place

Rhondda Heritage Park

Buildings and structures in Rhondda Cynon TafEuropean Route of Industrial Heritage Anchor PointsMining in WalesMining museums in WalesMuseums in Rhondda Cynon Taf
Rhondda Heritage Park geograph.org.uk 174864
Rhondda Heritage Park geograph.org.uk 174864

Rhondda Heritage Park, Trehafod, Rhondda, South Wales is a tourist attraction which offers an insight into the life of the coal mining community that existed in the area until the 1980s. Visitors can experience the life of the coal miners on a guided tour through one of the mine shafts of the Lewis Merthyr colliery. Tours are led by former colliery workers. Rhondda Heritage Park is an Anchor Point of ERIH, The European Route of Industrial Heritage. Rhondda Heritage Park exists on the site of the former Lewis Merthyr Colliery as a testament to the coal mining history of the Rhondda Valleys, which until the end of the 20th century was one of the most important coal mining areas in the world - in an area only 16 miles (26 km) long, Rhondda alone had over 53 working collieries at one time.

Excerpt from the Wikipedia article Rhondda Heritage Park (License: CC BY-SA 3.0, Authors, Images).

Geographical coordinates (GPS)

Latitude Longitude
N 51.6107416 ° E -3.3875442 °
placeShow on map

Address

Rhondda Heritage Park

Bryn Eirw
CF37 2NP , Trehafod
Wales, United Kingdom
mapOpen on Google Maps

Phone number

call+441443682036

Website
tourism.rctcbc.gov.uk

linkVisit website

linkWikiData (Q7321396)
linkOpenStreetMap (749032586)

Rhondda Heritage Park geograph.org.uk 174864
Rhondda Heritage Park geograph.org.uk 174864
Share experience

Nearby Places

Cymmer Colliery explosion
Cymmer Colliery explosion

The Cymmer Colliery explosion occurred in the early morning of 15 July 1856 at the Old Pit mine of the Cymmer Colliery near Porth (lower Rhondda Valley), Wales, operated by George Insole & Son. The underground gas explosion resulted in a "sacrifice of human life to an extent unparalleled in the history of coal mining of this country": 141  in which 114 men and boys were killed. Thirty-five widows, ninety-two children, and other dependent relatives were left with no immediate means of support. The immediate cause of the explosion was defective mine ventilation and the use of naked flames underground. Factors contributing to the explosion included the rapid development of the mine to meet increased demand for coal, poor mine safety practices allowed by management despite official warnings, and deteriorating working relationships between miners and management. After the explosion, mine owner James Harvey Insole and his officials were accused of "neglecting the commonest precautions for the safety of the men and the safe working of the colliery".: 2  At the coroner's inquest into the deaths, Insole deflected responsibility onto his mine manager Jabez Thomas and the jury brought a charge of manslaughter against Thomas and the four other mine officials. To the outrage of the local mining communities, the subsequent criminal proceedings resulted in the exoneration of the mine officials from any blame for the disaster. The Cymmer Colliery disaster influenced the introduction of mine safety improvements including legislation for improved mine ventilation and the use of safety lamps, employment of children, and qualifications of mine officials. The tragedy highlighted the need for a workable compensation scheme for miners and their dependents to reduce their reliance on public charity after such disasters.