Rebels

Cyfarthfa Castle was home to the Crawshays: owners of the vast 19th century industrial infrastructure in this part of the Taf Valley. William Crawshay (1788-1867) treated his workers appallingly: lowering wages, failing to address safety risks and laying off staff to maximise profit. Simmering unrest culminated in the Merthyr Rising of 1831 and the martyrdom of Dic Penderyn (1808-1831). These events saw the first ever flying of a red flag, thereafter adopted as the international symbol for workers’ rights, and inspired many later writers including Harri Webb and Alexander Cordell. Cyfarthfa Castle Museum & Art Gallery houses collections from this period, including relating to Lady Charlotte Guest (1812-1895) of nearby Dowlais House who first published an English translation of The Mabinogion. Travel on the Brecon Mountain Railway from nearby Pant to see the industrial scars give way to views of Pen-y-Fan: south Wales’ highest peak.