CEREDIGION County Council is keeping its most valuable piece of artwork away from permanent public display, the Cambrian News can reveal.

Figures revealed in the council’s annual accounts show the council owns heritage assets are worth £2.45m, including Ceredigion Museum in Aberystwyth, valued at just over £1m, Cardigan Castle (£800,000), Aberystwyth Castle (£170,646), and the chairman’s Chain of Office (£70,000).

Of all the artworks the council owns, the most valuable is Ysguborau Uwch Ben Harlech, by Kyffin Williams, which has a value of £50,000.

But instead of being kept on public display for residents to enjoy, the Cambrian News can reveal that the work is kept in the council’s offices in Penmorfa, Aberaeron.

A Ceredigion County Council spokesperson said: “The museum itself does not have space to display the whole collection (as we already have over 2,000 objects out in the permanent galleries).

“So the art collection is moved around and brought out on display as often as is reasonable and possible with the capacity that we have as a team."

See this week’s south editions for the full story, in shops and online tomorrow