I really like this museum. It’s the least visited of Wales’ National Museums, but I suspect that’s due to it’s more remote location, it’s certainly not because of a lack of quality or interesting exhibits!
Before the coal mining boom in South Wales, wool was the country’s most important industry and the little village of Dre-fach Felindre was at its centre. The Museum is housed in the historic Cambrian Mills building which was built in 1902.
Knowledgeable staff and interesting exhibits explain how the making of woollen cloth in Wales went from cottage industry to mechanised mass production. Each step of the process from fleece to cloth is covered and a wide variety of historic machinery is on display. The Melin Teifi company operate a woollen mill on the premises and the museum’s overhead walkway allows visitors to get a good view of their craftspeople and machinery at work. The products made here are available to buy at the on-site shop.
Oh… and have you ever heard the phrase “I’m on tenterhooks”? You’ll find out where that came from here too!