With Cyfarthfa Castle celebrating its 200th anniversary, and with the site being shortlisted for a Museum and Heritage Award, the Cyfarthfa Foundation wanted to overhaul an old, tired wayfinding system that existed throughout the park. Following a competitive tender process, Morgans Consult were appointed to deliver this strategy and implementation project.
The result? A clear, clean and intuitive wayfinding system that incorporates the Park’s new visual identity while celebrating the landscape and local heritage,
About the Park
Cyfarthfa Park and Castle brings together open green space, far‑reaching views and one of Wales’ most important historic sites, all in one place.
The Grade II* registered park is positioned above the town of Merthyr Tydfil in the Welsh valleys. Free to enjoy year‑round, it’s popular for walking, relaxing and hosts major events including concerts, fireworks and charity runs.
This 160-acre park features lots of different zones and attractions including Cyfarthfa Museum and Art Gallery, woodland trails, a lake, miniature railway, multiple cafes, playgrounds, tennis courts, and giant storytelling installations.
As a community hub, Cyfarthfa also provides learning activities delivered by Merthyr’s Roots, Merthyr Tydfil & District Naturalist Society, and Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council.
The Audit
Our appointment began with a comprehensive wayfinding audit of the entire 160-acre park. Over multiple site visits, every existing sign was photographed, mapped and assessed for its condition, visibility, content, placement and effectiveness. Visitor arrival routes, decision points and key destinations were analysed to understand how people moved through the site and where navigation broke down.
Alongside the physical audit, we worked closely with Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council, the Cyfarthfa Foundation, on-site businesses and park users to gather detailed feedback through stakeholder workshops, public consultation and user surveys. This highlighted recurring issues including unclear parking, poor orientation, inconsistent signage, inaccessible routes and underused areas of the park.
We used feedback gathered from stakeholder workshops, public consultations and surveys to inform wayfinding recommendations.
The findings formed a complete evidence base that identified opportunities to simplify navigation, improve accessibility, strengthen the park’s identity and create a unified wayfinding strategy capable of supporting Cyfarthfa’s long-term vision.
The audit culminated in a fully mapped signage inventory, visitor movement analysis, and a series of strategic recommendations that informed the new wayfinding scheme.
The Scheme
Building on the audit findings, we developed a comprehensive wayfinding strategy that established a clear and consistent navigation system across the park. At the heart of the scheme was a material-led design approach, creating a signage system that feels intrinsically connected to Cyfarthfa’s landscape and heritage.
Drawing inspiration from the park’s natural setting and industrial past, the proposed material palette combines timber, Pennant stone, and subtle metal detailing to reflect the woodland environment, the historic architecture of Cyfarthfa Castle, and the area’s ironmaking legacy. These natural materials are complemented by durable anti-graffiti information panels, creating signage that is sympathetic to its surroundings while providing a robust, low-maintenance solution for long-term public use.
From this material language, a bespoke family of sign types was developed, providing a consistent visual identity across the park. The strategy introduced a clear hierarchy of signage, colour-coded walking routes, bespoke iconography and accessible design principles, allowing visitors to navigate confidently while encouraging exploration of the park’s diverse landscapes, attractions and heritage assets.
Every sign location was carefully reviewed to remove unnecessary clutter, strengthen key decision points and improve connections between facilities, destinations and interpretation, resulting in a cohesive wayfinding system designed to support both today’s visitors and Cyfarthfa’s long-term vision.
The Result
Working alongside the Cyfarthfa Foundation, Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council and the wider project team, Morgans Consult delivered a complete end-to-end signage solution — from strategy and design through to manufacture, installation and project delivery.
Our multidisciplinary team combined the expertise of our wayfinding strategists, creative designers, product designers, project managers, manufacturing specialists and installation teams to ensure the original vision was maintained throughout every stage of the project. Working closely with our sister company on the production of bespoke Pennant stone elements, we carefully balanced heritage, craftsmanship and modern manufacturing techniques to create a durable signage family that sits naturally within the landscape.
The completed scheme provides Cyfarthfa Park with a coherent, accessible and future-ready wayfinding system that improves visitor navigation, strengthens the park’s identity and supports its continued transformation as one of Wales’ leading heritage destinations. By managing every aspect of the project in-house, Morgans Consult ensured consistency, quality and value from the initial audit through to final installation.
Materials and Sign Types
- Coated aluminium
- Anti-graffiti laminate
- Aluminium composite
- Mesh PVC banners
- Oak effect vinyl
- Pennant stone bases
Services
- Site Survey
- Signage audit
- Visitor movement analysis
- Placement planning
- Signage concept development
- Map design
- Integration with external brand agency
- Design and artworking
- Sign manufacture and print
- Installation and groundworks
