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St Fagans National History Museum (Cardiff)
by sampa99978 I have to admit that the St Fagans National History Museum is an absolute favourite of mine to go and visit. Having visited regularly since I was a child I can definitely recommend it for all of the family. What's more, there is always something new to see so no two visits are the same. ARRIVING: The museum is located ... about 4 miles outside of Cardiff city centre, on Cardiff Road. It's within quite a rural looking area, which really helps to get you in the right mood. I've always driven and it's an easy enough place to find. The car park is always busy but there are a lot of spaces so you should be fine whatever time of year you go. Although the museum is free, the car park is pay and display; £3.50 per car. In terms of public transport, buses go from the city centre to the main entrance (number 32A, 320 and 322). Waungron train station is the closest, but is still two miles away. Alternatively you can use the Ely trail to cycle there. I'm definitely going to try this out at some point. The park is usually open from 10am - 4pm. I highly recommend arriving as early as possible - famous St Fagans bread is made on the site every day and it sells out very quickly. In fact it's normally gone by the time I arrive! MUSEUM: The museum is free to enter, you just go through the main building (which contains toilets, cafe, gift shop and tourist information) and out through the other end. There are maps located all around the museum but I recommend picking up a paper version if you can as it's easy to get lost. Some of the 'must-sees' are the Celtic Village, the mill, the eco-house, the old-fashioned shops and the terraced houses. Each building was previously located somewhere in Wales and was painstakingly reconstructed brick by brick on the site. Therefore these are true representations of life across Wales. I don't want to give too much away about the buildings as they can be wonderfully surprising, but there are information boards for each of them and more often than not there will be a museum guide who can tell you everything you need to know. Children will love the school. The museum guides can show off the games that young schoolchildren used to play at breaktimes - tip: don't forget to ask about the Welsh Knot! For animal lovers, there are farm animals located all around the site. For a more modern experience, I highly recommend the Eco House. This shows where the design of Welsh homes is headed, and has a fantastic garden for those looking to pick up tips. GETTING THE MOST OUT OF YOUR DAY However you manage your day, you are sure to have a great time at St Fagans. However I've picked up a few tips over the years that I would recommend you take on board: - The St Fagans website says to budget for at least 2-4 hours. If you're taking children it'll definitely be nearer the 4 hour mark. - There are lots of events and talks held across the site on a nearly daily basis. These are listed again on the website so do take a look before you go. Some are free and some have a low cost associated with it. - Lastly, if you're a twitter user, follow @StFagans_Museum and also @StFagans_HBU. The last one is the twitter account of the team who move the historic buildings to the museum, so it's a great way to find out what you might see in a few months time. Read the complete review |
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St Fagans National History Museum (Cardiff)
by chrisandmark The St Fagans National History Museum in Cardiff is a large open-air attraction, designed and put together to educate visitors about Welsh history. We found it while having a short break to South Wales with two of our children, only spotting it after driving along the motorway in search of something to do that we'd all enjoy. ... After parking the car we followed the 'entrance' signs which took us through a large building; this building houses a restaurant, gift shop and the beginning of your Welsh experience in the form of decorative pieces along the walls, plus a few select statuettes displayed en route to the main area of the museum. Before you leave this building you walk through a display called Oriel 1 - this is an interesting look at Welsh dress, farming equipment and other displays designed to give visitors an insight into not only Wales of long ago, but also how the language and some customs have managed to survive to the present day. Much of the display in Oriel 1 is kept behind glass so my (then) three year old wasn't very interested, her twelve year old sister enjoyed looking at the various Welsh costumes and fashions through the ages - and so did I actually, even though many of them were slightly too puritanical to really have any meaning in the 21st century! We didn't linger in Oriel 1 for long as the sun was shining and we wanted to get outside and enjoy it! As we stepped outside I was shocked at how large and sprawling the outside of the museum is, it spreads as far as the eye can see and I decided to sent my daughter back inside to grab one of the free maps we'd spotted on the way in! The whole area is very green, peaceful despite the fact that there were hundreds of people walking around and extremely beautiful - even though the museum is located near a busy motorway hardly any traffic noise filtered through which gives the impression of being in the countryside. The open air museum is amazing from the moment you clap eyes on it. Whole buildings have been uprooted and re-built here, made to look (and even smell sometimes) how they would have done in days gone by. The chapel with its striking colourful frescoes against pure white walls, this is a beautiful building and I can understand how awe inspiring it must have been as a working church in the middle ages. It has that air of peace that all places of worship have; it's not exactly spiritual feeling, but there's a define sense of 'something' in there. The farmhouse is stunning; painted a fiery red colour, you can go in and see how the animals shared the home (to a point) and view for yourself how little room there was for the farmer and his (undoubtedly huge) family. I wasn't so keen on the tannery shed, the building having an air of bleakness about it - the way animal skins had been draped around made it believable, but it just wasn't my kind of building. My four year old enjoyed the ancient round huts, which we found out were Iron Age structures after sitting in on a talk inside one of the huts - we didn't stay inside for too long as there was an almost overpowering smell of earth, After this we walked up the hill to see the more recent history of Wales - the ironmonger's shop, a sweet shop and store selling delicious looking Welsh goodies. This area of the museum is decidedly less twee and wandering around here you get a sense of how industrialisation hit the hills and valleys of Wales. Here we bought sweets for the kids (and daddy!), the most delicious scone I've ever eaten and a few sweet treats for when we went back to the hotel - everything was perfect and in these days of plastic wrappers my youngest was highly impressed to be given her selection of sweets in a paper bag. I personally enjoyed the Welsh foods shop and was surprised to find the prices weren't much different to modern food shops I'd been mooching around on previous days. I bought a few small souvenirs, Welsh Cakes and some delicious chocolate eggs which had been made locally to the museum. Within this row of 'shops' is a photography studio which has been made to look 'of the times'. Here you can dress up in a variety of olden days Welsh costumes and have a black and white family portrait taken. I'd have loved to have had this done but unfortunately my partner doesn't like having his photo taken and one of the girls' was sick (and therefore not in the mood) so we had to miss out on this this time. I did, however, speak to an elderly lady who had just collected her photograph and the quality and posing of her and her two granddaughters made for an excellent memento of their visit to Wales. In every corner of the museum there's something to look at or do, just when you think you've seen everything you'll walk around the side of a building and find something you hadn't noticed before. My youngest daughter loved the small woodland and after joining a talk (which we later found out she shouldn't have!) she was given a gift bag with a magnifying glass, book on English wildlife and pencil inside - which she was surprisingly thrilled with! Dotted around the woodland are interactive information boards designed to teach children about their surroundings. My daughter obviously enjoyed the one showing various 3D animal poo's the most, while I had to physically move her older sister away from the one showing lots of different butterflies and telling you where in the woodland to look for them. The museum is set within the grounds of St Fagan's Castle, which was closed for restoration work at the time of our visit. This was no hardship as I hadn't even been aware of the castle until I heard it was closed! I've since looked at photos on the internet and it looks very pretty, but a bit too 'stately home' for me - I like my castles as the huge stone defence types, not this (admittedly beautiful) chocolate box building. I'm sure it's a lovely place to look round though, and if we ever visit the museum again we'll no doubt go and have a look. We spent a good five hours in the National History Museum and all agreed that it had been a good choice of activity. It was an interesting day, I felt I learnt lots about the Welsh culture and how it's been shaped through the centuries - the fact that it's so hands on helps you to really absorb the details. As an adult I was impressed, but I was surprised by how much effort the museum has gone to to engage children. In Oriel 1 there are several points where children can play with masks, colour in pictures of the exhibits or choose from a variety of other fun activities - things like this are so simple to include in an exhibition such as this, but can make all the difference when it comes to capturing the attention of a young child. The museum is (amazingly) free to visit, although there is a flat £3.50 car parking fee. This, in my opinion, is fantastic as we have a similar outdoors museum near where I live which charges an exorbitant entrance fee! Disabled access is fine to a point. The museum is hilly in parts and the natural landscape means there will be parts that less mobile visitors will not be able to reach, this is a shame but I can understand it as the museum is kept so 'real' that a modern pathway would just spoil the effect they have so cleverly mastered. The same is true for pushchairs, which probably explains why I didn't notice many babies in prams while we were there. I thoroughly, completely and utterly recommend a visit to the St Fagans National History Museum. It's one of those places that will grab you as soon as you walk in, and you don't even have to be terribly interested in Welsh history to enjoy the walk round. We all loved the day and the atmosphere made it perfect to have a natter as we were walking, away from the distractions present when doing a more modern activity - it made for an ideal family day for us, my only regret is not taking my mum as (as a real history buff) she'd have enjoyed it far more than babysitting our other two children back in Birmingham! Read the complete review |
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St Fagans National History Museum (Cardiff)
by alyson29 In this review I am looking at St Fagans National History Museum - a totally fantastic day out for all the family. As I used to live only 3 miles from the museum, this is where my husband and I used to spend a considerable amount of our time, as there's so much to see and learn. WHAT IS ST FAGANS NATIONAL HISTORY ... MUSEUM? It is a late 16th century castle with 100 acres of grounds. The castle and 18 acres of the land were donated to the people of Wales by Lord Robert-Windsor, the Earl of Plymouth in 1946. St Fagans National History Museum portrays the life and culture of Wales and is a museum with a difference as it's open air. The museum was opened to the public in 1948 and within the grounds are forty original buildings from different historic periods that were carefully removed from their original locations, stone by stone, over a 20-year period and rebuilt within the grounds of St Fagans. WHERE IS IT? It is situated just off the A4232; some four miles west of Cardiff City Centre. PRICES Entry to this museum is free. OPENING HOURS The museum is open daily from 10 am - 5 pm excluding Bank Holidays CONTACT DETAILS St Fagans National History Museum Cardiff CF5 6XB Telephone 02920 573500 CAR PARKING There is a charge of £3 per car per day, with disabled parking adjacent to the front of the main building. WHAT IS THERE? It is very difficult to express in a review the beauty and contents of this museum particularly as there is so very much to see and do for people of all ages. The majority of the buildings are accessible (please see section on Disabled Access) where you are able to walk around and explore and study the museum pieces. When you enter the main building you will find the first part of the museum under-cover. There are a large number of items behind glass for you to study; all of which have full descriptions. The real beauty with the museum begins when you exit the main building. There is a wonderful Celtic Village which dates back to the Iron-Age where you are able to see the utensils that were used at that time. A personal favourite of mine is the famous Rhyd-y-Car Ironworkers' Houses. These are six houses adjacent to one another, together with their gardens and are partly accessible for you to peer into the past. The houses date from 1805 - 1985 where you can see the items that our ancestors would have used at that time. I always find myself wondering when I enter these houses as you can see their kitchens, bedrooms and living quarters. I always find myself thinking who lived here? Who used these items? What type of life did they have? The interior of the houses look lived in and it always gives me a strange feeling as I feel I'm trespassing whilst the owners have just popped out. You can witness their chairs, beds, eating and drinking utensils, newspapers, radios, televisions etc. The back gardens of the houses are equally as interesting as some have sheds which you can peer into, you can see their washing hanging on the line, the vegetables growing in the garden and items relating to the war. Within the grounds you can see numerous buildings such as an old Post Office, St Teilio's Church, Kennixton farmhouse, chapels, a school and the Miner's Institute; all of which have been arranged in such a way that they look as if they are still fully operational. In the majority of the buildings staff are dressed in traditional costume and fit perfectly into their surroundings. Whilst there is significant information outside each building, the staff will answer any questions you may have. The Castle and its' breathtaking grounds has to be the main feature of this museum where you will find an Italian garden, fish ponds, fountains and picturesque walks amongst beautifully kept gardens full of delightful stunning shrubs. There is plenty of seating throughout this area where you will find many people enjoying their lunch or simply taking in the fantastic views. You are also able to walk around the inside of the castle and study how the people used to live. There are many exhibitions throughout the museum where you will find craftsmen demonstrating their skills such as blacksmiths, bread and cake making, pottery and corn being converted to flour. There is also the Moss Vernon Photography Studio situated near to the Rhyd-y-Car Ironworker's Houses where you can have your photograph taken in traditional dress. You simply return an hour or so later to collect your picture in readiness for hanging over your fireplace. The House of the Future was introduced to St Fagans a few years ago where you can see the fantastic ways in which we can be more energy efficient. The museum regularly holds special events such as dances, festivals and music; the details of which are available on the St Fagans website that I will provide at the end of this review. Every time I have visited this museum there are always many children laughing and enjoying themselves. The museum is very popular with schools who regularly take their pupils for a day out. There is a train service available from Easter to October which has a ramp with space for one wheelchair. The train runs between Llwyn yr eos farm and the castle gardens with various stops on its' route. There are plenty of benches situated throughout the grounds if you need a break from all the walking! DISABLED ACCESS There is ramped access into the main building, shops, restaurants, galleries and outside area. However, access into some of the buildings is not suitable for wheelchairs. Wheelchairs are provided by the museum and are free of charge. Should you require further information on disabled access I would recommend you visit the website (which I will provide at the end of this review) as it provides considerable information on the facilities available. There is also considerable information on the website for those who suffer with visual or hearing impairments or learning difficulties. Dogs are allowed in the museum but must remain on a lead with pooper scoopers provided free of charge on entry. FOOD AND DRINK There are plenty of eating areas throughout the grounds, such as a restaurant, shop and café; all of which serve tasty reasonably-priced food. BABY CHANGING FACILITIES These are available near the main entrance to the building. TOILETS Toilets are plentiful and available throughout the grounds. Wheelchair accessible toilets are located at the main entrance, in the castle yard and adjacent to the Rhyd y car cottages. MY OPINION I would highly recommend St Fagans National History Museum and cannot speak highly enough about its' beauty and history. I would suggest you wear comfortable shoes as there is a considerable amount of walking. Unfortunately, due to the museum being open-air, it is not suitable in the rain. There is so much to do and see so you need to allow yourself a whole day to take it all in. I would also recommend you take a picnic and sit in the picturesque gardens where you can relax, enjoy your food and take in the breathtaking views. This area is extremely tranquil and my husband and I have been known to sit here for hours just totally chilling in the peace and calm surroundings. I hope you have found my review useful and would thank you for reading. Read the complete review |
Wales Museum National |
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1 review Museum National / Swansea Marina, Swansea. Tel:+44(0)1792 650351 or 470371. |
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Museum National / Preserved house in Presteigne in Wales now open as a museum |
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Address: Oystermouth Road / Museum National / Maritime Quarter / Swansea SA1 3RD / Wales |
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7 reviews Cardiff / Museum National / CF5 6XB / Tel: 029 2057 3500 / Free entry / open 10am–5pm daily - St Fagans opened on 1 July 1948. Since then, it has established itself as one of Europe's foremost open air museums and become Wales's most popular heritage attraction. The Museum shows how the people of Wales li... |
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5 reviews Museum National / St. Fagans, Cardiff, South Glamorgan, CF5 6XB. Tel: +44 (0)29 2057 3500. Fax: +44 (0)29 2057 3490. |
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Victoria Road, The Maritime Quarter, Swansea SA1 1SN. Tel:(01792) 653763 FAX : (01792) 652585. Open Tuesday - Sunday, closed Mondays except Bank Holiday Mondays. 10am - 5pm (Last admission 4.45pm). Free Admission. |
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