In celebration of Cyfarthfa Castle’s 200th birthday, the Cyfarthfa Foundation has teamed up with local street art legend Tee2Sugars to create a vibrant new mural celebrating two centuries of history, heritage, and community pride.
Commissioned by the Foundation as part of the Cyfarthfa200 celebrations, the mural, which is located at St Tydfil’s Shopping Centre in Merthyr Tydfil town centre, captures the soul of Merthyr — its natural beauty, industrial strength, community spirit and creative heartbeat.
The mural includes a vibrant display of Cyfarthfa Castle, wildlife and flora, with colourful references to cake and candles to celebrate its 200th birthday.
Jess Mahoney, Chief Executive of the Cyfarthfa Foundation, said:
“One of our aims at the Foundation for Cyfarthfa’s bicentenary year was to celebrate the central role the castle and park has played in the Merthyr community for 200 years. We wanted to do something bold and eye-catching that would raise the profile of Cyfarthfa and initiate a conversation about both the history and heritage of the site, and its future potential. This fantastic mural – boldly situated right at the heart of the town centre – definitely realises this aim, and we’ve been thrilled to work with the incredibly talented Tee2Sugars to bring our vision to life.
“The strength of the community reaction has also been especially encouraging. Content featuring the finished piece has been viewed over 1 million times, and we've already had poems written about Cyfarthfa, couples recreating their Cyfarthfa Castle wedding photos against the backdrop of the mural, groups of young people gathering for selfies, and discussions around potential new partnerships. This is proving the integral role that public artwork can play in convening the community and raising awareness, and we will build on this as we continue to work in partnership with Merthyr Tydfil Council and the residents of the town to drive forward the Cyfarthfa project.”
Built in 1825 as a majestic family home for the Ironmaster William Crawshay II, Cyfarthfa Castle is the jewel in the crown of Merthyr Tydfil. Every year thousands of people enjoy a visit to the castle and its expansive gardens, lake, play area and other facilities.
During 2025, Cyfarthfa200, a bumper programme of fun, exciting and informative events and exhibitions, is taking place to highlight the national and international importance of the Cyfarthfa site, and to celebrate the history of the people and communities that made it. You can find out what’s coming up at Visit Merthyr.
Massive thanks to Tee2Sugars, the community, and everyone who’s shared stories, smiles, and snaps so far! We love seeing your photos so please keep sharing and tagging @cyfarthfafoundation
To find out more about Tee2Sugars and his work follow @tee2sugars on social media.