History
Ffos-y-Fran was an opencast coal operation in the hills south of Merthyr Tydfil, which started operation in the 1980s, the site continued to operate until 2023 giving it the title last large scale opencast coal mine to shutdown in the UK.
The reclamation of the site began in 2024, with no publicly available date for an expected conclusion.
The explore
The exploration itself was brief and only stretched to the rail depot area at the southern pit, as it turns out they have security onsite, however, the site is extremely accessible, to the extent I simply drove into one of the multiple unlocked vehicle gates.
Above is the main structure we explored, which I presumed to be some sort of infrastructure for loading coal onto trains, however it didn't actually straddle the rail, so I honestly have no idea what function it served.
The mystery structure was entirely accessible, with some control panels still having power
Climbing higher into the mystery structure, the phone potato camera didn't capture it well but the reflection of the snow below and the coal caking on everything inside gave a very pleasing contrast to the place.
A couple of unlocked Leyland daf ex-mod lorries sadly left to rot in the yard, presumably used to transport miners around the site.
After this, we were discovered by a very polite Welsh security guard who offered us tea prior to departure, which we politely declined.
Accompanying site for the northern pit, which likely has more to look aswell, but from the looks of it is far more active with remediation works.
Far from the biggest explore and honestly would've been pretty unexceptional, but the contrast of black coal and white snow made for very pleasant ambiance.
Ffos-y-Fran was an opencast coal operation in the hills south of Merthyr Tydfil, which started operation in the 1980s, the site continued to operate until 2023 giving it the title last large scale opencast coal mine to shutdown in the UK.
The reclamation of the site began in 2024, with no publicly available date for an expected conclusion.
The explore
The exploration itself was brief and only stretched to the rail depot area at the southern pit, as it turns out they have security onsite, however, the site is extremely accessible, to the extent I simply drove into one of the multiple unlocked vehicle gates.
Above is the main structure we explored, which I presumed to be some sort of infrastructure for loading coal onto trains, however it didn't actually straddle the rail, so I honestly have no idea what function it served.
The mystery structure was entirely accessible, with some control panels still having power
Climbing higher into the mystery structure, the phone potato camera didn't capture it well but the reflection of the snow below and the coal caking on everything inside gave a very pleasing contrast to the place.
A couple of unlocked Leyland daf ex-mod lorries sadly left to rot in the yard, presumably used to transport miners around the site.
After this, we were discovered by a very polite Welsh security guard who offered us tea prior to departure, which we politely declined.
Accompanying site for the northern pit, which likely has more to look aswell, but from the looks of it is far more active with remediation works.
Far from the biggest explore and honestly would've been pretty unexceptional, but the contrast of black coal and white snow made for very pleasant ambiance.
