Great Exhibition Lump of Coal at Bedwellty Park

Cadw's description

Location

Bedwellty Park is located on the S side of Tredegar town centre. The lump of coal is set underneath a shelter building above the duckponds W of Bedwellty House.

History

Celebrated lump of coal cut as a special exercise to form a monument at the 1851 Great Exhibition. It was cut at the Yard Level (on the site of the bus station) by the expert collier John Jones, alias ‘Collier Mawr’. Jones cut a block weighing twenty tons (20.32 tonnes), but a five-ton (5.08 tonnes) piece broke away during transportation. Despite its reduced size, it is still reputed to be the largest block of coal ever cut. Owing to the difficulties of transportation, it was decided that it would not survive the journey to Crystal Palace, and it was set up in the grounds of Bedwellty House, the home of the Homfray family, who owned both the Tredegar Ironworks and the Yard Level. A block of two tons (2.03 tonnes) from the same seam was cut at a Level at the top of Sirhowy 100 years later for the Festival of Britain, and this was subsequently also placed at Bedwellty Park.

Exterior

Block of coal approximately five feet (1.52 metres) by four feet (1.22 metres) and thirteen feet (3.96 metres) long, bound by a large wrought-iron band. The block stands on an elongated dram with eight wheels, on a specially-laid short length of plateway. The steel and perspex shelter was placed overhead in 1992 to protect the coal from the weather. The smaller block dating from 1951 stands next to the large block, also bound with iron bands, and under cover.

Reason for designation

Listed as a unique monument to the coal industry in South Wales and to the skill of South Wales miners.