Press Releases

New sounds at St Fagans

The new bell which has been cast especially for St Teilo’s Church - moved stone by stone from its home on the flood plain of the River Lougher near Pontarddulais to St Fagans: National History Museum - was rung for the first time today (Monday 4 June 2007).

Mr Hefin Looker, one of Amgueddfa Cymru - National Museum Wales' Patrons and previously chairman of the Museum's Friends Committee, was given the first opportunity to ring the bell this afternoon. Mr Looker kindly funded the bell in memory of his late wife Gwyneth.

The fully restored medieval church has been reconstructed as it would have looked around 1520 will be officially opened on 14 October 2007. The process of re-erecting this building at St Fagans has been an attraction in itself. Visitors have witnessed, first hand, the traditional methods used by the Museum's specialist craftsmen to build the first authentic reconstruction in the UK of a medieval masonry-built church.

Entry to all National Museum Wales - Amgueddfa Cymru sites is free, thanks to the support of the Welsh Assembly Government.

Amgueddfa Cymru - National Museum Wales operates seven national museums across Wales.  These are National Museum Cardiff, St Fagans: National History Museum, National Roman Legion Museum, Caerleon, Big Pit: National Coal Museum, Blaenafon, National Wool Museum, Dre-fach Felindre, National Slate Museum, Llanberis and the National Waterfront Museum, Swansea.

Amgueddfa Cymru - National Museum Wales celebrates its centenary in 2007.  For more details go to the 07 pages on our website - www.museumwales.ac.uk.

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For further information, photographs or interview opportunities, please contact Catrin Mears, Communications Officer, on 07920 027067 / email catrin.mears@museumwales.ac.uk.