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Explore the heritage of the Victorian slate miner in caverns made while roofing the Industrial Revolution on every continent. Ride the 1846 Miners' Tramway or descend into the Deep Mine where Llechwedd slate was first discovered. With two spectacular underground tours it's Britain's steepest underground railway. There's an underground son-et-lumiere show and a dramatic lake. Above ground, a Victorian village with pub and shops depict life in a bygone age. With such a breathtaking setting it's easy to understand why it has been selected as the location for two Hollywood films. The Miners Tramway The revelation of these vast workings was immediately given the top awards of both the British Tourist Authority and the Wales Tourist Board. Boarding a train in a corner of the original slate slabbing mill of 1852, visitors now ride into an 1846 tunnel, hauled by battery-electric locomotive. Entering through the side of the mountain this journey into the early Victorian past remains on the level, and traverses some spectacular caverns. Passengers alight at various points to learn something of the strange skills needed to extract the slate - conveniently bedded between layers of granite-like chert, which gave integral strength and roofs for the mine's 16 floors, aligned through a vertical distance of 1,000ft (305m) underground. There is a sound and light tableaux deep underground and guides describe other chambers.
Historically the 16 floors at Llechwedd mines are all identified in relation to the point where the slate was found in 1849, after three years of costly exploration. This became known as Floor 1, the entrance to which is now hidden behind the concrete lining inside the passenger incline, but is 49ft (15m) beneath the modern working surface. The floors were numbered upwards (1-7), and lettered downwards (A-I), so that passengers board the vehicle on Floor 2, which is at 849ft (259m) above sea level. Alighting at Floor A, 99ft (30m) lower down, passengers eventually descend a further 32ft (9.75m), via 61 steps to Floor B, by which time they are 450ft (137m) beneath the summit of the mountain. The tour was opened to the public in 1979 and upgraded in 1992, using new technology installed by one of the main Euro Disney contractors. It involves a 25-minute walk through ten chambers, each with a different sequence of son et lumiere presentations. It is normally heard in English but, by prior arrangement on the surface, groups may hear it in Welsh, French or German. Victorian Village
Located at the end of Tavern Row (Rhes-y-Dafarn in Welsh), it overlooks the Victorian village at Llechwedd. On a sunny day there is nowhere more pleasant than the garden of the Miners' Arms for either an outdoor drink or a full lunch; conversely, on a cold winter's day there is nowhere more welcoming than the fire inside the tavern. Facilities for the disabled
October - March: 10.15 to 16.15 April - end September 10.15 to 17.15 Admission Prices 2007 Both rides: Group Rates: Admission to the Cafe, Village and Miners Arms is FREE. Dogs are permitted to the surface area only and must be kept on a lead at all times.
Bus: Train: Back to the top. |
Llechwedd
Slate Caverns
The
Deep Mine
Miners
Arms
