If you do not want get drenched and sodden here is an interesting rainy day activity that you can take whilst staying at The Living Energy Holidays located at the foot of there Black Mountains.
The Big Pit National Coal Museum
Prepare yourself for a drive of 26 miles to get a touch soggy as you leg it from the car park to the legendary Underground Tour, where you’ll delve straight into the beating heart of Big Pit. No umbrella required, just a robust sense of adventure and perhaps shoes that can take a bit of coal dust (helmet with light and battery are included in the tour price).
To pass time before your pre-booked slot for the Underground Tour keep dry and visit the historic buildings at The Blacksmiths’ Yard, some of which date back to the 1870s, still witness the clang and spark of Big Pit’s own blacksmith, who’s probably wondering when someone will invent a coal-fired coffee machine.
Now, don’t be fooled. Big Pit isn’t some fancy mock-up. It’s the real deal: a genuine coal mine and a top mining museum. It all kicked off in 1860, and the final shift clocked out on 2nd April 1980, with the last miners surfacing to a well-earned cuppa (and maybe a Bara Brith if they were lucky). In the 1980s, things looked a bit bleak, coal mines closing, hard hats gathering dust, but little did they know Big Pit was about to swap hard graft for holiday snaps, reinventing itself as the go-to spot for families eager to mingle with history.
As for costs, you’ll be pleasantly surprised. Car parking and the Underground Tour won’t break the bank, while the museum buildings are gloriously free, though the café does charge for its snacks and brews. Just remember, the real treasure isn’t buried underground, it’s in the stories, the steamy cuppas, and the chance to tell your mates you’ve survived a day at Big Pit with only mildly damp socks and a newfound appreciation for Welsh coal miners.
