Big Pit. National Mining Museum of Wales....Our Day Out.

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On today's episode I visit Big Pit in Blaenavon with Mick and Jill Cunningham. Big Pit started life as an Iron ore mine in 1810 but the original colliery dates from around 1860.
Blaenavon is on the edge of the South Wales coalfield where the reserves are relatively close to the surface and so Big Pit was just short of 300' deep. It got the name because the shaft is elliptical in shape and allows enough room so each cage can accommodate 2 Drams ( Tubs) side by side. The colliery closed in 1980 and started life as a museum 3 years later.
Mick is a retired Mining Mechanical Engineer who's coal mining career was spent at Hapton Valley, Lea Hall and Daw Mill Collieries. We spent a very enjoyable day chewing the fat, sharing memories, fiddling and pulling leavers that we ought not to touch whilst Jill graciously let us indulge in our mining obsessions.
It is a great day out for all and I can't compliment the staff enough but special thanks to Adrian on the underground visit and Ceri for being so helpful with my inquiries.

Опубликовано:

15 сен 2024

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Комментарии : 22

@roydavidson9546 5 месяцев назад

Great video , brought back memories of going there as a kid

@19501952 4 месяца назад

I have been to this museum twice the last time in 2004, what a great place to visit. I’m an Australian coal miner in the Hunter Valley NSW

@rossendalecollieries7995 4 месяца назад

Quite a few from Hapton Valley went to NSW in early 80's when it closed. We had a lad come and work for us at Ayle around 2001, he was from Kincumber NSW...only lad we could get to stick at the job

@JamesBarlow-t1e 5 месяцев назад

Great vid Clive.. always good to see.

@adamrussell7978 5 месяцев назад

Ace Clive... Looks like Yer's had a Jolly ol Time n a fat bonus it was a sunny day... 😃😎😉👍👍👍✌️👌🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧

@welshwizard822 4 месяца назад

If I knew you were venturing down our part of the world I would have met you 👍🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿

@rossendalecollieries7995 4 месяца назад

We need to come back as we missed quite a bit with having to Que for nearly 2 hours to get underground. The Ironworks looks like it would be a great visit as well

@Irishmanexplores 4 месяца назад

love this place

@patrickrose1221 4 месяца назад

Good as gold lads 🤗. I'm a Nottingham lad who lived and worked in Blaenavon for thirty years. My Daughter farms just down the valley. I used to work in one of the private mines just down from Big Pit, and when I saw those supports on those tubs it reminded me of having to learn how to notch them with a axe and bow-saw. When I told my dad back in Notts, he said " Bloody hell Patch, they were fasting that out when your grandad Rose fost started"! 😆😅👍

@rossendalecollieries7995 4 месяца назад

Thanks Patrick. we need to go back and have a fuller look and at the Iron works. Didn't know about the private mine there. I was in private mines over 20 years. Would like to know more

@patrickrose1221 4 месяца назад

Just to the left and above BigPit on the Coity was the mine used on the BBC series, where people had to live as though it was the 1900's. Then lower down in Forgeside was the Winston mine, owned by John Griffin, this was where I worked. There must be tons of salvageable materials still in the ground, iron, copper, and coal lol. Keep up the good work and give us " two rings" for " Out-by" when you've had enough 🤗😆😅👍

@patrickrose1221 4 месяца назад

THREE for out - by! 😆😅 No wonder I got me finger trapped! 😆😅

@rossendalecollieries7995 4 месяца назад

@@patrickrose1221 I do remember watching that about the old pit on tv.... wonder if you can still get it?

@patrickrose1221 4 месяца назад

@@rossendalecollieries7995 most likely on i - player 😉👍

@Nik-8it5p 2 месяца назад

I just subbed to your channel after coming across this vid, looking forward to binge watching more! Enjoyed this video, been to the pit a few times as I am relatively local. Keep up the good work .🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿

@rossendalecollieries7995 Месяц назад

Thanks for your encouragement. We need to go back and finish our visit and also spend a day at the iron works

@raysonsuk 5 месяцев назад

Yes clive... I'm 2 minutes in, playing the video through my large stereo in the workshop.. Was making a brew, and heard my name... But was actually thinking at the time, I need to get you on a walk up brown wardle, and show the evidence of ancient iron mines in Rossendale... 😊👍

@rossendalecollieries7995 5 месяцев назад

for sure Ben....sounds like a good plan

@fezie404 5 месяцев назад

Watched a few of your videos after watching that one of the dean boys on the other channel. My great grandad was a manager of all the mines apprently round Rossendale but I don't know if you recognise his name but he was called John whipp and he died I think while working one day on one of the mines but he over saw and went round to all the mines and some you mentioned. This was back in the 30s time I think possibly earlier can't be fully sure

@rossendalecollieries7995 5 месяцев назад

Thank you very much for watching some of our videos. I know of Johnny Whip and he features on one of our videos, well its sound clip really but you will find it on our Chanel in the video of Tommy Helm interview. Johnny was undermanager at Grimebridge colliery and died on the pit top I belive a few days before he was due to retire. We have two photographs with him on. The first at Nabb colliery when he would have been in his teens and he is a drawer at Nabb. The second is on a group photo at Grimebridge colliery. He sounded like he was quite a charactor

@fezie404 5 месяцев назад

@@rossendalecollieries7995 no problem it's been interesting I have in my possetion one of the original mining lamps used as well by John whipp and theirs a book on it made by someone I'll have to get it out and send a few photos of it iv just watched that other one and sent it to my gran incase she knows but my gran who is 90 now was married to Austin Austin died now but his dad was John whipp