North Wales
15–17 August 2024
The trip will travel the length of Wales through the Welsh countryside to Llandudno, North Wales, making stops at two abandoned metal mines, at Dylife (Central Wales Orefield) and Sygun Copper Mine (Snowdonia). The second day we will take an intimate tour around visit Parys Mountain on the Isle of Anglesey. In the late 18th century this was Europe’s largest copper producer, and type locality for anglesite. Nowadays, it is an active exploration target for volcanogenic massive sulphide (VMS) mineralization. From here, those wishing to travel on to Ireland will be taken to the ferry at Holyhead. The coach will return to Llandudno. On the third day, we will travel on a funicular tramway to visit the Bronze Age copper mine on Great Orme’s Head, – evidence of how Wales has supplied metals for many thousands of years. On the return journey to Cardiff, we will stop at one or more tourist locations in beautiful Wales.
Trip to be led by Tom Cotterell and Dan Cox.
COST There are several cost options for this trip. The trip will depart Cardiff on 15th August and will be based in Llandudno in N. Wales for accommodation purposes. Delegates can opt for 0 accommodation (in which case they are responsible for booking their own accommodation in Llandudno), or 1 or 2 nights’ dormitory accommodation in a hostel at that location. One night is required if the delegate is catching the ferry (from Holyhead to Dublin on 16th August (day 2) (in order to attend EMC 2024). Two nights’ accommodation are required if the delegate is returning to Cardiff on 17th August (day 3). These options will be reflected in the booking form. (Delegates must make their own ferry bookings.)
| Field trip options | Fee | incl VAT |
| 0 nights’ accommodation, 2 days travel | £210 | £8.18 |
| 0 nights’ accommodation, 3 days travel | £210 | £8.18 |
| 1 nights’ accommodation, 2 days travel | £260 | £16.08 |
| 2 nights’ accommodation, 3 days travel | £310 | £23.98 |
Forest of Dean
14 August 2024
We will visit the small, but important iron- and coal-mining district located between the famous rivers Wye and Severn. Rich iron ores were mined here in pre-Roman times from outcrops within Carboniferous age limestone. . The Romans continued the operations, but the biggest phase of iron mining took place during the Industrial Revolution and through into the early 20th century. Coal mining also boomed during the industrial period and was the biggest form of employment locally up until the 1950s.
The trip will take in an underground tour into some of the vast excavated chambers at Clearwell Caves followed by a surface walk to see how the outcrops of iron ore were trialed by early miners. A stop at the Dean Heritage Centre – the museum of the Forest – will provide an insight into the unusual local traditions in the once heavily mining dependent area. In the afternoon we will visit the Geomap, a large-scale geological map of the Forest of Dean constructed using local rocks.
Trip to be led by Tom Cotterell and Jana Horák
COST: £45 (including £5.16 VAT)
Big Pit National Coal Museum and Blaenavon Ironworks
14 August 2024
This trip will take in a visit to the industrial landscape, of the UNESCO World Heritage Site at Blaenavon. These hills on the edge of the Brecon Beacons were rich with coal, limestone and iron ore that fuelled the Industrial Revolution. The ruined furnaces are still visible today alongside the impressive remains of the foundry, cast house and water balance tower that raised wagons 80 feet into the air.
We will then move on to Big Pit National Coal Museum, part of Amgueddfa Cymru. This was a functioning coal mine until 1980, and the site preserves the mine buildings and also allows tours 276m underground, lead by miner guides. The museum displays include exhibitions in the Pithead Baths and Historic colliery buildings providing the context to the coal mining industry.. For this part of the trip we will be joined by the Curator of Industry, himself an ex-miner.
COST: £45 (including £0.33 VAT)
