Petition calls for iconic castle to be returned to former glory

Anthony Lewis Local Democracy Reporter

More than 1,000 people have signed a petition calling for Merthyr Tydfil’s iconic Cyfarthfa Castle to be returned to its former glory

The petition, titled “Save Cyfarthfa Castle from destruction” has been signed by more than 1,200 people and says the council needs to raise funds to return it to its former glory.

It says that the castle is in a “deplorable condition” and has been left to decay, adding that something needs to be done before it is too late.

The petition says that Cyfarthfa Castle is an “integral part of Merthyr’s heritage.”

In a statement, Merthyr Tydfil Council said: “The council is aware that there is a petition circulating online to ‘save Cyfarthfa Castle from destruction.’

“We want to reassure all residents that the redevelopment of the castle is a priority for the council. This is a huge project which will be ongoing for a number of years, but we are committed to ensuring that the castle is fully restored and protected.

“We are working closely with the Cyfarthfa Foundation to secure the funding needed to ensure the castle remains a beacon of the past for future generations to come.”

Phased restoration

At the meeting on February 5, councillors were told about the new phased approach being taken to restore the building.

Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council and The Cyfarthfa Foundation (TCF) are working together on a major heritage project for Cyfarthfa Castle and its estate as part of The Cyfarthfa Plan.

But the report to full council said that the castle is in a “significant state of deterioration.”

It said the condition of the property has continued to deteriorate and is now fast approaching a state of dereliction, raising serious safety concerns and an increasing cost of rehabilitation.

Since the council report in July, 2023, additional ceilings have collapsed, and a tap-test of the ceilings has resulted in certain rooms being isolated from entry.

A condition survey identified that a temporary scaffold supporting a roof covering over the most vulnerable locations of the castle was required to aid in the drying out of the built fabric and mitigate and prevent further water ingress into the structure.

An option for full coverage of the entire structure within a purpose-built temporary roof using scaffold was agreed but due to the many constraints identified in relation to the re-development of the building, discussions have started regarding an alternative approach.

The report said that where the tenting solution would enable the building to dry out, it also became a very costly solution and would result in no physical works being undertaken on the building for a number of years.

To allow the tenting proposal to progress, funding would need to be secured and, once delivered, a further fundraising programme would be needed in order for the works phase to start which would have resulted in the scaffold staying up for potentially three to five years.

The report said that, as the building was continuing to deteriorate and would deteriorate further if the tent was due to cover the building for a three to five year period, a phased approach would be a “more appropriate” solution and would result in physical works to preserve the fabric of the building, would ensure that part of the building became watertight and would create “outputs” for the community.

Way forward

The first phase would be the “former house” side where the museum operates from.

There would still be a need to erect scaffolding around the “former house” side but this would be at a much lesser scale than tenting the entire building as as the original proposal involved and would be for a reduced period of time as works would be done and scaffold removed accordingly.

Discussions have been held with The Cyfarthfa Foundation (TCF), CADW and Welsh Government regarding the phased approach and this was welcomed by all organisations, the report said.

A way forward is now being discussed in relation to funding, roles and responsibilities and next steps in order to take forward this proposal.

The report said that costs for the phased approach will now need to be determined and a procurement exercise will be carried out to appoint consultants to prepare the design, costs and work programme for phase one.

Discussions have started with funders and an expression of interest will be submitted jointly from the council and TCF to National Lottery Heritage Fund (NLHF) in February 2025 with a view, if successful with the EOI, to submit a development stage application in August, 2025.

The development stage application process normally takes two years to complete so the latest date that the delivery stage application would be submitted is August, 2027.

The report said that the council and TCF would continue to look at funding opportunities during the NLHF development and delivery stage to complement or match-fund against the NLHF funding.

TCF is leading on the long-term sustainable use of the building and the council will lead on the capital works relating to the building preservation.