“There’s so much more to Merthyr than meets the eye”

As Cyfarthfa Castle celebrates its 200th year, History graduate Charlotte Barry is helping to show future generations that her hometown of Merthyr Tydfil is a place to be proud of.

Born and bred in Merthyr, Charlotte attended Afon Taf High School and The College Merthyr Tydfil before studying the BA in History at USW.

“Studying at USW was the best experience that I could have had,” she said. “The lecturers get to know you so well, and the course was centred around areas of history that I particularly enjoyed. It really opened doors for me, and helped me to give back to Merthyr in the best way.”

Charlotte’s passion for history started at school, when an inspirational teacher encouraged her to pursue the subject beyond the classroom.

“I had a particularly great History teacher, and studying World War Two really sparked my enthusiasm for the subject,” she said. “But at the time, I naively thought that my only career option was to become a teacher, and while I wasn’t sure whether that was the right path for me, I did know that I wanted to work with children.”

Fortunately, having gained experience at Cyfarthfa Castle as a museum assistant, Charlotte was able to apply for her dream role as Education and Interpretation Officer.

“Jobs like this hardly ever come up at museums – let alone in Wales – so I knew I had to go for it,” she said. I could hardly believe that, after visiting the castle with my family from the age of three, I had come full circle and was able to use my degree in such a rewarding, meaningful way.”

Charlotte has been the Education & Interpretation Officer at Cyfarthfa Castle since 2022, organising all formal learning activities for local schools, and delivering a range of workshops tailored to every stage of the curriculum.

“One of the most rewarding elements of the role is that I’m able to see the impact that the museum has on little ones,” she said. “They are amazed by what they can find in the museum, and all the different activities they can do. We work hard to break down the stereotype that museums are boring places, with lots of text to read and exhibits that are cordoned off.

“By introducing so many interactive elements, we are showing that buildings like this don’t have to be formal – they can be a fun environment for learning and discovering something new.”

The Cyfarthfa200 celebrations have been taking place throughout 2025, with events and exhibitions highlighting the national and international importance of the site, and the history of its people and communities.

“The bicentenary is a fantastic way to invite people of all ages into the castle and encourage them to get involved in a huge range of activities,” said Charlotte. “We’ve focused a lot of our events on what Cyfarthfa means to the people of Merthyr, giving them a sense of pride, ownership and belonging.

“A lot of our work focuses on changing some of the negative perceptions around Merthyr. People tend to be quite disillusioned by the stereotypes that those who come from here are uneducated; that they leave school with no job or real prospects – which is so far removed from our reality.

“Sadly, these perceptions have become so ingrained for the past few decades that it will take time to strip those back and show future generations that there is so much more to Merthyr than meets the eye.

“Anyone who is familiar with the area will tell you that Cyfarthfa Castle is the jewel in Merthyr’s crown, and that is so true – it’s such a special building with a history for everyone, whatever they are interested in. Our collection is so broad and diverse, with more than 17,000 objects that vary from the iron and coal industry to ancient Egypt and the Roman Empire.

“So many influential people have come from this little town in the valleys, which was the birthplace of incredible inventions such as the first steam engine and the first electric car. We have so much to be proud of, and I feel privileged to be a small part of it.”