A look back at Merthyr Tydfil through the years

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Being from the Gurnos is a source of pride for many, as demonstrated by Michelle Plummer and her 20-month-old daughter Christie in 1997
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Merthyr Tydfil has a rich industrial heritage, with chimney stacks dominating the skyline in this photo form about 1896
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Cefn Viaduct is an imposing structure on the Merthyr landscape, it was completed on 29 October 1866 and the last trains travelled over it in the mid 1960s
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Mining - as with much of the south Wales valleys - was a major employer in Merthyr. Here, coal miner Edward Maybank and his workmates enjoy a cup of tea in the canteen of the Merthyr Vale Colliery in 1947
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Labour Party founder James Keir Hardie served as the town's MP from 1900 to 1915 and is commemorated with a plaque on the old Town Hall
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This Merthyr family was photographed on 24 February 1983 as the economic crisis hit people across the UK with rising unemployment
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For a time, Hoover was synonymous with Merthyr Tydfil. At its peak, the factory, which opened in 1948, employed 5,000 people but production came to an end in 2009
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The Gurnos estate is a well-known feature of the town. First built in the 1950s, there was a major expansion in the '70s, including Prince Charles Hospital
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In 1988, the town became home to an artificial ski slope that was even visited by Eddie 'The Eagle' Edwards
Image source, Merthyr Tydfil council
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Commissioned and built in 1824-25, Cyfarthfa Castle was constructed for William Crawshay II, who was one of the most influential men in Wales at the time

14 June 2025

Merthyr Tydfil is in the spotlight at the moment as the town's Cyfarthfa Castle celebrates its 200th birthday.

As a result, BBC Wales is marking this occasion with a special series of programmes.

These will look at the history, culture and people of Merthyr and delve into how it developed as the first industrial town in the world and that legacy.

Here is a look back at the people and places that have made Merthyr Tydfil over the past 200 years.

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