St Fagans National History Museum. 3rd April 2013

I paid a visit to the St Fagans National History Museum near Cardiff, also known as the Museum of Welsh Life.

Since opening in 1948 over 40 historic buildings from across Wales have been dismantled, brought to the museum and re-erected in 100 acre grounds.
You can find out more here: http://www.museumwales.ac.uk/en/stfagans/historic-buildings/

Here are some pictures... (you can click to see them bigger.)


Kennixton Farmhouse

The earliest part of this farmhose dates from about 1610. The furnishings are mainly 18th century.

Beams



Irons.

Circular stone pig-sty. C 1800.



Corn Mill Water-wheel

St Teilo's Church

Reconstruction of an Iron-Age roundhouse.

One of my favourite buildings was the Oakdale Workmen's Institute.

Library at the Oakdale Workmen's Institute

Window at Oakdale Workmen's Institute.



Upstairs at Gwalia Stores.



I am reading Pandaemonum 1660 - 1886 by Humphrey Jennings at the moment. The subtitle is 'The coming of the machine as seen by contemporary observers'. It's a collection of first hand accounts, letters, poems and notes from witnesses to the industrial revolution. (The book inspired the opening ceremony of the Olympics). This museum also offers a visual insight into the radical changes that took place during this period and how they affected the way people lived. ...(and live)

A row of 6 ironworkers terraced houses at the museum have been furnished and adapted to show different periods of occupation. They were occupied from 1795 to 1985! More info here: http://www.museumwales.ac.uk/en/stfagans/buildings/rhydycar/

A plate in the Rhyd-y-car Terrace



Mirror in the 1955 Rhyd-y-Car Terrace



Living-Shed.

Yard at Rhyd-y-Car Terrace.



Roller-Skates.



Anvil at the Smithy.



Cilewent Farmhouse. A longhouse which would have housed cattle at one end.



Byre-floor.



Window - Cilewent Farmhouse.

Nant Wallter Cottage - C 1770



A pig enjoying a rare bit of sunshine.

A wonderful museum...so much to see...and it's free!

Afternoon Skies. Cheltenham 17th February 2013

Canal walk, Stroud. 15th Feb 2013

I had a wander along the disused canal near Stroud on what felt like the first sunny day in a long time.

This is where the Thames and Severn Canal joins the Stroudwater Navigation.

A short way out from Stroud, passing this gate I could hear the whirr and steady, repetetive motion of machinery and could smell burning coal.

Old woollen mill buildings appear.

Two doors and lifting equipment.

Old yellow door.

These buildings are a part of Lodgemore Mill. Lodgemore Mill is one of the few remaining working woollen mills in the cotswolds and these days produces fine woollen cloth for use on billiard tables and tennis balls.

The River Frome runs through the mills and there is also a lake where I spotted this sign. I think I know what it once said....

...I think.

There are other strange things in the water too.

I head back to the canal where someone has amused themselves with the weight limit sign of a little bridge.

Further along the canal it gets a little muddy. There is a brand new swing bridge which somehow I didn't take a picture of. Further on there are the remains of an old lock.

This section of the canal is gradually being restored. The idea is that the restoration of the Stroudwater Navigation and the thames and Severn Canal will link the rivers Severn and Thames for the first time in 70 years. 

http://www.cotswoldcanalsproject.org/general.asp?pid=2&pgid=1895

There has been a lot of recent construction.

And you can see the old and the new.

Muddy footed I head away from the canal and back into the old town.