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Welcome to Cyfarthfa at Merthyr Tydfil, where The Cyfarthfa Foundation is championing the transformation of its castle and park into a cultural centre and visitor attraction of national significance.
It is a charitable foundation established for the sole purpose of realising ambitious plans for the development of Cyfarthfa Castle and Park at Merthyr Tydfil into a museum and gallery of international quality, set in a wonderful park.
The creation of an independent charity is the only practical way in which to assemble the necessary funding – from governmental, national lottery, business, and charitable sources. The Foundation will establish an organisation whose sole focus will be the development of Cyfarthfa and other heritage assets in Merthyr to maximise the benefits for the community – economic, educational, social, environmental and cultural.
A charitable foundation is the most common structure adopted by sizeable organisations in the cultural sector – museums, galleries and other arts organisations – such as the `National Botanic Garden of Wales and the Wales Millennium Centre.
Yes, This was the Cyfarthfa Plan prepared by an international team led by Ian Ritchie Architects and landscape architects, Gustafson, Porter and Bowman. This was launched in January 2021, during the Covid lockdown. It presented a high level 20-year vision for the Cyfarthfa area. The Foundation’s task now is to turn this vision into a detailed plan.
There is a lot of planning to be done, and money to be raised. This will take several years. We must be realistic and respond to national and international political and economic climate. The Board of the Foundation and a small team are already in place. Detailed studies are under way to determine precisely what needs to be done.
1. to save the fabric of the castle which is in very poor condition
2. to plan new exhibits to tell Merthyr’s powerful story
3. to extend the art galleries
4. to improve and extend the 160-acre park
5. to fully engage the community in the process.
We already making the case for investment to the Welsh Government, the National Heritage Lottery Fund and other donors.
It is essential that this project should be delivered with the close and active involvement of the local community. The masterplan contained many ideas designed to put the people of Merthyr Tydfil and the valleys region at the heart of the project – to ensure that it will be of the place, not just for the place. The Foundation is fully committed to making that a reality from the outset. As projects develop, we will ensure there are opportunities for discussion and iteration before decisions are taken.
We believe that the plan could generate millions of pounds in social and economic value annually, through direct, indirect and induced spending, and through participation in public programming. This will be realised in the form of new jobs, support for small businesses, and increased spending in the local economy as a result of increased tourism. Other elements will be social: for example, an expanded range of programming will help bring communities together, get people active and combat social isolation.
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