetus which will eventually allow people to come and view this ancient piece of our maritime history in its own custom-made museum.

Open Days

Saturday 26th April 2014

Saturday 24th May 2014

Saturday 12 July 2014

South Wales needs tourism, the Newport Ship could bring in hundreds of tourists a year just to see it.

Remember, the Newport Ship belongs to everyone. If you wish to help or find out more then join the Friends of the Newport Ship at:

www.newportship.org

Tel: 01633 215707

Roamin' in Caerleon

It has taken a while for me to get around to writing about Caerleon and its Roman Ruins. The publicity machine seems to work for this area more than most of South Wales.  This does not take anything from the sights on offer here. Archaeologists recently found a large port on the banks of the river Usk here.  In Roman times Caerleon would have been an extremely large town, if not a city, as well as a fort with a huge number of soldiers defending Rome's extreme western border from the welsh hooligans.

The Roman Amphitheatre, now grassed over, would once have been a spectacular arena for games, sports, parades and fighting in front of crowds of people. You can stroll around and picnic for free. Please take your litter home.

Just a short distance away are the foundations of the barracks, complete with latrines, and kitchens. Each square is a room, but soldiers would have had to share their space.

The remains of the Roman Baths are now undercover with interesting storyboards and artefacts on display.

There is an impressive museum building with roman pillars outside the entrance. It contains many interesting artefacts as well as souvenirs and books for children.  Roman helmets and swords are always popular.

One of the most fascinating exhibits to my mind is the large quantity of minute natural stone lozenges found  in the drains of the Roman Baths. As you can see, some are very intricately carved and would have been really expensive. But what are they?

They are tiny semi-precious stones which have fallen unnoticed from rings on the fingers of bathers whilst they enjoyed the warm water. Even though the technology existed to carve intricate expensive designs, we are told the only way to hold them in place in a finger-ring would be with wax.  This wax would, of course, have melted with the heat of the water. Hence the number of wonderful stones found down the drain!  Congratulations to the very sharp-eyed finder. 

Llanhilleth Miners Institute

100 Years Old, Grade II Listed

Although Workmans Institutes formed the hub of many mining communities in the South Wales Valleys during the twentieth century, very little has been documented about these structures and their members. Curiosity led me to research this particular building and its surroundings. Much of my work has been pieced together from snippets of information obtained from people with firsthand knowledge, or their children and grandchildren. Many hours have been spent rummaging through drawers to find old photographs, and documents.

It would be impossible to discover every piece of this one-hundred year jigsaw, but I aim to provide a flavour of the building and people who have and still enjoy using it.

Travel from Newport in South Wales along the A467, and just north of Crumlin an imposing red brick building appears on the right-hand side. A brown road sign indicates it is Llanhilleth Miners Institute. Part of an area regeneration scheme, this building has been lovingly renovated to its original magnificence. Village life has again begun to revolve around this edifice. Both young and old follow previous generations to congregate and enjoy clubs, discos, entertainment or just a coffee. In times of poverty or full employment, members of the community again have the assurance they are not alone.

This axis of entertainment and social life was once a source of escape for just a short time from the uncertainties of a miner's life and the often overcrowded terraced housing along the narrow valley walls. Now the pit has gone, and new access roads and parking facilities make this building easily available for people from all over South Wales and across the Severn bridge to celebrate both public and personal occasions.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pzPV4udP65E&feature=share