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Wales Online
07-07-2025
- General
- Wales Online
Castle in 'significant state' handed £4.5m to save it
Castle in 'significant state' handed £4.5m to save it The £4.5m funding from Welsh Government and the council will go towards preserving Cyfarthfa Castle in Merthyr Tydfil (Image: Welsh Government ) A Welsh castle which has been described as being in a 'significant state of deterioration' will see £4.5m spent on it for urgent conservation works as it marks its 200th anniversary. The Welsh Government has announced that its historic environment service Cadw and Merthyr Tydfil Council will each contribute £2.25m to address the deterioration to the oldest part of Cyfarthfa Castle as well as protecting Pont-y-Cafnau bridge which is located to the south of the wider Cyfarthfa site and reputedly the oldest iron railway bridge in the world. In February a council report said the castle was in a 'significant state of deterioration' adding that the condition of the property had continued to deteriorate and that was now fast approaching a state of dereliction, raising serious safety concerns and an increasing cost of rehabilitation. Since the previous council report in July 2023 additional ceilings had collapsed and a tap-test of the ceilings had resulted in certain rooms being isolated from entry. A condition survey identified the need to protect the building and suggested that a scaffold with a roof covering be erected to prevent further water ingress and associated deterioration while giving the building the opportunity to dry out. In April plans were submitted to improve the drainage at the park and castle including a new below-ground level drainage network. Article continues below The castle is home to a museum and art galleries taking up just 20% of the building but the other 80% of the building, which once housed Cyfarthfa High School, is closed to the public. The Cyfarthfa Foundation is a charity established to champion the long-term development of Cyfarthfa aiming to restore the building, expand museum displays and art galleries, and develop the 160-acre park for future generations. To get all the latest Merthyr Tydfil news straight to your inbox, sign up to our newsletter here. It is working in partnership with the council to take these projects forward. The Welsh Government said that this funding, and the work of the council and the foundation, also aims to boost the numbers of visitors who come and explore the castle, gardens, and lake, enjoy the play facilities, and participate in various activities offered throughout the grounds. There will be events to mark the bicentenary this weekend (July 5 and 6) with two days of activities. Cyfarthfa will host free access to the museum and art gallery and a programme of talks on the castle's past as well as the plans for its future. There will also be storytelling sessions, a Victorian portrait studio, nature walks and trails, and an artisan market with produce and crafts from local traders. Standing since 1825 Cyfarthfa Castle was originally constructed as the family residence of ironmaster William Crawshay II. Together with the other Merthyr ironworks – Dowlais, Penydarren, and Plymouth – Cyfarthfa made Merthyr the greatest centre of ironmaking in the world from 1800 to 1860. The Cyfarthfa Industrial Heritage Area contains some of Wales' most important legacy assets including the castle, ironworks, and bridge. Council leader Brent Carter said: 'The Cyfarthfa Castle redevelopment is a priority project for the council and will be delivered in a phased approach over a number of years. 'The funding secured from Welsh Government and the council will have a significant impact in enabling essential conservation work to take place preserving a treasured asset and the jewel in Merthyr's crown. Article continues below 'Cyfarthfa Castle is a special place for many people throughout Merthyr Tydfil and based on feedback from residents we know that this is also a priority project for them. Many people went to school there, including myself, and it holds a lot of wonderful memories so it's great to see these plans start to come to fruition.' Welsh Government minister for culture Jack Sargeant MS said:'Cyfarthfa Castle stands as a monumental piece of Welsh heritage telling the story of our industrial past and cultural journey. As we mark its 200th anniversary it's great to be able to announce this £4.5m investment to help safeguard its future.'
Yahoo
28-04-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Devin Williams demoted from closer role after awful start to Yankees career
Access the Yankees beat like never before Join Post Sports+ for exciting subscriber-only features, including real-time texting with Greg Joyce about the inside buzz on the Yankees. Try it free Devin Williams has clearly had difficulty acclimating to his new environment since being traded from the Brewers to New York to be the Yankees closer. Advertisement Now, he'll have to get accustomed to another unfamiliar role: ex-closer. Aaron Boone said Sunday that he told Williams he was being removed as closer 'for right now' after two more collapses in his most recent outings, as his tenure in The Bronx gets off to an almost unimaginably poor start. Luke Weaver, who replaced Clay Holmes in the closer role late last season, will do the same this time around. 'For right now, I'm gonna take him out of that role,'' Boone said of Williams before Sunday's doubleheader against Toronto. 'As I said to him, 'You've still got everything to be great.' This is a guy who's in the prime of his career and is just going through it a little bit. It happens.' Devin Williams reacts during the Yankees' loss April 25. Getty Images Usually not to this extent, especially given the 30-year-old's previous success with Milwaukee. Advertisement But after giving up a series-altering homer to the Mets' Pete Alonso in the wild-card round last October and then getting traded to the Yankees, Williams has been bad. He opened the season with four shaky outings, allowing four walks and four runs in three innings before straightening himself in four consecutive solid appearances. Then came consecutive outings in which Williams allowed multiple runs, including his blown save on Friday. That left him with 10 earned runs in just 12 innings, as well as a WHIP of 2.375. Devin Williams is pictured during the Yankees' loss April 25. Jason Szenes for the NY Post Williams has been almost unrecognizable from the pitcher that was among the most effective relievers in the game for most of the previous five years. Advertisement 'He's got everything to get through this and come out better on the other side and that's my expectation,' Boone said. 'But for right now, I feel it's best for everyone that we pull him out of that role and just try to start building some good rhythm and confidence and momentum. I fully expect him to be a central figure for us moving forward.' In what capacity, though, remains to be seen. Williams has been booed on multiple occasions by the unforgiving Stadium crowd this season. Boone noted that even Mariano Rivera heard some of those when Boone arrived to the Yankees as a player in 2003. By then, though, Rivera was already among the best closers in the sport, with a long history in The Bronx. Advertisement Williams has seemed uncomfortable since arriving to the Yankees and he certainly hasn't made it easier on himself by struggling with his command. He's given up far more hits and walks than he usually does and his strikeout rate has plummeted. Although April is typically Williams' toughest month of the season, he's never pitched this poorly and neither his four-seamer nor his infamous changeup have been overpowering. Asked about the difficulty some players have of playing in The Bronx, Boone said, 'I think there's that adjustment and Devin really has been nothing but successful at the major league level,'' Boone said. 'I'm sure there is some shock, getting settled with a new team, a new environment. My reminder to him was, 'You have all the equipment to do this at an elite level.' That's still the reality. Nobody likes [being booed], but that's what you've got to do as a big leaguer. You've got to deal with external factors that can leak in and have an effect on you.'
