Big Pit
- from GBP 8
- Good on a rainy day
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About
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Why go
- The 50-minute underground tour, 90 metres below ground, led by a retired Welsh miner
- The Grade II* listed pit head building and miners' bathhouse
Opening hours
Today09:30 – 17:00Show all
Know before you go
- Open every day, Monday to Sunday, from 09:30 to 17:00.
- Underground tours run every day.
- Tours booked on arrival have no guaranteed time and may mean a longer wait at busy periods.
- Advance timed tickets guarantee a place on the underground tour on a date you choose.
- Items with dry cell batteries, such as watches and phones, must be handed in.
What's inside
- Below ground: a real coal mine, where miner guides lead the underground tours.
With kids
- UK school visits get free underground tours.
- The underground tour lasts 50 minutes and goes 90 metres below ground.
- The museum holds family activities and events.
- Visitors carry a rebreather that filters foul air for about an hour in an emergency.
Tips for your visit
- Book an advance timed ticket to get a place on the underground tour on a chosen date.
- Above-ground attractions include a winding house, saw mill, pithead and baths.
Tours and audio guides
- Underground tour
- 50 minutes Led by miner guides, some of them former miners. 90 metres below ground. Charged since 2025 on a trial basis.
Interesting facts4
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The winding tower appears on the cover of a Manic Street Preachers album.
Big Pit National Coal Museum - Wikipedia -
The old iron-mine tunnel was used as an emergency exit for the later coal mine.
Big Pit National Coal Museum - Wikipedia -
During peak production, coal from here was shipped as far as South America.
Big Pit National Coal Museum - Wikipedia -
The site is listed on the European Route of Industrial Heritage.
Big Pit National Coal Museum - Wikipedia
Shorts
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Exploring Big Pit A Journey into Welsh Mining HistoryNomads Playbook
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Pt 2. "The Big Pit" An NCB Film.Blaenavon Colliery, South Wales - the…Coal Mining in the UK - Its History & Heritage
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BIG PIT NATIONAL COAL MUSEUM, WALES 🏴Travel with Edyta
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Big pit National Coal MuseumLeila Wyatt
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Big PitDavies Diaries
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AI Wales: Beneath the Valleys — The Big Pit Story of Welsh Coal | @sa…Sam Johnston
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Blaenavon no.5 "Nora" at Big Pit mining museum, Blaenavon.Angry Welshman Productions
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Big pit museum, BlaenavonJoe Marsh
History
The site began as an iron mine, dug into the hillside close to the surface and worked by hand. From 1880 it worked as a coal mine, the most important colliery in Blaenavon, until 1980. Until 1908 all the work was done by hand. The pit closed in 1980 and about 250 jobs were lost. The mine reopened to visitors in 1983 as a museum of mining life.
- Early 19th centuryThe Blaenavon Iron and Coal Company sets up the iron mine, dug into the hillside close to the surface.
- 1880The coal mine starts work and keeps running until 1980.
- 1881An inspector's report first names it Big Pit, for its elliptical shape.
- 1923At its peak, 1,400 men are employed here.
- 1980The pit closes on 2 February, with about 250 jobs lost.
Show all
- 1983The mine opens to the public as a museum and creates 71 jobs.
- 2000UNESCO names the Blaenavon industrial area, including the museum, a World Heritage Site.
- 2001The museum becomes part of the National Museum Wales group.
Sources: Big Pit National Coal Museum - Wikipedia · Blaenavon - Wikivoyage (see) · Big Pit National Coal Museum | Museum Wales · Cookie Policy | Museum Wales · Homepage | Amgueddfa Cymru | Museum Wales · Big Pit National Coal Museum - Wikipedia · checked 25 Oct 2026
Questions and answers
How long does the underground tour at Big Pit take?
The underground tour at Big Pit lasts 50 minutes and goes 90 metres below ground. Miner guides lead it, some of them former miners.
What are the opening hours of Big Pit in Blaenavon?
Big Pit is open every day from 09:30 to 17:00. Underground tours also run every day.
Is Big Pit good for children?
UK school visits get free underground tours. The museum also holds family activities and events.
How do I get to Big Pit in Blaenavon?
Big Pit stands next to the preserved Pontypool and Blaenavon Railway. A rail line and station opened there in 2011 for visitors to the museum.
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