A memorial garden in Senghenydd, which commemorates those who
died in the worst disaster in the history of British mining, has
been given the “recognition it deserves” and formally
acknowledged by the Welsh Government as the National Mining
Disaster Memorial Garden of Wales.
The village’s garden of remembrance was officially opened on the
100th anniversary of the 1913 disaster when 439 miners were
killed after an explosion tore through the Universal Colliery.
Now, it has been added to the Statutory Register of Historic
Parks and Gardens for Wales and received endorsement from First
Minister, and the Deputy Minister for
Arts, Sport and Tourism, to become a dedicated site
remembering the many thousands who died in mining disasters
throughout Wales.
First Minister, said:
“Mining is a big part of our identity as a nation. More than
a century after the Senghenydd disasters, and as we mark the 40th
anniversary of the miners’ strikes, the legacy of coal is still
an essential part of our history.
“It is only right that a site of such symbolic importance as
Wales’ National Mining Memorial receives formal recognition –
honouring the thousands of miners who died in colliery tragedies
across Wales, while keeping the culture and memory of pit
communities alive.”
The site includes a bronze statue, which depicts a rescue worker
coming to the aid of a survivor after a mining disaster, a wall
of remembrance, dedicated to those who lost their lives in the
two Senghenydd mining disasters in 1901 and 1913, and a path of
memory with a tile for each of the 152 mining disasters that have
occurred across Wales.
Many local authorities contributed to the fundraising campaign
when the memorial was established in 2013 and on a visit to the
garden and nearby Aber Valley Heritage Museum, Deputy Minister
for Arts, Sport and Tourism, said:
“We are conscious that the memorial garden commemorates not just
those who died at Senghenydd, but also in mining disasters across
the length and breadth of Wales.
“It’s such an important site of public commemoration and memory
with an important role to play in connecting people with the past
so I’m delighted we have been able to give it the recognition it
deserves.”
Gill Jones, of Aber Valley Heritage Group, added:
“We are so very proud that our wonderful Garden of Remembrance
has now become the ‘National Mining Disaster Memorial Garden of
Wales’ and has been added to the statutory register of historic
parks and gardens in Wales.
“It is through the determination and hard work of our volunteers,
who spend many hours in all-weather to maintain it to the high
standards required for such an honour.
“It is a lasting legacy by our volunteers to the 530 men and boys
killed in the Universal Colliery disasters in 1901 and 1913, as
well as the many thousands who died in disasters throughout the
Welsh coalfields, all of which are all listed in the garden.”
