National Slate Museum Slate Quarrymen swap Industrial workshops for Castle splendour!  

For the first time in history slate quarrymen are working at Penrhyn Castle – the home of one of the wealthiest Slate Quarry owners in North Wales.  

Our demonstrating Slate Quarrymen, who usually hold demonstrations at the Museum in Llanberis, are instead demonstrating their skills and craftsmanship at the Castle.  

This astounding turning point comes as we are temporarily close to the public for redevelopment but we didn't want to stop telling our story so decided to take our story to other locations important to the story of slate and which are part of the World Heritage designation for the Slate Landscape of Northwest Wales.  

Penrhyn Slate Quarry established by the Pennant family, dominated the Welsh slate industry for almost 150 years and was notorious for its harsh working conditions. In 1900, over 2000 workers went on strike for better wages and working conditions - a culmination of several years of dissatisfaction and unrest. 

Known locally as the Penrhyn Lockout, the strike lasted for over three years and was one of the longest and most bitter industrial disputes in British history. It caused incredible hardship for the Quarrymen and their families and ripped apart a community, dividing it into strike ‘faithful’s’ who remained on strike or left to find other work elsewhere, and ‘bradwrs’ (traitors) who returned to work. 

Many in the local community still regard the Castle as a symbol of wealth and oppression. Historically, Quarrymen would not have crossed the threshold to the Castle and many of their families have struggled to do so since then. 

Now managed by National Trust Cymru, Penrhyn Castle and Garden have been working with artists and the local community for over a decade to share more about this history and re-engage with its local community as Ceri Williams, General Manager at Penrhyn Castle explained: 

“Over the last decade and more we’ve been working to re-address the way we share our industrial and colonial connections at Penrhyn Castle. Each year, we've achieved new milestones, but welcoming the Quarrymen into the castle marks a significant leap forward in reconnecting the community with this historic site. 

Already, crowds have been gathering to catch a glimpse of the live slate-splitting demonstration that not only celebrates local craftmanship but provides authentic experiences that resonates with the castle’s industrial history. As we continue to work with the National Slate Museum over coming months, we look forward to combining our offers and providing visitors with a unique and memorable visit to Penrhyn Castle.”

For us, the opportunity to have our Quarrymen demonstrating at Penrhyn Castle is a key feature of our redevelopment programme - in particular our Museum on the Move campaign in 2025 as Elen Roberts, Head of the National Slate Museum explained: 

“We’re very grateful to the team at Penrhyn Castle and to National Trust Cymru, for giving us this unique opportunity to work with them as part of our redevelopment programme for the National Slate Museum.  We’ve worked closely with the Trust over the years to share the story of slate and this opportunity to share our Quarrymen’s skills and stories is an enormous thing from both sides. Relocating here – and to other sites around the World Heritage designation during our Museum’s redevelopment - will allow us to engage with new audiences and ensure our story continues beyond the walls of the museum. 

Our staff will benefit from continuing to interact with the public which will enhance their knowledge of the slate story, and hopefully visitors will benefit from encountering Museum staff in new locations – which, alongside the National Trust’s existing offer to visitors at Penrhyn Castle, will offer a fresh perspective on the story of slate”

Both attractions are key parts of the World Heritage Site for the Slate Landscape of North West Wales. Lord Dafydd Wigley, Chair of the Llechi Cymru Partnership welcomed the development:

“Cyngor Gwynedd and its partners have worked together over many years to develop a strong partnership to deliver the Slate Landscape of Northwest Wales World Heritage nomination and subsequent inscription. The results of this strong and active partnership is now bearing fruit as we not only see significant investment of over £30m through the Llewyrch o’r Llechi programme of activities - such as those at Amgueddfa Lechi Cymru and others across the Slate Landscape; but we are also seeing new and innovative ways of working together to reach new audiences, provide new experiences and to share our monumental and global story of how north Wales roofed the world.”

The Quarrymen are at Penrhyn Castle on a daily basis during 2025.                                         

For more information about the history of Penrhyn Castle visit www.nationaltrust.org.uk/penrhyn-castle-and-garden

Every year on the 22 April, Earth Day is celebrated across the globe.  The aim of Earth Day is simple: “to diversify, educate and activate the environmental movement worldwide”.  2025 marks the 55^th anniversary of Earth Day and the theme is “Our Power, Our Planet”. 

Amgueddfa Cymru declared a climate emergency and a nature emergency in 2019.  We have long taken our commitment to protecting the environment seriously, but since this important milestone, we’ve increased our efforts and provided inspiration for others to follow.  Amgueddfa Cymru is uniquely placed to be a centre of learning and discovery for the Welsh public and for visitors from further afield.  We are committed to preserving historic items, maintaining beautiful buildings, keeping traditional skills alive and reducing our negative impact on the environment – all so that future generations can enjoy and be inspired by the same things that we have been fortunate enough to experience.

This blog explores some areas where Amgueddfa Cymru has been active.  Whether at home or work, how might you contribute to the Earth Day philosophy?

Biodiversity and Nature

Amgueddfa Cymru boasts a variety of outdoor spaces – from the dramatic landscapes surrounding the National Slate Museum in Llanberis, to the sweeping moorland of Big Pit in Blaenavon, to the tranquil marshy meadow of the National Wool Museum in Drefach Felindre.  There is a wide variety of species living in these special habitats.

Amgueddfa Cymru is fortunate to have a team of dedicated Natural Sciences curators with specialisms in Botany and Zoology.  As well as caring for the Museum’s sizeable collection (c. 5 million objects), the curators are actively involved in fieldwork and research.  The curators carry out surveys at of our 8 sites and recommend actions to maintain and enhance the habitats, so as to maximise the chances of increasing biodiversity.  Over time, it will be interesting to see how climate change impacts the species living at sites.

At National Museum Cardiff and St Fagans National Museum of History, the Gardening Team and Volunteer Team work to develop wildflower meadows by sowing yellow rattle and taking part in “No Mow May” (and June, July etc.).  Such activities will encourage pollinators to the area.  Why not visit in Spring or Summer and see how many species you can identify?  Alternatively, visit the National Wool Museum and follow the family friendly Meadow Trail.

Upcoming Biodiversity and Nature Events

• Great Big Green Week, 7^th – 15^th June 2025
• Wales Nature Week, 5^th – 13^th July 2025
• Celebration of Nature at St Fagans, 12^th July 2025
• Spring Bulbs for Schools 20^th anniversary, starting September 2025

Sustainability, Reuse and Self-Sufficiency

Several of Amgueddfa Cymru’s sites showcase sustainable methods and ways of life from the past.  The methods and materials used to construct the historic buildings re-erected at St Fagans can provide learning points for us today.  The story of the ingenuity of Welsh minds is expressed at the National Waterfront Museum Swansea while the National Wool Museum and National Slate Museum demonstrate how key Welsh industries harnessed the power of water and displayed a remarkable level of self-sufficiency.

Moving away from a linear economy (take, make, waste) and towards a circular economy is key to preserving the planet’s resources for future generations.  A recent example of the reuse culture within Amgueddfa Cymru is the refurbishment of the shop at Big Pit.  Old coal drams were reclaimed, lovingly restored and now take pride of place as a display feature in the shop.

• Grand opening of Big Pit shop,28 April 2025

Decarbonising

Amgueddfa Cymru is on a mission to decarbonise its built estate.  Work has been on-going to reduce the consumption of fossil fuels at sites by upgrading equipment to more efficient versions and by replacing heating systems with electrically powered alternatives (e.g. air source heat pumps).  Over 5 years (2019/20 to 2023/24), the consumption of natural gas has reduced by 36%.  The National Roman Legion Museum and the National Slate Museum are already heated and powered entirely by electricity from 100% renewable sources.

A significant project took place from January to March 2025 when eight buildings at four sites had fossil fuel heating systems (natural gas, LPG an oil) replaced with air source heat pumps.  The work took place thanks to funding from the Welsh Government Energy Service and will further reduce our carbon emissions.

Hi, Nicole, tell us a bit about yourself and your role at Amgueddfa Cymru. 

I'm Dr Nicole Deufel, and I'm Head of Museum here at the National Waterfront Museum in Swansea. My role is to lead the team, and at the moment we're looking at redeveloping the museum over the next few years.

What’s really special about this museum, the Waterfront within Amgueddfa Cymru, is that we’re in partnership with Swansea Council. A big part of my role right now is focused on that partnership, shaping it, strengthening it and securing it for the future.

We're so excited to hear about the plans you have for National Waterfront Museum, what can you share with us?

They’re big plans and coming in different phases, but we’re really keen to get started this year. In fact, we already have!

One of the key things for us is re-establishing the connection between our historic warehouse and its historic surroundings. We’re using that as a starting point to interpret the story of industry, development and innovation in Wales, and the global connections through the sea. It’s a really exciting story.

Personally, I’m just so thrilled we have the warehouse as a historic asset to help tell it.

Another big focus right now is identity. When you walk into the museum, I don’t think it’s immediately obvious who we are, especially when you compare it to other Amgueddfa Cymru museums. At Big Pit, for example, its identity is clear the moment you arrive. The same goes for the Wool Museum, I was there recently, and it just radiates what it’s about.

The Waterfront isn’t quite there yet, so that’s something we want to tackle. We want visitors coming in, especially through the city side entrance, to see wow objects that not only impress but also capture the essence of the stories we tell. We want our identity to shine just as brightly as it does in our other museums. So that people walk in and immediately know - I’m at the National Waterfront Museum!

You mentioned wow pieces. What role does the collection play in this new vision, and how important is the preservation and conservation of the collection? 

If I take the idea for the Weston Hall, the collection really helps us develop and illustrate the stories, which are the stories of people. The collection isn’t just a group of objects. They represent the story of Wales and the people of Wales.

That’s how we want to use the collection more. Not just showing the objects but digging deeper into the stories behind them and helping them shine.

As part of this redevelopment process, we’ll also be conserving and reinterpreting some of the objects by bringing out items that haven’t been on display for a long time and using them to tell the story here.

That’s what excites me about the collection. I was at the collection store recently, and the curator showed me the box van. That’s one of the objects we want to restore and use in an immersive exhibition space. Just by placing it in this space, it helps explain the colonnade, the warehouse, and the connections through the railways to the Welsh hinterland, and how goods travelled out into the world and back again. The collection enables us to share all of that. That’s why it’s so important.

What do you find most inspiring when you step into the Waterfront Museum, as it is today? 

We’re all just so excited to be here. I feel so lucky to come to work each day with an amazing, creative, professional team.

Together we’re looking at what works in the museum, what we can improve, and how we can place people, their stories and their experiences at the heart of everything we do. We want to connect people through their visit here and that’s what excites me.

I get to do this with a brilliant team, in a wonderful location. I absolutely love the warehouse, and so many of the objects in our collection. It’s all just so exciting. Every day, we really enjoy what we do.

Your GRAFT Garden is celebrating its seventh birthday this year, and it’s thriving, in a bustling city. How can we as Amgueddfa Cymru, or as visitors, get involved in the garden?

Everyone is welcome to visit and work in the garden.

At the moment, if you’re a general visitor, it might not be clear how the garden connects with the museum’s work. But there are so many innovative ideas and themes being explored in the garden, with people from all walks of life contributing their experiences.

We’re now looking at how we can make that more visible. We want to help people see that connection, so the garden becomes something they actively engage with and not just something they pass by.

It links so well with the themes we explore in our more traditional exhibition spaces, and it was such a brilliant idea to establish it. It’s a place where everyone can experience something meaningful, whether they’re volunteering or just popping out to have a look.

It’s a lovely contrast, this heavy industrial machinery alongside a sustainable, biodiversity-led garden. It really shows where Wales has come from and where it’s going. Sustainability is clearly at the heart of that. 

Absolutely. If we’re talking about deindustrialisation, which is one of the key themes we want to explore here, the garden is a great example.

The ground was polluted, which is why we use raised beds. Everything has grown from there. That’s what’s so exciting about it.

We hear you’ve been spending time exploring your new home, Wales. Have you had a chance to visit all of our museums yet?

Not quite. I haven’t made it to Llanberis yet, that’s top of my list. I’m going to Caerleon next week, and Big Pit on Friday. I’ve been to Big Pit before, but this time I’m really looking forward to going behind the scenes.

I’m loving it. And when it comes to our own development work here, it’s so important for us to understand our place in the wider story. That means really getting to know the other sites, beyond just the visitor experience.

Our National Slate Museum, the National Wool Museum, Roman Legion Museum and Big Pit all have such rich, recognised stories. How do you give industry and transport that same global recognition? It’s such an important part of Wales’s story, but not as synonymous as coal or slate. 

Exactly. Wales was the first industrial nation, and geography plays a big part in that. That’s something we’re really interested in.

The warehouse reflects all of it, you’ve got the railway lines coming through from the coalfields, the minerals, the docks, the people who worked here, and the connections to the sea.

But it’s not just a story of heavy industry. It’s also about geography, movement, innovation. One of my favourite pieces is the Robin Goch. It’s such a creative object, that kind of inventive spirit made industrial development possible, and it’s also central to the story of deindustrialisation and sustainability today.

We were just talking recently about community energy schemes happening now in Wales. These are stories we need to tell more strongly, and share with the world.

You mentioned the Robin Goch. Do you have a favourite object from the Amgueddfa Cymru collection?

I don’t have just one, but I absolutely adore the Robin Goch. It’s so ingenious, using everyday materials to make a flying object. It’s fantastic.

I also love the Penydarren locomotive. I probably have a soft spot for it because I worked in Wales previously, and Trevithick’s story was one of the first I came across.

To come here and see the replica is just brilliant. It’s not here at the moment it’s in Darlington, but when I saw it being moved and all the parts coming to life, it was really emotional. So yes, those two are probably my favourites.

In spring and summer, the grounds of St Fagans National Museum of History come alive with colour as wildflowers bloom across meadows, hedgerows, and gardens. These flowers are not only beautiful but have played an important role in Welsh rural life for centuries. From the wildflower meadows at the museum to the herbs grown in traditional cottage gardens, these plants connect us to the land and history of Wales. 

St Fagans is home to several wildflower meadows, each carefully managed to support biodiversity. At the front of the museum, a meadow welcomes visitors with a mix of native wildflowers, buzzing with pollinators throughout the summer. Another special meadow can be found in the apple orchard in the castle gardens; this Coronation Meadow is part of a UK-wide initiative to restore wildflower-rich grasslands. Among the wildflowers found in these meadows are yellow rattle, a plant known as the "meadow maker" for its ability to weaken grasses and allow other flowers to flourish and the dandelion, whose jagged leaves resemble a lion’s teeth. Daisy meaning "day’s eye," opens with the morning sun and closes at dusk. In nearby woodlands, bluebells or “cuckoo bells,” carpet the ground in a sea of blue; their name is linked to the arrival of spring and the call of the cuckoo. 

Wildflowers have long been a part of Welsh cottage gardens too. Several historic houses at St Fagans such as Nantwallter, Abernodwydd, and Hendre’r-ywydd Uchaf, feature herb gardens where families grew plants for cooking and medicine. These gardens are recreated using traditional methods and appropriate plant varieties to reflect the way of life of their former inhabitants. 

The garden of Nantwallter represents a farm labourer’s garden in Carmarthenshire in the late 18th century, when families relied on their gardens for food, medicine, and household essentials. The family would have been largely self-sufficient, growing vegetables and herbs. Alongside cultivated crops, they gathered wild plants for their practical and medicinal properties. These gardens would have included plant like tansy, an aromatic plant once used to repel insects, betony which was used in traditional treatments for headaches and anxiety and was commonly used to treat wounds. 

Many of these medicinal plants were also used by the Physicians of Myddfai, legendary healers from Carmarthenshire whose herbal knowledge was recorded in medieval manuscripts. The herb bed at Nantwallter contains plants linked to the Physicians, including fennel, wormwood and cowslips. These herbs treated all sorts of different ailments, and their use has been passed down through generations. 

Wildflowers are not only a connection to the past, but they are also important for supporting wildlife. In recent years, initiatives like No Mow May have encouraged people to stop cutting their lawns for a month, providing shelter and food for insects such as bees, butterflies, and small animals. 

During the summer, you can see wildflowers blooming at St Fagans. They were an important part of everyday life in the past, valued for their practical uses. Today, they are just as important, supporting wildlife and reminding us of the connection between people and nature through the ages. 
 

We’re excited to share Wales REACH (Residents Engaging in Arts, Culture and Heritage): a new creative collaboration between Amgueddfa Cymru and The Open University. This project is all about celebrating the rich heritage, creativity, and untold stories of communities across Wales. Wales REACH is working with five communities:

• Butetown, Cardiff
• Dyffryn Nantlle, Gwynedd
• Sandfields, Port Talbot
• People with learning disabilities in Rhondda Cynon Taf and the Vale of Glamorgan
• Rural communities in Pembrokeshire

Together, we’ll be uncovering hidden histories, spotlighting local talent, and exploring Amgueddfa Cymru’s collections. The project will result in a mix of online showcases and a physical exhibition.

Activities

At the heart of Wales REACH are heritage and creative workshops, designed not just to explore the past but to bring people together, develop new skills, and build lasting relationships.

REACH runs lots of free events and workshops across our five participating communities. These are opportunities for community members to get stuck into all types of artistic and creative fun inspired by local history and heritage. No prior experience is needed, and everyone is welcome.

Get Involved!

Do you live in one of these communities? We'd love to hear from you! Drop us a message at Wales.REACH@open.ac.uk to find out how you can take part. Want to find out more? Visit the Wales REACH website for updates on upcoming events and activities, local stories and much more.

Wales REACH is made possible with The National Lottery Heritage Fund.

It is a partnership between thirteen organisations and is led by The Open University and Amgueddfa Cymru. It is funded with a grant from the National Lottery Heritage Fund. The current phase started in autumn 2024 and is scheduled to run until autumn 2026.