Red House, Merthyr Tydfil, South Wales

What was once the old town hall, this magnificent building has now been renovated. With impressive stained glass windows and original wall tiling, its well worth a visit.

For current news and information you can follow them on Twitter @RedhouseCymru
Tel: 01685 384111.

For those interested in local personalities, they have a book of local Heroes and Villains.  A free digital copy is available online at www.redhousecymru.com/heroes.  Just click on the link to "Heroes & Villains" to download.

www.redhousecymru.com

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.

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

Wales Tourism Week

"Wales Tourism Week is as much about reminding 

us of the opportunities on our doorstep as about 

encouraging more visitors to Wales."

                                                            Baroness Randerson    

22 February to 3 March 2014

Wales Office ministers will visit local landmarks to promote Wales Tourism Week.

Jenny Randerson, Wales Office Minister for tourism will visit National Roman Legion Museum in Caerleon and National Trust's Tredegar House.

Stephen crabb, Wales Office Minister will visit BikePark Wales in Merthyr Tydfil.

David Jones, Secretary of State will visit Chirk Castle in Wrexham.

-----------------

On 1st March, Wales celebrates our patron saint, St David.  To commemorate this CADW the organisation who protects some of our national heritage sites, including castles, will be allowing free entry.

For details of places included in this offer, please use the link below:

http://cadw.wales.gov.uk/?lang=en

Dic Penderyn 1808-1831

According to the Dic Penderyn Society, Dic Penderyn was the first Welsh working class martyr, murdered by the state for his part in the Merthyr Rising of 1831.

He was tried, sentenced and hanged in Cardiff for his alleged involvement in the Merthyr Riots. He was buried outside the churchyard in Aberavon in an unmarked grave, where a monument has now been erected.

Image from Walesonline, also available elswhere on the internet.
http://i1.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/article5414798.ece/ALTERNATES/s615/zzdix-5414798.jpg

The Uprising (known as the Merthyr Riots) will be remembered for the 5 days when the people held the town against the Imperial troops. Workers' goods had been seized in payment of debt, leaving them without basic living materials. The rioters destroyed only the buildings storing this property. No looting of other premises took place.

Afterwards, all the ring leaders were arrested. Richard Lewis, (Dic Penderyn) and Lewis Lewis, the Huntsman were sentenced to be hanged for their part in organising the Rising. Despite numerous peititons and letters asking for clemency, Dic Penderyn was hanged at Cardiff Goal on 13 August 1831, becoming the first martyr of a new breed of working class.

Lewis Lewis was reprieved and sentenced to be transported. The workers returned to work with severe pay custs. The Army was again stationed at Dowlais, near Merthyr.  The trade union movement was crushed and leaders black-listed, only to re-emerge at the end of the decade.

Reasons behind the Uprising:

• No fresh water supply
• No sewage system
• Frequent epidemics of typhoid, cholera, scarlet fever, etc.
• Merthyr virtually a 'pocket Borough' controlled by the Ironmasters
• Long hours of work
• Frequent pay cuts due to trade slumps
• Dangerous work, injuries daily, death common
• Very poor housing - back-to-back houses often rat infested
• Truck system - workers paid with tokens to be used only in Ironmaster's shop
• 1830 a time of trade recession
• Reform Movement
• Collapse of the Poor Law Relief System

The Dic Penderyn Society was formed in 1979 to commemorate the importance of the various events of the Merthyr Rising in Welsh/British history.

For further details:
Viv Pugh, tel: 01685 377883
e-mail: pughmv@aol.com

e-mail: greatmerthyrtydfil@yahoo.co.uk

http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/wales/posts/dic_penderyn_the_welsh_martyr



 

Ynys Gwydr - Island of Glass - Merthyr local Opera, South Wales

In April, Head for Arts will be staging a new opera being created by the people of Merthyr for the people of Merthyr, telling a little-known story from our early medieval past.

Yn Ebril 2013, bydd Celf ar y Blaen yn llwyfannu am opera newydd a gaiff ei chreu ar gyfer pobl Merthyr gan bobl Merthyr, adrodd stori fach adnabyddus gan ein gorffennol canoloesol cynnar.

Tickets are available from Head4Arts, details on the poster below.

Llangorse Lake has always been a place of mystery and atmosphere. 
The island on the lake has been explored and found to be a Crannog -
an artificial island constructed by man. 

Much research has revealed its history (more later), and inspired exhibitions and
this opera.

www.head4arts.org.uk

https://www.facebook.com/notifications?clk_loc=1#!/events/299136733546744/

Theatre Soar, History & Mystery Project, Merthyr South Wales

 

F  R  A  G  M  E  N  T  S

A Creative Response to Merthyr's Early Medieval Heritage




Along a narrow alleyway just down the road from the Olympia Hotel, lies the entrance to Theatre Soar.  Three entrance doorways confuse the visitor.  One leads to rooms for workshops, a second upstairs to the theatre itself, and a third to the cafe and shop.  On my visit, the shop seemed to sell mainly books and postcards in Welsh, but I did manage to find a book on Walking in the South Wales Valleys by Mike Dunn, A Cicerone Guide. (More of that again.)

The cafe is warm and welcoming with a range of snacks and cooked meals, and toilet facilities on the groundfloor. 

The theatre has been sympathetically converted from the Soar Chapel constructed in the 1700s.  It uses what used to be the balcony area of the chapel.  Downstairs today houses a craft workshop.

We are here for an exhibition showing the results of the

History and Mystery Project

and a talk by Dr Mark Redknap on the excavations of the crannog (the manmade island) at Llangorse Lake.  The homestead on the island was destroyed by fire in the fifteenth century, but the remains of a silk dress was found amongst the archaic ashes.  A group has tried to replicate this garment, and designs woven into it. 

Fragments of jewellery and a hair comb were found on the island.  The Tempo Choir from 3Gs, Gurnos sang several pieces including a song written especially for the exhibition.  The youth group of Merthyr Tydfil Housing Assoc provided animation of the Llangorse myths and Merthyr Tydfil College Film and video students created work based on poetry by Merthyr writers squads.

An small exhibition of photomontages was created from images taken on field trips to Llangorse, St Fagans and Gelligaer Common.





 

Ynysfach Iron works, Dowlais Engine House, Merthyr

Ynysfach Engine House, Dowlaid, Merthyr

Copyright of:  http://www.mtht.co.uk/Ynysfachopening.html

Ynysfach Ironworks, Merthyr Tydfil was built by Thomas Jones of Merthyr Tydfil.   Watkin George designed the building and it was built for Richard Crawshay in 1801.

These furnaces were the second in Merthyr Tydfil to have steam-powered air blast machinery, giving the works an advantage over the nearby Cyfarthfa Ironworks, which depended on water power.

Two more blast furnaces and a new southern, engine house were built in 1830 when the northern engine house was rebuilt.

Reconditioning took place in 1884, after closure in 1873.   The Ynysfach furnaces were  then held in reserve, following Cyfarthfa’s conversion to steel.

The southern engine house was demolished some time after 1905 and one chimney stack (belonging to the northern boiler house) was demolished in 1949.



It is now the home of Pant and Dowlais Boys and Girls Club, reknowned for its work with the youth of the area.  Check out the dowlais engine house website below for details of current events.  Some  are designed for adults too, and volunteers are always wanted.


http://www.gracesguide.co.uk/Ynysfach_Ironworks

http://www.dowlaisenginehouse.co.uk/

http://www.ggat.org.uk/news/archive/merthyr_college/news.html