Cyfarthfa Castle

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The Cyfarthfa Castle, commissioned in 1819 by the ironmaster William Crawshay.
Front view of Cyfarthfa Castle

Cyfarthfa Castle (Welsh: Castell Cyfarthfa) is the former home of the Crawshay family, historical ironmasters of Cyfarthfa Ironworks in Park, Merthyr Tydfil, Wales. Despite appearing superficially to be a fortified building it is a house built in the style of a large mansion. The castle stands in 158-acre (0.64 km2) of parkland, now called Cyfarthfa Park and maintained by Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council. It is reputedly haunted from a ghost that goes upstairs by the music classroom.[1]

History

It was designed in 1824 by the architect Robert Lugar for William Crawshay II, and built at a cost of approximately £30,000 using locally quarried stone. The Crawshays lived in the house until 1889. The castle was sold in 1908 to the local council, who were initially unsure as to what purpose it should be put. Eventually, they decided to use part of the ground floor for a museum, which still operates.[2] The museum includes paintings including two by James Inskipp.[3]

The rest of the building became a secondary school, and it was opened in 1913, operating as separate boys` and girls` schools. In 1945, they amalgamated, and in accordance with the then government policy the school was redesignated as a Grammar school under the name of Cyfarthfa Castle Grammar School. It became a comprehensive school in 1970, under the name Cyfarthfa High School.

Facilities and events

There is a miniature steam railway located within the Park, run by Merthyr Tydfil Model Engineering Society since 1987.

On 30 June 2007, Donny Osmond, who traces his family history to Merthyr Tydfil, performed the 'Donny Comes Home' concert in the park grounds. The concert was attended by 15,000 people despite unseasonal heavy rain.[4][5]

On 26 July 2008, Status Quo performed in the park grounds.[6]


Bibliography

  • Margaret Stewart Taylor - The Crawshays of Cyfarthfa Castle: A family history (1967)
  • Roderick Thomas - Cyfarthfa and the Crawshays (1999)

References

  1. ↑ Glamorgan Paranormal
  2. ↑ Cyfarthfa Castle Museum and Art Gallery
  3. ↑ Paintings by James Inskipp at the BBC Your Paintings site
  4. ↑ BBC - South East Wales Merthyr - Donny Osmond Coming Home
  5. ↑ Donny’s back to muddy grass of home
  6. ↑ Review: Status Quo link title

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Cyfarthfa Castle.

Coordinates: 51°45′24″N 3°23′25″W / 51.75666°N 3.39014°W / 51.75666; -3.39014

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