Cyfarthfa Castle

Cyfarthfa Castle stands on a ridge above Merthyr Tydfil in Wales. Built in 1824 for ironmaster William Crawshay II, the house mixes Gothic and Tudor styles with 15 towers and 72 rooms. It overlooks the ironworks valley, where at night the furnaces once glowed like the fabled Pandemonium. The name comes from the Welsh for ‘place of barking’, recalling hunting dogs in the area. The Crawshays lived here until 1907, and the house later became a school and museum. The castle is worth visiting for its scale and surviving fittings. Robert Lugar designed the mansion for about £30,000 using local stone. Inside are a grand Entrance Hall with mock-Tudor details, a library, billiard room and vast cellars that once held over 15,000 bottles of wine and spirits. The family’s art collection and memorabilia remain on display. The building also played a brief role in Welsh politics when it was considered for the Senedd in 1997. Visitors find a restored Regency interior with fine and decorative art in the Museum and Art Gallery. The Playroom, once for the Crawshay children, now hosts temporary exhibitions. Outside, Cyfarthfa Park offers walks, a miniature railway, golf, tennis and a fishing lake. The park hosts concerts and shows, including performances by Donny Osmond and Status Quo. Canolfan Cyfarthfa provides a café and conference rooms, while the playground and ‘Splash Pad’ attract families.