About the Museum

The South Wales Miners' Museum is one of the many attractions to be found at The Afan Argoed Country Park. Facilities have been developed for forest walking, wayfaring, orienteering, cycling and land rover touring.

Mining had ceased in the Afan Valley in the 1970's and the area faced the prospect of unemployment and economic decline. There was much concern in the Afan Valley about the future of the area and the prospects and rehabilitation of the valley. These problems inspired the setting up of a Community Development Project in 1971 by the Home Office and Glamorgan County Council. This project was intended to deal with the issues facing the Afan Valley.

In 1972, a proposal was put forward in a beefing session to create a Miners' Museum at a nearby disused colliery. Following this proposal, there came four years of determination and hard work. A committee needed to be formed to draw up plans, ideas and proposals for the museum. Literature needed to be drawn up and material gathered in the way of old photographs, tools, equipment and other artifacts essential for the creation of an historic and authentic museum.

The committee and those dedicated to the setting up of the museum faced many problems in the four years prior to its opening. Funding for the museum was one such issue, followed by the timescale of the project and also the problem of how the valley was going to cope with the influx of people visiting the museum. There were feelings of despondency and concern regarding the length of time the project was taking.

In 1972, the situation did begin to improve. Smaller premises were found at Afan Argoed which ceased the funding problem. The original Countryside Centre and Miners' Museum was then established in a complex of Portakabins and existing buildings. In 1975, the first part of the Museum was opened. In the first couple of months alone, five thousand visitors came to the Museum. The official opening of the Miners' Museum was in June 1976. The main features of the museum included a traditional Miner's Cottage scene, display cabinets containing historical photographs and documents. These depicted the lives of many miners.

By the latter part of the eighties, the Portakabins housing the museum and Country Park Centre were deteriorating. By 1993, the Countryside Centre was located in new premises which left the museum in a demountable building. It also resulted in the loss of the Miner's Kitchen which was a popular and authentic scene depicting life of a typical miner. Since its closure, all the items and furniture from the kitchen has been carefully stored away. It is hoped that new premises will have room for thee kitchen to be displayed again.

If you visit the Welsh Miners' Museum today, you will find yourself being taken on an historical Journey back in time through which mining can be seen through the eyes of the miners themselves.

As you enter the museum, there is a passageway which has been designed to look like an old mining tunnel. There are life size models of miners dressed in original gear and equipment. The area is dark and the illusion is that the walls and ceiling are held up by the rugged beams used in mines at the time. The tunnel is not to scale (the original ones were far smaller) but it provides a valuable insight into the conditions and surroundings the miners had to endure in their work.

There are two rooms which contain historical photographs, documents and early mining equipment. The story behind much of this is fascinating and much of the equipment shows how progression was made in developing safer and more effective ways of working. For example, the museum has examples of the many different types of lamps that were used by the miners in order for them to see in the darkness. The museum also has a display of the early medical and first aid equipment which were used when accidents occurred. These items alone are extremely interesting as they are quite different to what we use today.

The museum also portrays mining through the eyes of the many children who worked down the mines from an early age. Many of these children later became colliers. The museum has recreated a realistic tunnel where models of children can be seen crawling though the tiny space underground. This is perhaps the part of the museum which would have the greatest impact on visitors. It depicts a story of hardship and struggle in dangerous dirty work.

There is also a realistic stable which shows a miner and his horse, complete with trailer. (There is a running commentary if required between the miner and the horse)

Importantly, the museum also portrays the warmth and solidarity of the mining communities with documents and photographs showing social gatherings, singing festivals and dances which had taken place over the years. This was in a time before television and transport allowed people to focus on other interests.

There is a range of outdoor exhibits which are situated close to the museum. There is a blacksmith shop, a lamp room, a pithead wheel, a haulage engine and coal dram...

Achievements/Successes:

South Wales Miners' Museum Committee 2004