Slate Mine Museum and Hospital Museum

We visited a slate mine museum. It was on a hill overlooking a river, with the mining village on the opposite side. The slate mine museum has the largest working water wheel in Britain, although no mining goes on now. I was especially interested in the occupational health hospital.

I have a background in occupational health, and for the times, this was very forward looking. They provided health education as regards diet, hygiene, ventilation at home etc. Miners of course lost limbs frequently and the surgeon often had to amputate on site if someone was trapped under a rock fall. The surgeon and the engineer had a good working relationship and together they designed and made equipment such as a bamboo cage stretcher that would immobilise a patient to allow him to be lowered down the mountainside. In that occupational health hospital museum, I could see precursors of equipment I used in factories more than a hundred years later. The mine owner, the surgeon and the engineer were pioneers in this field and way ahead of their time. I salute you, sirs!


The slate mine museum



The mining village on the opposite side of the river.



The train used to transport the miners from the village to the mine, but today it takes visitors on scenic trips through the mountains.



Here the train driver was filling up with water. After that, he filled up with coal before taking the passengers on their journey. Seeing a train being watered and coaled up is an unusual sight these days.



Another unusual thing about Wales: even the "touristy" shops were cheap. We bought a bottle of mineral water and some chocolate here and paid 65p for it. In Kent, the same purchases would be well over a pound. Car prices were substantially lower too.