Preparing for the underground tour, the guides
handed me helmets, headlamps, and batteries
which were tied up on the waist. Wearing them
actually adds to the excitement. As I was about
to take a selfie of myself, the guides instructed all
the tourists to hand over every gadgets and devic-
es that contains batteries. Mobile phones, watch-
es, cameras, etc. Having these items underground
will cause danger of fire or explosion. They are
not permitted and have to be left above ground.
their responsibility was to hold these doors. The
guides was entertaining plus knowledgeable and
clearly love talking about the history and cul-
ture which made my visit truly educational.
I started to think that people back then were tiny
elf because the tunnels were small and most of us
stooped across the tunnels. 5kg batteries around
my waist started to slow me down. At one point,
all of us closed our headlamps for a few minutes.
The pitch black scenery was what those 6 years old
Eleven of us including the guide boarded an ele- boys used to experience while working in the mine.
vator down to 300 feet below the ground. Reach-
ing the pit bottom, I immediately smell the We followed the guides through a horse stable un-
stench of sulphur, sand and ashes. I wasn’t sure if derneath the ground. Name of each horses were
the day itself was cold or did I wore thin clothes still displayed at the abandoned stable. It sadden
but the underground was chilly, not to mention me to hear that horses brought down here usual-
dark. Entering the tunnels, I see old rusty picks ly never came up again till 8-10 years time. They
and shovels left at aside. Fleet of mine carts on never saw daylight again, not until a few years.
the rail filled with coal. 100 years wooden pil- Aside from the underground tours there are ex-
lars and timber stand to support the mine roof hibitions on the ground. I looked around the
and there were wooden doors every metre away. museum afterwards which showed many ar-
The guides explained that the doors are meant tefacts and news stories up until when the pit
to keep the fresh air apart from the air polluted closed in 1980. The museum is really interesting
by the ashes. He told us the story of how 6 years and full of stories of coal mining in Wales. It’s
old children used to work in the mine. One of an amazing piece of Welsh history and heritage.
51