Tredegar House and Dyffryn Gardens brought to life at 2024 National Eisteddfod as National Trust Cymru celebrates nature and history on the Maes
- Published:
- 29 July 2024
Visitors to this year’s National Eisteddfod in Rhondda Cynon Taf can get a taste of two of National Trust Cymru’s properties on their doorstep as they step into miniature versions of Tredegar House and Dyffryn Gardens this August.
Taking inspiration from both Tredegar House’s glistening gilt room and Dyffryn Gardens’ Edwardian landscape, visitors to National Trust Cymru’s stand at the Eisteddfod will find themselves transported to two enchanting properties within a stone’s throw from this year’s site. Held between 3 and 10 August, the Eisteddfod attracts 150,000 visitors annually, serving as an annual celebration of Welsh culture and language.
The Trust holds a particularly pertinent link to this year’s festival, which is taking place in Ynysangharad Park in the centre of Pontypridd, as Godfrey Morgan, who inherited Tredegar House in 1875, was himself a proud supporter of the Eisteddfod. He donated the Corn Hirlas (Horn of Plenty) which is still used at the Eisteddfod today as a crucial part of the Gorsedd Cymru ceremonies. The horn features Godfrey’s family crest, a stag’s head, and images and writings from him regarding the 1893 Eisteddfod which also took place in Pontypridd, can be found at the stand.
Lizzie Smith Jones, General Manager for National Trust Cymru in South East Wales, said:
“We’re incredibly proud and excited that the National Eisteddfod will be coming to Rhondda Cynon Taf this year and can’t wait to showcase just a small part of the fantastic offering we have for visitors at both Tredegar House and Dyffryn Gardens.
“It’s a privilege to share more about Tredegar House’s connection with the Eisteddfod and we hope visitors enjoy discovering more about Godfrey Morgan’s story and experiencing our ‘mini gilt room’ on the Maes.
“Plus, there’s also the opportunity for children and adults alike to dress up as Lord and Lady Tredegar in our dress-up section, taking away a photo of themselves from our old-timey camera. On top of this, there’s a chance for all to get crafty and make their own flowers and bugs to take away from our on-site mini Dyffryn Gardens!”
As well as giving visitors the chance to get a taster in miniature form of two of their local places during the festival week, the conservation organisation will also be sharing free day passes to those who visit the stand so that they can head off to see the real thing at both Dyffryn and Tredegar later in the summer or an alternative National Trust Cymru place of their choice.
Sitting just on the outskirts of Cardiff, not far from Rhondda Cynon Taf, Dyffryn Gardens is the perfect place for a family visit across all seasons, with summer providing visitors of all ages a chance to enjoy the feeling of freedom in nature. Tredegar House in Newport is an impressive mansion house situated on 90 acres of garden and parkland making it the perfect place for a day of exploration just outside of Pontypridd.