![]() ![]() The museum brings the history and science of coal mining in England to life, and includes objects relating to miners’ safety and welfare, and the strikes of the 1980s. National Coal Mining Museum for England © Neil Turner (CC BY-SA 2.0)īased on the site of the Caphouse Colliery – a late 18 th century works which was established to take advantage of a thick seam of coal outside Wakefield – The National Coal Mining Museum for England opened in 1988, just three years after the pit was closed. Tour guides are ex-miners, who take you on a journey through a section of the underground network – just a tiny fraction of the many miles of tunnels which lay flooded beneath your feet. Unlike its derelict neighbour, Geevor – which ceased operation in the 90s – is left like a time capsule, with workers’ possessions, clothes and tools left as if they had finished work for the day. A team of underground divers were tasked to fix a breach in the sea bed which had flooded the mine it was drained and work once again resumed. In the 60s, Geevor extended its reach into the nearby, then-disused, Levant Mine’s old tunnel system, which still had valuable ore to mine. At 67 acres, the site is the largest preserved tin mining site in the country. Operational from 1901 to 1990, Geevor produced around 50,000 tons of raw tine ore from its 85 miles of tunnels. Geevor Tin Mine Museum and Heritage CentreĪ scenic 10-minute stroll away, along a half mile stretch of the South West Coast Path, Geevor Tin Mine reveals a more recent mining story in the County. The sounds and smells of this working steam relic help bring the mine back to life. The only Cornish beam engine still in action anywhere in the world, it was built to raise the precious ore from bottom of the pit to the surface. It’s the restored 1840s beam engine though which is a real treasure. The engines that facilitated these world-famous submarine mines can still be seen today in the engine house. Steam engines were used to pump water out of the mine system, while great boulders would roll around on the sea bed above the miners’ heads. Now recognised by UNESCO World Heritage Site for its fundamental contribution to the Industrial Revolution, this part of the country is rich with stories of mining histories, communities and technologies.ĭuring operation Levant Mine reached out for a hair-raising 2.5km under the sea, following a rich vein of tin and copper ore. © James Stringer (CC BY-NC 2.0)Ĭornwall’s Levant Mine forms part of the Cornwall and West Devon Mining Landscape which, by the early 19 th century had made such leaps and bounds in mining technology that it was able to produce a staggering two thirds of the world’s copper supply. Donning overalls, a helmet and lamp you’ll be led by an expert guide through the system’s lesser-seen labyrinth of passages and caverns. Today the mine still hosts meet the Forest Freeminers – men (and since 2010, women) aged over 21 with more than a year and a day’s mining experience whose birth right entitles them to mine the cave for its precious materials.įor the more adventurous visitor, booking onto a deep caving tour lets you head off the beaten track and further into the depths of the cave. Workers’ tools and equipment left abandoned in the mine give a feeling of what the environment would have been like for the miners, and children, who worked here. You can explore the show cave – part natural cavern and part worked mine complex – in your own time, and soak up some of the mine’s long history. Renowned for its breath-taking views, beautiful walks and exciting myths and legends, the forest is also home to an atmospheric natural underground cave system, which has been mined for its valuable iron ore and beautiful red and purple ochre pigments for over 4,500 years. © tomfkemp (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)Ī hidden world lies beneath the famous Forest of Dean. Exhibition spaces in the mine’s old baths, which were built to avoid workers going home damp and dirty and becoming unwell, tell the story of Wales’ mining communities, including Blaenavon.Ĭlearwell Caves. Immersive galleries uncover the marvels of modern mining equipment and methods, with recreated scenes illustrating how machines and explosives were used to tear into the rock, exposing the precious coal within. ![]() An underground tour of the site brings to life the industry that powered the nation throughout the 19 th and 20 th centuries. Today at Big Pit you can travel to the very depths of the pit, in the cages that would have transported the miners to their work. Located in Blaenavon Industrial Landscape, recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage Site for its role in the Industrial Revolution, Big Pit: National Coal Museum preserves the heritage of Welsh coal mining and can be recognised by its distinctive red winding tower, which drove the cage providing a route in and out of the mine. ![]()
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