Exploration date;
March 2014.
Some history;
Cwm coke works is a large site just north of Beddau in Rhondda Cynon Taf. Up until the mid 1800′s Beddau was a small collection of farmsteads at the conjunction of four crossroads. (Incidentally, Beddau, which means ‘graves’, may be a shortening of Croesheol y Beddau, ‘crossroads of the graves’, as it is marked on an ordnance survey map circa. 1833. Criminals were often hanged as crossroads as an example to others…). In the 1860′s coal pits were sunk around Beddau, and the town grew at a steady rate until 1909, which saw the opening of Cwm colliery. As the industry moved in, Beddau grew quickly, and in 1958 Cwm coke works opened, furthering the expansion. At its peak, Cwm colliery was producing hundreds of thousand of tons of high quality, low sulphur coal per year. Much of this was processed at Cwm coke works, into high-grade coke suitable for foundry use. The National Coal Board closed the colliery in 1986, and Cwm Coke works in 2002, leaving yet another small Welsh town deprived and forgotten. It would seem now, work has begun to reclaim the land, so perhaps this magnificent example of commanding industry and stark, utilitarian achitecture won’t be around for much longer.
Before our visit we did some reading up on this place and was told there was a guy with a guard dog who walks around, just before entering we had seen this guy, and his dog, which really isn't the smallest. If you're going too this place I heed you too be careful. Especially of your surroundings, the creeks and groans from most of the metal structure really show the strain the years has taken on it and bits are falling off all the time.
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\/ Once in this building we got quickly out due to the noises and groans inside of here, was not a good feeling.
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\/ These tapes interested me
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I couldn't include all the pictures I'd like so here's the link to the album on Imgur!
Cwm Coke - Imgur
Note: We've been here twice and still not been everywhere. Will update once we go next week again.
March 2014.
Some history;
Cwm coke works is a large site just north of Beddau in Rhondda Cynon Taf. Up until the mid 1800′s Beddau was a small collection of farmsteads at the conjunction of four crossroads. (Incidentally, Beddau, which means ‘graves’, may be a shortening of Croesheol y Beddau, ‘crossroads of the graves’, as it is marked on an ordnance survey map circa. 1833. Criminals were often hanged as crossroads as an example to others…). In the 1860′s coal pits were sunk around Beddau, and the town grew at a steady rate until 1909, which saw the opening of Cwm colliery. As the industry moved in, Beddau grew quickly, and in 1958 Cwm coke works opened, furthering the expansion. At its peak, Cwm colliery was producing hundreds of thousand of tons of high quality, low sulphur coal per year. Much of this was processed at Cwm coke works, into high-grade coke suitable for foundry use. The National Coal Board closed the colliery in 1986, and Cwm Coke works in 2002, leaving yet another small Welsh town deprived and forgotten. It would seem now, work has begun to reclaim the land, so perhaps this magnificent example of commanding industry and stark, utilitarian achitecture won’t be around for much longer.
Before our visit we did some reading up on this place and was told there was a guy with a guard dog who walks around, just before entering we had seen this guy, and his dog, which really isn't the smallest. If you're going too this place I heed you too be careful. Especially of your surroundings, the creeks and groans from most of the metal structure really show the strain the years has taken on it and bits are falling off all the time.
1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
6)
7)
8)
9)
10)
11)
12)
\/ Once in this building we got quickly out due to the noises and groans inside of here, was not a good feeling.
13)
14)
15)
16)
17)
18)
19)
20)
21)
22)
23)
24)
\/ These tapes interested me
25)
26)
27)
28)
29)
30)
31)
32)
33)
34)
35)
I couldn't include all the pictures I'd like so here's the link to the album on Imgur!
Cwm Coke - Imgur
Note: We've been here twice and still not been everywhere. Will update once we go next week again.
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