Family / Things to do as a family
With the kids: St Fagans National Museum of History
Nestled in a beautiful village just outside Cardiff is St Fagans National Museum of History, where you can step back in time and explore Welsh dwellings of the past.
Over 40 original buildings from across Wales have been re-erected across 100 acres of parklands and refurbished to reflect the era.
St Fagans is an open air museum and with the threat of rain, it might not have been the best day to explore. This wasn’t going to deter us; we packed our wet weather gear and off we went.
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As we drove up the winding road, it was difficult to appreciate exactly what St Fagans had in store for us but we knew that there would be plenty to see and do on the other side of the entrance building. The museum is split into two areas, the castle with its gardens and the historic buildings and with the heavens on the verge of opening, we decided to head towards the castle for shelter.
The castle is a 16th century manor house – and welcomed respite from the rain
We followed the path that took us past beautiful ponds, fountains and gardens. The only thing my children were interested in was whether there was an opportunity to play pooh sticks.
We headed to the castle, a stunning 16th century manor house, and we got a real sense of what life might have been like, especially for servants that would have worked there. My children were mesmerised by the list of chores on display that would be completed by servants, their day starting in the early hours of the morning and finishing hours after bedtime.
Having spent time inside it was time to explore the grounds of the castle and when a downpour began we found a pagoda to take cover and have our lunchtime picnic. If we hadn’t come prepared, there were plenty of options available onsite, from the main restaurant to smaller cafes.
The gardens of the castle were a great opportunity to stretch our legs
With bellies full, it was time to continue our adventure and explore the myriad of Welsh buildings from across the ages.
Our favourites included the Rhyd-y-car Terrace, a typical terrace house that coal miners would have called home. The first thing my children commented on was the lack of space, closely followed by how narrow the stairs were and asking where the toilet was.
There was a pre-fabricated 1940’s house, which we were told would have been given to soldiers on returning from the war as a thank you for their efforts. Although small, it had all the mod cons of the time.
The Gwalia Stores were another highlight. Completely different from the high street shops that we are now used to, the stores included a sweetshop that I had to try and steer my children away from!
We couldn’t come to the museum without a visit to the Maestir School, which was truly a step back in time. The blackboard and abacus were completely alien to my children.
Having learned so much, we’d earned a well deserved treat of coffee and cake as well as a quick stop at the playground before heading home.
It is free to visit St Fagans National Musem of History. Visit the www.museum.wales/stfagans to learn more.
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