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Rhondda Heritage Park, Wales

The Rhondda

There had been industrial activity in Britain long before the Industrial Revolution. Iron ore mining and iron production began around 500BC. A process was developed for smelting iron ore in small batches using charcoal to provide heat. Iron smelting and forging took place at many locations in Kent, Surrey, Sussex and the Forest of Dean. But then in the early eighteenth century the momentum of change really began to increase. This was driven by a complex interplay of social pressures, clever men coming up with inventions, and good access to raw materials. The Severn Valley in Shropshire, for example, served as a ready made mine. Flood waters released at the end of the last Ice Age 15,000 years ago cut what is now known as the Ironbridge Gorge down through layers of clay, iron ore, limestone and coal. Like the Severn Valley in Shropshire, the Rhondda valleys in south Wales provided a similar ready made mine. Cutting down through rock strata, the rivers in this part of south Wales produced valleys where coal outcrops onto hillsides. Iron ore and limestone are found in the same area. Initially in the Rhondda, mine shafts were not required. It was simply necessary to start digging coal out of the valley sides. This coal made excellent coke, which was then used in smelting of iron ore, plentiful supplies of which were also on hand. By the mid nineteenth century the Rhondda was one of the world's most intensely industrialised regions. Lewis Methyr at today's Rhondda Heritage Park was one of 620 mines, employing over 200,000 people. Production peaked in 1913, and then slowly declined. The local economy here depended fundamentally on coal. Life for colliers was difficult, but work was paid well enough to bring a huge influx of people into Wales. But when work began to disappear after 1913 the situation became desperate. There was a famous incident in 1936 when Edward VIII toured the south Wales coalfield, and was shocked by conditions he found.

Today the once massive south Wales coal industry has virtually gone. Pits have closed, and vast slag heaps have been either landscaped or removed. Mining towns, built with rock mined out of hillsides remain as quiet reminders of a once frenetic industrial landscape. Big Pit, and Lewis Methyr at the Rhondda Heritage Park have been preserved as memorials. At the Rhondda Heritage Centre there is an art gallery, a restaurant with views over the park and valley, a shop, and a reconstructed mining village street. There is also an "Energy Zone" play area. Underground tours in the old Lewis Methyr mine are provided with ex-miners as guides.

 

 

Address: Rhondda Heritage Park, Lewis Methyr Colliery, Coaed Cae Road, Trehafod, Near Pontypridd, CF37 2NP.

Opening Times: Daily 9am - 4.30pm. Closed December 25th - January 2nd, and on Mondays from October to Easter. Tours run at 10am, 12midday and 2pm. Booking is advised.

Directions: Leave the M4 at junction 32, and follow the A470 to Pointypridd. The Park is located between Pontypridd and Porth. Click here for an interactive map centred on Rhondda Heritage Park.

Access: Fully accessible to wheelchair users, which includes the underground tour. Adapted toilet facilities are available.

Contact:

telephone: 01443 682036

fax: 01443 687420

web site: http://www.rhonddaheritagepark.com/Shared/Home.aspx

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