Castell Coch and St Fagans National Museum of History

Thursday 15th May

A party of Members from The Arts Society Corinium were fortunate to go onboard a Coach Trip to these  two destinations in S Wales.  We had a smooth and pleasant journey through beautiful English countryside  via M4 and over the Bristol Channel Bridge arriving at our first stop, Castell Coch (Red Castle), the Summer Holiday Home of Lord Bute.  The Gothic Revival (19th Century) Castle and its turrets rose like a vision from a Fairytale setting in the Beech Trees Forest.  Its magical, historical appearance and construction dated back to 11th and 13th Centuries and was rebuilt in 1875 - 1891 with extravagantly decorative interior designs by Burgess, currently under ongoing preservation.  An excellent cafe offered refreshments and some of us had the delicious “bara brith” with salted Welsh butter.

The afternoon was spent in glorious sunshine at the St Fagans National Museum of History.  We started with an excellent informative Introductory Talk about the culture, lifestyle and architecture of the Welsh People over the decades.  We were all provided with an easy to follow map of the site.

Highlights of the beautiful acreage included the Castle and its magnificent gardens and lakes as well as a row of cottages and gardens, all individually furnished with period furniture dating from 1850’s to 1950’s.  Most of the buildings had been relocated and reconstructed on site with a number of shops and businesses including a Grocery, Sweetshop, Bakery, Miller and a Clogmaker.

A magnificent Pub called The Vulcan had been transported to the Museum area only a year previously but was up and running with a cheerful Barmaid serving drinks which some of us partook of to round off a wonderful day out with new friends made!