Big Pit is a real Welsh coal mine turned into a national museum: at Blaenavon, in the valleys of south Wales, you go down in the cage to a depth of 90 metres, with helmet and lamp, accompanied by former miners who tell you what it was like to work underground. It is one of the most authentic and moving experiences in the country, and entry is free. The museum is part of the Blaenavon Industrial Landscape World Heritage Site.
History
Coal shaped the history of south Wales for two centuries. By the end of the 19th century the southern valleys were among the most important mining areas in the world, and Welsh coal fuelled ships across half the planet. Big Pit was opened in 1880 and takes its name from its large shaft, the first in the area wide enough for two coal trams to pass side by side. Hundreds of men worked here, and boys too, in very harsh conditions. After post-war nationalisation the mine closed in 1980, and by 1983 it had reopened as a museum. Today it is part of Amgueddfa Cymru, the national museums of Wales.
- 1880Big Pit mine is opened
- 1947British coal mines are nationalised
- 1980The mine closes
- 1983Big Pit reopens as a museum
- 2000The Blaenavon Industrial Landscape becomes a World Heritage Site
What to see
The underground tour
The heart of the visit is the descent into the mine. After leaving behind phones, watches and anything battery-powered, which could cause sparks, you put on a helmet, a lamp and a belt with the battery, and go down in the shaft cage to 90 metres below ground. For about an hour you walk the tunnels with a guide, a former miner, who shows you the coal seams, the machinery, the stables where the pit ponies lived and the places where children worked, telling the story of mining life with humour and emotion. At one point the lamps are switched off, so you can experience the total darkness in which the youngest workers spent their days.
Above ground
Above ground you can visit the colliery buildings: the winding engine house with the shaft winch, the pithead baths with the miners' lockers, the blacksmith's forge, the lamp room and a multimedia exhibition on the history of coal in Wales, with a simulation of modern mining. There is also a café and a shop.
The Blaenavon landscape
Around the mine stretches an entire industrial landscape: the hills are scarred by quarries, spoil heaps, canals and tramroads. Nearby you can visit Blaenavon Ironworks, 18th-century ironworks among the best preserved in the world, with their blast furnaces and workers' cottages. In the town you can explore the "World Heritage town" and its high street. In summer the historic Pontypool and Blaenavon Railway takes visitors through woods and hills.
Practical information
Entry to Big Pit is free, as at all the national museums of Wales. The underground tour is suitable for children too, as long as they are at least one metre tall, but not for people with claustrophobia or limited mobility. Underground the temperature is cool all year round, so bring a jacket and closed shoes. At busy times places on the tour run out, so it is best to arrive early. Up-to-date opening times are on the Amgueddfa Cymru website.
Getting there
- By train: to Abergavenny, then bus or taxi (about 20 minutes); or to Newport and then a bus.
- By car: about 40 minutes from Cardiff and Newport; free parking.
- By air: Cardiff and Bristol airports are about an hour away.
Nearby
- Blaenavon Ironworks and the town of Blaenavon.
- Bannau Brycheiniog (Brecon Beacons) National Park, with mountains, waterfalls and lakes.
- Abergavenny, a market town famous for its food festival. See also the Industrial Revolution and Wales.
Tips
- How long: at least two and a half hours, a full day with the ironworks.
- When to go: all year round; on rainy days the underground tour is perfect.
- A tip: ask the guides questions: they are former miners themselves and their stories are the museum's real treasure.