A Day of Welsh History at St Fagans

Come and enjoy a day of Welsh History at St Fagans National Museum of History, shortlisted for the Arts Fund Museum of the Year Award 2019.

The exclusive U3A study day will take place in the museum, set in 100 acres of beautiful parkland in the village of St Fagans, just outside of Cardiff. The day will include 3 historical talks and 2 hours of free time to explore the museum and all it has to offer in your own time. A plenary session at the end of the day will give you the opportunity to ask questions.

Step into the past through the world famous open air museum and explore historic buildings brought to St Fagans from across Wales, such as St Teilo’s Church (built between 12,000 and 15,000 and re-erected at St Fagans in 2007), Oakdale Workman’s Institute (built in 1916 and re-erected at St Fagans in 1995), and Nantwallter Cottage (built about 1760 and re-erected at St Fagans in 1993), to name but a few.

Visit the crafts people demonstrating their traditional skills such as clog making and blacksmithing.

Delve deeper into the history of Wales during a range of fascinating talks from the curatorial team of the museum.

Piecing the Past: the Wrexham Tailor’s Quilt by Elen Phillips, Principal Curator Contemporary & Community History

Discover the story of James Williams, a military tailor from Wrexham, who spent a decade (1842-52) meticulously piecing a patchwork quilt during his leisure hours. In this talk, curator Elen Phillips will present the biography of this celebrated piece of folk art, framed within the context of textile craft collecting at National Museum Wales.

The Vernacular Architecture of Wales by Dafydd William, Principal Curator of Historic Buildings:

A useful introduction to the development of the domestic home in Wales. From roundhouse to long-house, St Fagan’s collection of historical buildings - spanning some 2,000 years - will serve to highlight the route to the modern home.

The Triple Harp by Fflur Morse, Senior Curator Cultural Life:

The talk will look at the fascinating history of the triple harp, an instrument with three rows of strings and no pedals that has widely become known as ‘The Welsh Harp’. It will investigate how a harp with its origin in Renaissance Italy settled firmly in Wales, and how it was nurtured as a Welsh instrument, becoming a significant symbol of Wales during the eighteenth century.