Great Orme Country Park, Llandudno, Conwy County, Wales

Tel: +44 01492870447
Map of Great Orme Mines location

Explore the world's largest Prehistoric Mines Located in the Great Orme Country Park. We are the only Bronze age mine in Europe that can be visited by the public. Visitors can penetrate deep into the hillside along specially heightened galleries which cross the terrifyingly small Bronze Age working areas. You can also view the surface trench mines and the opencast workings, and visitors are encouraged to talk to our resident archaeologist. In 1976, Duncan James discovered old mine workings which contained hammer stones, bone tools and charcoal. This charcoal was dated to some 3,000 years ago, while later finds have been dated to some 4,000 years ago, during the Bronze Age. Copper was very important during this time as it was mixed with tin to make bronze for tools and weapons. Your tour starts in the Visitor Centre where there are excellent explanatory boards, and souvenirs are available. You are then encouraged to see the Video and listen to the introductory talk in the Audio Visual Presentation Room. During the underground tour which follows you will see untouched Bronze Age galleries and be able to appreciate the appalling difficulties of working in them. You will pass an enormous 3500 year old underground chamber entirely excavated in the Bronze Age. Vertical and horizontal veins of green malachite and blue azurite are still visible in the Great Orme Mines....

More Information >>