The start of the year is often a time for reflection and intention-setting, and recently I have been spending time considering both the progress we made at Cyfarthfa during 2025, and the ways we hope to build on this in the year ahead.
January 2026 was also a personal milestone for me marking the completion of my first year in-post at Cyfarthfa Foundation. What a year it has been to come on board!
In 2025 we joined forces with Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council, Cyfarthfa Castle Museum and Gallery Team, key stakeholders and the wider community to mark the momentous 200th birthday of Cyfarthfa Castle with a year-long party via the ‘Cyfarthfa200’ campaign. Back at the start of the year, we couldn’t have ever imagined just how much attention Cyfarthfa’s special birthday would generate, or how many people would want to celebrate with us.
Impact and highlights
We’ve been crunching the numbers and can reveal that during 2025 over 12,000 people participated in the 200 events that took place to mark Cyfarthfa’s bicentenary.
I would like to share some of my personal highlights:
- Merthyr Half Marathon
We’ve had feedback from the community that people want to see more large scale public activities in the park, so it was fantastic to see Merthyr Half Marathon come through Cyfarthfa for the first time. On the day itself, the sun shone and there was a great atmosphere as crowds gathered in front of the castle to cheer on the runners, alongside live music and refreshments courtesy of Julie’s Tearoom. It felt like a positive step forward in reimagining future uses for Cyfarthfa. And the runners really enjoyed the route too – even if it did mean an extra hill.
- BBC Cymru Season of Content Celebratinging Merthyr Tydfil
Planning for the bicentenary started long before 2025; this included BBC Cymru commissioning programming focused on Merthyr to coincide with Cyfarthfa’s 200th year. Joining the community at the Labour Club for the premiere of Steven Spiers and Ruth Jones’s ‘From Merthyr, With Love’ was a proud moment. Over 1.7 million people tuned in to watch content about Merthyr, helping share positive stories about our town, its rich history and unique community.
- Juxtaposed Art Prize
Merthyr – and South Wales – is packed with creative talent, and the Juxtaposed Art Prize was proof of this. 76 Welsh artists submitted creative responses to the gallery’s collection, resulting in a diverse and thought-provoking exhibition. With plans already underway for a solo show by overall winner Daniel Lazenby, I am excited to see how this work develops.
- Launching the Cyfarthfa Giant Story Chair
Alongside the project to redevelop the castle we’ve been working hard to create new activities across the whole park. In 2025, this included collaborating with Friends of Cyfarthfa Park and Merthyr’s Roots to install a 2.2m high bespoke handmade chair in the woodland area behind the castle. The chair was launched as part of our ‘Halloween Spooktacular’ event where it hosted spooky storytelling sessions and it will be an exciting new focal point for community engagement and education (and a great spot for a selfie).
- Visit by His Majesty King Charles III to Cyfarthfa
How can we forget the day the King came to Cyfarthfa? November saw an official Royal Visit by His Majesty King Charles III and Queen Camilla for a dual celebration of the castle's 200th anniversary and His Majesty's 77th birthday. It was fantastic to join community representatives at the reception and share our future ambitions for the castle building with His Majesty.
- Cyfarthfa Christmas Tree Switch-on and Light Show
We finished 2025 on a real high note, hosting a community event on the forecourt to celebrate the switch-on of Cyfarthfa’s famous Christmas tree. Building on the success of the tree in 2024 – and taking on board feedback from the community – the event included a special festive-themed laser show, street performances and a food market, marking the end of the bicentenary and the start of the wonderful ‘Christmas at Cyfarthfa Castle’ season. We are already exploring how we deliver bigger and better events in 2026 – so watch this space.
This is just a snapshot of the year - for more detailed information on the ‘Cyfarthfa 200’ campaign click here
What does 2026 hold?
Working on the ‘Cyfarthfa200’ campaign year, something that has been crystal clear is the importance of strong partnerships in achieving the best possible outcomes for our beautiful castle and park. I feel privileged to have been part of collaborations across the local authority, government, third sector, the creative industries, with park resident organisations and the wider community in bringing ‘Cyfarthfa200’ to life. I look forward to developing these partnerships as our work expands in scope and scale. And in 2026 – a year that will see the submission of our round one application to National Lottery Heritage Fund – it’s going to be even more important that we continue to work together to deliver a sustainable new future for our castle.