National Mining Memorial - Sengennedd, Wales.
N 51° 36.703 W 003° 16.819
30U E 480590 N 5717890
National Mining Memorial, & Universal Colliery Memorial Garden. Features donated pavers from 152 Welsh colliery's & coal mines, where mining disasters have taken place, The Memorial gardens are located in Senghenydd, South Wales.
Waymark Code: WMPKR5
Location: South Wales, United Kingdom
Date Posted: 09/15/2015
Views: 2
The Welsh National Mining Memorial & Universal Colliery Memorial Garden, features at its center, a bronze sculpture depicting a miner leading another to safety. By far the most interesting feature of the memorial garden are the plaques featuring the 152 colliery's & mines from all over Wales where mine disasters have taken place, including the most recent, Gleeson Colliery, Swansea in 2011.
The gardens also feature donated ceramic tiles naming the 520 men & children who died in the Universal colliery disasters, & approx. 100 others who died of associated injuries later.
Senghenydd Mine Disaster - The history of Senghenydd, is the saddest of any town in the British Isles. The Universal Colliery in this small Welsh village was only open for 30 years and two disasters claimed 520 coal miners lives.
"October 2013 saw the opening of the new Welsh National Mining Memorial and Universal Colliery Memorial Garden in Senghenydd.
The bronze sculpture entitled ‘The Rescue’ was designed and made by sculptor Les Johnson.
The ceramic name tiles for the Memorial Wall were made at a series of community and school workshops during November 2012. These were led by ceramic artists Ned Heywood and Julia Land from Chepstow and involved all the local Primary Schools of the Aber Valley.
The ceramic pavers documenting each national colliery disaster in Wales were also made by Ned and Julia at their workshop." Text Source: (
visit link) & (
visit link)
Hours of Operation:
Universal Colliery Memorial Garden - Opening Times:
Winter Opening 1st October – 28th February 9am until 4pm
Summer Opening 1st March – 30th September 9am until 6pm