Something Welsh for a change

Here in Wales admission to museums is free - one of the better initiatives by the Welsh Assembly. Now I benefit greatly from this because The St. Fagans museum of Welsh Life is only a twenty minute drive from my home.

I often visit and walk around the extensive grounds - which I did this afternoon and snapped off a few photographs. The museum originally opened in 1948 in the grounds of the magnificent St. Fagans Castle and it is here that over forty original buildings have been reconstructed after being saved from demolition at their original sites.


This Cockpit comes from Denbigh where it stood in the grounds of the Hawk and Buckle Inn. Since cock-fighting was banned in 1849 the building went unused and was derelict when the museum's experts took it down and rebuilt it.

The cockpit is just one of the many buildings in the museum and anyone visiting the area should make sure they go and see the exhibits.

Below is a picture of a cigarette display in the Gwalia Stores - the shop is set out as it would have been back in the day. It originally stood in Ogmore Vale but its now one of the buildings housed in the museum.


The shop contains the original mahogany shelving and counters. In 1916 The Gwalia Stores comprised a bakery, ironmongers, chemist and animal foods store. Members of staff would sleep in the attic and were paid 8 shillings a week.

The shop only closed on its orignal site in 1973 and was shortly afterwards transported to St Fagans.


I'll post more pics from St. Fagans in a later post.