The first stop on day 2 of our educational/outdoorsy Wales trip was to Big Pit mining museum. Wales used to be one of the largest coal exporting ares in the world. The economy was supported by thousands of mining towns. However, by the mid-1980s most of the mines were not viable to the economy and due to inefficiencies and dangers, Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher closed the mines after a yearlong miners' strike. As an avid Billy Elliot enthusiast (and seeing the musical just last week), it couldn't have been a more perfect time to learn about the history of Welsh coal mining.
The day was drastically cooler and damper than Saturday, giving off an eery vibe. But is suited the days activities well because the Big Pit Colliery had an extremely dark feeling. Big Pit was opened in 1880 and was in operation for over 100 years. At its height, over 1000 men worked in the mine, and that doesn't include the dozens of other workers on the compound. The colliery sits on a hill, overlooking its village. It has baths, a health department, a blacksmith, a canteen, etc... it is a mini-village in itself. Men, as young as age 7, went down 300m and worked 14 hour days in the black hole as they call it. Mariel and I were able to descend into the mine for an extensive tour with a former miner. Unfortunately, there was a lengthy list of banned items, including cameras, so it is hard to explain the heaviness of what we saw. Mariel started having a panic attack as we were crammed into shafts on our way down to the mine. I started having anxiety when I could literally feel the souls of the thousands of workers that had died in the mine. Also, about 20 horses lived in the mine, never seeing an ounce of sunlight.
The entrance to Big Pit Mining Museum.
The inner-workings of the Colliery.
Mariel right before we suited up for the big descent!
All ready to go down the mine!
In front of the work center and the saw mill.
We got some traditional Welsh cakes at the canteen. Yummy yummy.
Our final stop was Tintern Abbey. It was founded in 1131, but has since deteriorated into ruins. The pictures don't do this historic site justice. The intricacies of the architecture were like nothing you've ever seen before - especially considering when it was built.
