Rhondda Heritage Park
Located on the site of the former Lewis Merthyr Colliery in Trehafod, Rhondda Heritage Park is one of Wales’s most important industrial heritage attractions. Once part of a coalfield that powered industries across the world, the site now preserves the story of the miners, families, and communities that shaped the Rhondda Valleys. The highlight of any visit is the famous Black Gold Experience, an immersive guided tour led by former miners who share first-hand knowledge of life underground. Visitors collect a miner’s helmet and journey through original colliery buildings before experiencing what it was like to work beneath the surface. The guides’ personal stories bring the history of the coal industry vividly to life. One of the most memorable attractions is the DRAM Experience, a thrilling simulated ride that recreates the journey of a coal dram travelling through the mine. Alongside this, visitors can explore the original lamp room, engine houses, winding gear, pit-head structures, and the towering chimney that remains one of the site’s most recognisable landmarks.
Trehafod Wales
Rhondda Heritage Park, known as A Welsh Coal Mining Experience, is a fascinating living history museum situated on the former site of the Lewis Merthyr Colliery. The colliery once stood at the heart of the South Wales coalfield, driving the global industrial revolution by exporting high-grade steam coal around the world. The park is located at Lewis Merthyr Colliery, Coedcae Road, Trehafod, Pontypridd, Rhondda Cynon Taf, CF37 2NP, Wales, United Kingdom. It sits just off the A4058 road in the village of Trehafod, positioned between Pontypridd and Porth in the Rhondda Valley. Because of its central setting in Rhondda Cynon Taf, visiting Rhondda Heritage Park places you close to many notable cultural and historic attractions. A short drive down the valley brings you into Pontypridd, where you can explore Pontypridd Museum housed inside a Victorian chapel, see the historic 18th-century Old Bridge, and relax at Lido Ponty in Ynysangharad War Memorial Park. Heading south leads to Llantrisant, home to The Royal Mint Experience and the medieval ruins of Llantrisant Castle. Driving slightly further east opens up access to the historic Nantgarw China Works Museum, the imposing fortress of Caerphilly Castle, and the picturesque hillside castle, Castell Coch.