The Valleys Accommodation

Blaenavon Ironworks & Big Pit - Welsh Mining History from the bottom up

Underground Pit Tours, with Ex-Miners as your guide - highly recommended

Miners' Banners, on display at both the Rhondda Heritage Centre & Big Pit

The Same Banner, on Display at the Rhondda Heritage Centre

South Wales Coal Mining History Blaenavon Merthyr Tydfil Wales UK

Nicknamed the worldwide capital of iron in the early days of the industrial revolution, Merthyr Tydfil is certainly the most important town on the Welsh industrial history map. The town and its residents, many of whom worked in the iron and coal industry, have endured considerable suffering and hardship through the 20th century - not without huge revolt in this region as both Chartism in the 1830s/40s and strikes and resistance during the 1980s Miner's Strike was strong indeed. Unemployment is still well above the national average in the region, and Merthyr and the Valleys, spurred on with UNESCO World Heritage Status at Blaenafon Ironworks, are now reinventing the area focussing on attracting tourism to key industrial revolution sites.

The industrial and social history in Merthyr and the surrounding South Wales Valleys is rich, and if you're on the coal mining and ironworks historical trail then Merthyr Tydfil is a superb base! Merthyr sits at the head of the Taff Valley (take the Taff Trail either cycling or walking to explore the Taff Valley and various industrial sites to the full). Take a trip on the historic Brecon Mountain Railway which starts at Merthyr Tydfil and heads up into the Brecons national park. Checkout too the superb social history exhibits and art gallery at Cyfarthfa Castle and learn more about the huge Cyfarthfa ironworks once based in Merthyr.

Merthyr Tydfil, The Industrial Revolution & Iron and Mining History

If you could pick a town in Wales that is most synonymous with boom on the back of iron and coal, then Merthyr Tydfil is it. Just a small village prior to the late 18th century, Merthyr mushroomed with the discovery of local limestone, iron ore and other beneficial factors such as a plentiful local water supply. The iron capital of the world was a title designated to Merthyr, and indeed the Cyfarthfa Iron and Steel works was the largest ironworks in the world at the beginning of the 19th century. Cyfarthfa Ironworks began production in 1765 under Anthony Bacon - and the owners (not the workers) grew fat off the back of iron used for weapons such as canon balls. So renowned was Cyfarthfa for this that Nelson visited it in 1802!

During the Victorian era Cyfarthfa Ironworks, alongside eventurally the bigger Dowlais Ironworks produced much of the iron used for railway track and the expansion of the railways. A picture begins to emerge of just how big a part South Wales played in the boom of the British Empire during the Victorian era. Ironic indeed when you understand just what appauling conditions the workers in ironworks and coal mines in the region lived and worked under! Merthyr attracted hughe numbers of workers from all over Europe, and was a key catalyst for the industrial revolution not just in the UK but worldwide, producing vast amounts of iron. Work is afoot on the remains of Cyfarthfa - there are still six huge blast furnaces here.

Students of the Chartist uprising in the UK will be familiar with the Merthyr Rising of 1831, and later in 1990 Merthyr sent Keir Hardie, Labour's first MP to parliament. There's a history of revolt, riots and strikes in the region, recently during the 1980s Miners Strike.

Merthyr Tourist Information Centre, 14a Glebeland Street, Merthyr Tydfil, CF47 8AU. Tel: 01685 379884.

Brecon Mountain Railway, The Taff Trail & More Industrial Revolution Sites in South Wales

Merthyr Tydfil is the home, at Pant Station, of the Brecon Mountain Railway. The route weaves its way up from Merthyr into the Brecon Beacons National Park taking in industrial sites and stunning South Wales countryside along the way. The route of this now tourist line was originally the Brecon and Merthyr Railway opened in 1859 and built with Merthyr iron. Read the painstaking restoration story, which began in the late 1970s, on the Brecon Mountain Railway weblink right. A wonderful day out, there are locomotives and various railway memorabilia at Pant Station, a restaurant, gift shop plus a kids play area at Pontsticill. Special events run throughout the year, with a Santa train and the like popular with younger children.

Another superb way to view not just the industrial history of the South Wales Valleys, but also the idyllic countryside is via the Taff Cycling Trail (weblink right). Stretching 55 miles all the way from Cardiff Bay on the coast into the Brecon Beacons National Park and Brecon, the trail passes through Pontypridd, Aberfan, Merthyr Tydfil, Cefn Coed Viaduct and the Pontsticill Reservoir. The Taff Trail is popular with walkers too.

There are numerous old industrial sites in and around Merthyr Tydfil (one of the best web archives with a huge collection of photographs of factories, ironworks, pubs and the railways is Dave and Geoff's Old Merthyr Tydfil site linked right). These days historians are hinting at the fact that it was Richard Trevithick rather than Robert Stephenson who invented rail travel and sparked the birth of the railways. They point to the celebrated Cornish engineer's steam engine run from Merthyr Tydfil to Abercynon on 21st February 1804. This was 25 years prior to Stephenson and his Rocket took a turn. It was Trevithick's 1804 steam engine run towing 10 tons of iron and a fair few passengers who jumped on that was the first train journey ever made!

Brecon Mountain Railway, Pant Station, Merthyr Tydfil, CF38 2UP. Tel: 01685 722988. See Website right for details of trip times.

Cyfarthfa Castle, Merthyr Tydfil

Looking at the Industrial Revolution from the top down, a visit to Cyfarthfa Castle, built by Iron magnate William Crawshay in 1824 is highly recommended. The castle overlooked the ironworks, and the opulent luxury of this castle would have stood in stark contrast to the workers' abodes! The style of the castle is mock tudor, designed by Richard Lugar.

Both the Museum, with its focus on Merthyr's social and industrial history, and the on-site art gallery are superb and well worth a visit. Collections include fine art by local Merthyr Tydfill artists like Penry Williams and Ibbetson. 20th century contemporary art is also represented. There are Swansea, Worcester and Wedgwood ceramic collections here too.

A key attraction within the museum is the Industrial memorabilia in the social history sections, including the Joseph parry memorabilia on display at Joseph Parry's Cottage. Items are from various industrial sites in the area including Cyfarthfa and Dowlais works, local coal mines and religious establishments. The many items of memorabilia make reference to many important historical facts in the area, for example there are Keir Hardy election posters (presumably designed by his lover Sylvia Pankhurst, the 1910 poster looks like her style - Hardy was voted in by Merthyr on an Independent Labour Party (ILP) socialist platform a million miles away from the political platform of today's Labour Party!), paintings and accounts of the Chartist 1813 Merthyr Rising and memorbilia celebrating Richard Trevithick's local steam engine run. The engine was built at Penydarren ironworks in 1804. For politcal history this museum goes further than most. Unmissible!

Cyfarthfa Castle Museum and Art Gallery. Tel: 01685 723112. Open from 1st April to 30th September daily from 10am to 5.30pm, and from 1st October to 31st March Tuesdays to Sundays 10am to 4pm (closed Mondays). Admission is free!. See the weblink right for more details. There is a shop and cafe on-site. Events and talks run throughout the year.

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