Where did coal get exported to from Cardiff?
By then, coal exports from the South Wales Coalfield via Cardiff totalled nearly 9 million tons per annum, much of it exported in the holds of locally owned tramp steamers. By 1913, this had risen to 10,700,000 tons, making Cardiff second only to Barry, Wales as the largest coal exporting dock in the world.
Where was Welsh coal exported?
Cardiff
Indeed, Welsh coal was then famous the world over and so were the ports of Cardiff, and Barry from which most of it was exported.
What used to be exported from Cardiff docks at the beginning of the 20th century?
In 1862, 2 million tonnes of coal were exported from Cardiff Docks; by 1913, this had risen to nearly 11 million. This was the heyday of the coal industry before the depression of the 1930s.
Why is there so much coal in Wales?
The coal industry in Wales has played an important role in the Industrial Revolution. The Cardiff Coal Exchange set the world price for steam-coal and Cardiff became a major coal-exporting port. The South Wales Coalfield was at its peak in 1913 and was one of the largest coalfields in the world.
Are there any active coal mines in Wales?
It may come as a surprise to many that about 1,200 people still work in the coal industry in Wales. The two largest opencast sites are at Ffos y Fran in Merthyr and at Tower Colliery, the site of the last deep pit in Wales in the neighbouring Cynon Valley. They are among the top three largest opencast sites in the UK.
Why did coal mining stop in Wales?
Investment meant better and more machinery and a greater emphasis on safety, but couldn’t safeguard the coal industry in Wales. The rise of the oil industry and other factors meant that 50 collieries closed in south Wales between 1957 and 1964.
What happened Tiger Bay?
In late 2016, the long standing institution could not obtain funding and was shutdown. It’s rich collection of the history of the Tiger Bay would need re-housing and the last important link for communities that had been cleared out from the area, to make space for the re-generation, was now closed.
What was Cardiff Bay called before?
Tiger Bay, now known as Cardiff Bay – Cardiff’s dockland district – is Wales’ oldest multi-ethnic community.
Are there any mines left in Wales?
Working mines Following the miners’ strike, only two deep mines remained working in Wales. Tower Colliery, Hirwaun, had been run by a miner’s co-operative since 1994. Due to dwindling coal seams, the colliery was last worked on 18 January 2008, followed by official closure on 25 January.
Why was Welsh coal so good?
Production began to accelerate. It was during the 18th century that the Industrial Revolution really got going and the Welsh coal fields were well placed to benefit. Charcoal gave way to coal as the fuel of choice for smelting, and with machinery becoming available, production could continue to meet demand.