To what extent do the rhyd-y-car cottages at the museum of Welsh life, St.Fagans provide an accurate picture of housing and living conditions in Merthyr Tydfil in the 19th Century?

... RYAN DAVIES TO WHAT EXTENT DO THE RHYD-Y-CAR COTTAGES AT THE MUSEUM OF WELSH LIFE, ST. FAGANS PROVIDE AN ACCURATE PICTURE OF HOUSING AND LIVING CONDITIONS IN MERTHYR TYDFIL IN THE 19TH CENTURY? Merthyr Tydfil, with its naturally occurring ironstone and ample woodlands, attracted the great English ironmasters to the area (the Guests, the Bacons and Crawshays). From 1759 to 1784, first the Dowlais Furnaces and then the Plymouth Works were opened, followed by the Cyfarthfa and the Penydarren Works. These works produced largely pig iron, which was carried down to Cardiff on horse pack. In 1794, however, the marketing situation was dramatically improved with the building of the Glamorgan Canal, which ran from Cardiff and ended at Richard Crawshay's Cyfartha plant. This enabled the rapid expansion of the iron-works, and with it the demand for labour and housing. Once the canal was opened, Richard Crawshay bought most of

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