About

Our vision is to transform Cyfarthfa Castle and Park - a crucible of the industrial revolution - into a cultural centre and visitor attraction of international quality and an engine of social renewal.

Our mission

To celebrate the history and heritage of the place, to heal and enhance its natural environment, to be a platform for culture and creativity, and to do so with regard for the needs of all parts of the community and the principles of sustainability.

Why Cyfarthfa? Why Now?

For the better part of the 19th Century Merthyr Tydfil was the greatest centre of ironmaking in the world. Its history and heritage are of national and international importance. Cyfarthfa was at its heart.

Cyfarthfa Castle and the 260-year-old Cyfarthfa furnaces are in desperate need of rescue so that they can play a key part in the urgent task of reviving the local economy and supporting the long-term economic regeneration of the area.

The development of Cyfarthfa Park & Castle will be done not just for the people of Merthyr, but with the people of Merthyr, aiding the development of skills, creating direct employment, fostering the foundational economy, and encouraging new and existing businesses to respond to this powerful new string to its bow.

The Cyfarthfa Foundation

Multiplying the visitor numbers to Cyfarthfa will have a positive impact on the nearby town centre, creating jobs, complementing other town centre developments and cementing Merthyr Tydfil’s growing reputation as the capital of the Heads of the Valleys.

The Foundation is a registered charity created to realise the future development plans. It has been awarded a grant of £1.2m by the Welsh Government to get the planning under way and to generate the necessary funds to support the substantial work. It has been agreed that, eventually, the Foundation will take ownership of Cyfarthfa, but while the Foundation focuses on project planning, Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council will continue to manage Cyfarthfa Park and Castle.

Trustees

The Cyfarthfa Foundation is a charitable foundation, formed in November 2020, and governed by a Board of Trustees that draws together representatives of the community with the best expertise available.