St Fagans Welsh National History Museum

Happy Saint David's Day!  If you ever visit Wales, I recommend one place above all others to soak up Welsh history and culture - St Fagans National History Museum.  It's one of the top open-air museums in Europe.  The photos of my traditional Welsh costume were taken there.  A very fitting location!



"Open to the public since 1 November 1948, the museum stands in the grounds of the magnificent St Fagans Castle and gardens, a late 16th-century manor house donated to the people of Wales by the Earl of Plymouth."

Across 100 acres of parkland, buildings of historical significance from all over Wales have been transplanted.  These include a church, a working men's institute, farmhouses, ironworkers' cottages, a shop, and a bakery.  All transported, brick by brick - a truly impressive undertaking.  At the moment, the Vulcan, a Victorian pub from Cardiff is being re-erected.  I'll pop along for a G&T as soon as it's open, I remember going to the Vulcan when it was standing forlornly and somewhat stubbornly in the city centre surrounded by car parks and high-rises, before it was taken down in 2012.  Good on St Fagans for rescuing it.

One of my favourite spots in St Fagans is the village centre.  There's a little clothing shop there done out as though it's in the 1940s.  Fascinating stuff, the shelves are stocked high with all kinds of vintage goodies!

I wish I could order a pair of those bow shoes!

If the location looks familiar, it might be because it was also the spot for my photo shoot with CiCiMarie last April.  What a beautiful Spring day that was.  Once the daffodils are out, you know that Spring really isn't that far away.  Having said that, it's not really a weather-dependent attraction as there's so much inside space, so winter visits are worthwhile too.  The visitor centre is currently under renovation, but you can always tuck yourself away in the vintage tea rooms on a rainy day.  

There are lots of events on throughout the year too; I went on a ghost tour last year.  It was a 'no gimmicks' ghost tour - no silly noises or people jumping out - just an immersion in the history of the buildings on the site.  One of the farmhouses has at least three separate ghosts.  Not surprising, it was built in 1734, so there's nearly 300 years of history within its walls.

Admission to the museum is free of charge too, so it really is a great option for a day out.  Do you have any open-air museums near you?  I've also been to the Black Country Living Museum, but that's the only other one I think!

Looking for a bit more of Wales?  Check out my post on Rhondda Heritage Park.