Cyfarthfa Castle, Merthyr Tydfil
Stephen worked alongside Michael Launchbury and Mary Nightingale on a major Quartet project for Merthyr Tydfil Borough Council to find an exciting new future for this splendid Victorian castle.
Cyfarthfa Castle was home to Merthyr Museum & Art Gallery and Merthyr High School. We were commissioned to devise new uses for the School areas, which were vacated in 2015. Our concept was that Cyfarthfa should become the premier visitor attraction for The Valleys with an extended museum telling the remarkable story of the industrial revolution in Wales. There will be a new Enterprise Centre and the fine Crawshay rooms in the Castle will become available for weddings and events. On the basis of Michael’s business plan Quartet was commissioned to advise on the preparation of a major HLF application and also upon the transfer of Cyfarthfa Castle to a newly established Leisure Trust. Significant funding has recently been agreed for the project from Visit Wales and Welsh Assembly Government. The HLF application for £4.5m was successful in passing Stage 1; Stage 2 is in preparation by the Leisure Trust.