Museums & Galleries · Cardiff
Rhaeadr Tannery
📍 CF5 6DP
Photo: museum.wales
- Last traditional working tannery in Wales
- Specialised in heavy leather for boots and harness
- Original waterwheel visible on the bark mill
- See the stone table used for scrubbing hides
- Learn about the eighteen-month leather-making process
Rhaeadr Tannery is a late 18th-century building originally from Rhayader, moved to St Fagans in 1962 and opened to the public in 1968. It was the last traditional tannery to work in Wales, specialising in heavy leather for boots and horse harness. You can see the original waterwheel on the bark mill's gable wall, the stone table used for scrubbing hides, and learn how oak bark was ground and used to treat leather over an eighteen-month process. It suits visitors curious about traditional trades and rural industry. The museum is in St Fagans, Cardiff, with Fairwater station two miles away and 48 bookable places to stay within five miles.
Practical details
- Best for
- Visitors interested in historic crafts and industry
- Open
- Opened to the public in 1968
From the attraction's own website on 7 Oct 2026 — check before you travel.
Facilities
- ✓ Gift Shop
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Create a free account to claimPlaces to stay near Rhaeadr Tannery
Make a proper break of it — these stays are all within 25 miles.
0.4 mi
0.5 mi
1.5 mi
1.6 mi
1.9 mi
2.4 mi
🎪 What's on near Rhaeadr Tannery
Events from
Skiddle
Fri 13 Nov · 10:00
Cardiff Victorian Christmas Market
Cardiff City Centre, Cardiff · 4.3 mi
Tickets on Skiddle ↗
Fri 13 Nov · 17:30
Basement Jazz with the Jack Mac Quartet
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Tickets on Skiddle ↗
Fri 4 Dec · 18:45
Christmas Party Bookings - Buzz Bingo Weston Super Mare
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Tickets on Skiddle ↗
Sat 5 Dec · 18:45
Christmas Party Bookings - Buzz Bingo Weston Super Mare
Buzz Bingo Weston Super Mare, Weston Super Mare · 17.1 mi
Tickets on Skiddle ↗
🗓️ Make a break of it
Turn a visit to Rhaeadr Tannery into a proper getaway — ready-made plans, and the drive worked out with fuel, EV charging and the best stops.
🚆 Or come by train
- Fairwater 2 miles
- Danescourt 2.1 miles
- Waun-Gron Park 2.1 miles
Straight-line distances · live departures on each station page