Rhondda Cynon Taf

Rhondda Cynon Taf is a county borough in the southeast of Wales. It lived for almost a century from the mining of high-quality Welsh coals, such as steam coal. The coal was exported from Cardiff and Barry docks. In the late 20th century the landscape was dominated by coal waste heaps and deep mine pit-heads. In the 1970s deep mines closed and a number of very large open-cast coal mines were opened, some are still in operation. We listed the only show mine at Rhondda Heritage Park. Another interesting site is the Great Western Colliery, which included the shaft known as the Hetty Pit. It’s not open to the public, but it’s possible to visit the buildings and headframe from the outside.