As someone who studied Welsh history at university, and has been blogging about the subject for four whole years now, its great to see the renewed interest in Welsh culture following the Welsh football team’s use of history and the Welsh language in their campaigns.
Unfortunately, not all of us were taught Welsh history in schools. It has only recently become a compulsory part of the curriculum here in Wales. There’s a lot of us who want to learn more, but (after reading all the Welsh history books) where do we start?!
To help you learn more about Welsh history I’ve compiled my Top 10 places you can visit to learn more about Welsh history. These aren’t necessarily your big tourist attractions – these are historical sites in Wales which bore witness to pivotal moments in Welsh history, places that will send shivers down your spine, places that will make you realise why Wales is so distinct and special.
Its a very personal list, but I hope you enjoy visiting these sites as much as I do.
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Aberfan
On 21 October 1966, 144 people, including 116 schoolchildren, were killed in one of Wales’ most tragic disasters at Aberfan. A tip of coal waste, made unstable by rain, slid down the mountain, burying the school and 12 houses. An enquiry held into the disaster blamed the National Coal Board for ignoring warnings of the problem.
Today, there is little to remind visitors of this tragic past, except for a memorial garden in the village (at the site of the destroyed school) and the children’s section in the local cemetery. However, it is still worth a visit to remember one of the most devastating and poignant moments in Welsh history.
2. Capel Celyn
In 1956, Liverpool Corporation proposed to flood 800 acres of land and the village of Capel Celyn near Bala in order to create the Tryweryn Reservoir. Despite numerous high profile protests the bill allowing the flooding of the valley was passed the following year. After all the residents had left, the Tryweryn Reservoir was officially opened in 1965.
Today, as well as visiting the reservoir, you can visit the Capel Celyn memorial chapel which reopened last year. The chapel was built using stones from the buildings in the village which now sits beneath the Tryweryn reservoir.
3. St Fagans National Museum of Wales
I LOVE this museum, and can easily spend the whole day wondering around the 100 acre site. Over 40 buildings from different time periods from all across Wales have been taken apart stone-by-stone and painstakingly rebuilt on this one site. Its like having a microcosm of Welsh history in easy reach. The buildings are really something special, and you can truly step back in time by visiting a medieval church and a recreation of a llys (royal court) amongst others.
However, I get my most spine-tingling moments in the modern galleries that house the artefacts. There is a clock from Aberfan – stopped at the exact moment the coal tip hit – and the Owain Glyndwr Great Seal amongst other important items.
4. Yr Ysgwrn
This Welsh farmhouse near Trawsfynydd was once home to Hedd Wyn, aka Ellis Humphrey Evans, the famous Welsh poet. He won the bardic chair at the 1917 Eisteddfod in Birkenhead, but sadly he had been killed six weeks prior at the Third Battle of Ypres. The chair was draped in black and sent to his parents at Yr Ysgwrn.
As well as focusing on the life and legacy of Hedd Wyn, Yr Ysgwrn also tells the story of the bardic tradition in Wales. Several of the bardic chairs won by Hedd Wyn, including the famous Black Chair, are on display. This is a great place to learn more about the history of the Eisteddfod, one of our most important cultural institutions here in Wales.
5. Cilmeri
One of the most pivitol moments in Welsh history was the death of the last prince of an independent Wales, Llywelyn ap Gryffydd – or Llywelyn ein Llyw Olaf.
Llywelyn was killed near Cilmeri, Builth Wells on the 11th of December 1282 at the Battle of Orewin Bridge. Contemporary accounts say the prince was tricked into separating from his army, before being attacked and killed. The spot where Llywelyn fell was marked in 1902 by a stone obelisk, but this was replaced in 1956 by a block of granite (from Trefor Quarry in Llywelyn’s native Gwynedd).
If you have time, as well as visiting Cilmeri you can follow in Llywelyn’s final footsteps by visiting these other historical sites in Mid Wales.
6. Strata Florida Abbey
The Cistercians were the monastic order of choice in medieval Wales. They established deep roots in Wales from their 13 abbeys, choosing to site their foundations in very rural locations in order to be coser to God. They were also very talented sheep farmers, helping establish the woollen industry as a major part of the Welsh economy for centuries.
They left a legacy of abbeys, and while tourists flock to Tintern Abbey I recommend putting the extra effort in and making the pilgrimage to the remote Strata Florida Abbey in Ceredigion – or Ystrad Fflur to give it its proper Welsh name. Its only in this very rural location that you get the true sense of why the Cistercians chose Wales to convene with God.
7. The National Library of Wales
The National Library of Wales, situated overlooking the coastal town of Aberystwyth, is the biggest library in Wales, holding over 6.5 million books and periodicals, and the largest collection of archives, portraits, maps and photographic images in Wales. The building is very impressive, but its the contents which make it really special.
The greatest treasure the library holds is undoubtedly the medieval Peniarth manuscripts, probably the most important Welsh manuscripts in existence. The manuscripts include The Black Book of Carmarthen, the oldest Welsh manuscript in existence; The Book of Taliesin, containing some of the oldest poets in Welsh; and The White Book of Rhydderch, the earliest collection of Welsh prose, including The Mabinogion.
8. Harlech Castle
I had to include one castle on this list somewhere – and it was a hard choice! There are many beautiful castles in Wales, often in jaw-dropping locations – but in my mind Harlech Castle has the historical significance to go along with imposing structures and stunning setting.
Set on a rocky crag against the backdrop of the Snowdonia mountains, this concentric castle commissioned by Edward I is part of the wider UNESCO World Heritage Site made up of Edward’s ‘Iron Ring’ of fortresses built to subdue the Welsh. However, Harlech has bore witness to great moments of Welsh rebellion, and was chosen by Owain Glyndwr as his court in the early 15th Century.
9. The Slate Landscape of Northwest Wales
While most people would probably include the valleys of South Wales as one of their top historical sites in Wales, for me there is something special about Wales’ newest UNESCO World Heritage Site – the slate landscape of North Wales. As you drive up the A470, and pass through towns like Blaenau Ffestiniog, there is something quite beautiful about the grey landscape.
The National Slate Museum in Llanberis is the obvious choice to visit, but check out my mini-travel guide over on Instagram to discover what other historical attractions you can visit in this new UNESCO World Heritage Site.
View this guide on Instagram
10. A Welsh chapel
Followers will know I love my Welsh churches, but even I have to admit that if you want to hear the echoes of Welsh history, you should visit a non-conformist chapel – and there is one chapel that stands out above all the others!
Known as the ‘Cathedral of Welsh non-conformity’, the Tabernacle Chapel in Morriston, Swansea was one of the most largest and expensive chapels ever built in Wales. It is still a functioning chapel, largely unaltered. You can visit by appointment or attend a service.
If you want to experience Welsh history then I recommend you get out and visit some of these historical sites in Wales. Perhaps you have visited some already? Or perhaps you have some personal favourites you would like to add to the list? Let us know in the comments below.
Still here? Then you must REALLY like visiting historical sites in Wales! Why not check out my Welsh History Travel Guide to help you on your adventures!
