Committee calls for free access to Wales’ coal mining heritage

Emily Price

Access to Wales’ coal mining history should not be put behind a paywall, according to a Senedd Committee.

The Senedd Culture Committee’s report on charging for exhibitions has called on the Welsh Government to fund Amgueddfa Cymru – Museum Wales enough so that that underground tours at Big Pit National Coal Museum can be free of charge.

The museum in Blaenavon allows visitors to experience the sights, sounds, smells and atmosphere of an authentic coal mine with a world-famous underground tour.

Led by a real miner, the tour takes visitors 300ft underground through the original mine that once employed up to 1,300 workers.

A charging trial in place since April set the ticket price at £8 per person – or cheaper on the day or with concessions.

The committee’s previous report showed that after a decade of funding cuts, Wales spent the second smallest amount per person on culture compared with other European nations.

‘Principle’

Delyth Jewell MS, Chair of the Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee, said: “Free entry to national museums has been a successful policy and we want to see it continue – as a matter of principle, no one should have to pay to enjoy collections that belong to the people of Wales.

“As the custodians of our nation’s history, the Welsh Government has a responsibility to fund our national institutions adequately so that they can afford to provide free entry to everyone.

“But it has not been meeting this responsibility. Over a decade, the Welsh Government has cut public funding for culture in Wales to the extent that it’s one of the lowest levels in Europe.

“Ministers even made suggestions that  charging for entry to museums was ‘on the table’.

“There have been some welcome increases for culture in the latest budget, but it does not obscure the real terms cut in funding the sector has had to endure, and the Welsh Government is yet to find a way to provide sustainable funding that recognises the worth of our culture.”

Tour

Big Pit National Coal Museum in Torfaen, is one of Amgueddfa Cymru’s seven museums.

From April 2025 to July 2026, tickets for the underground tour at Big Pit must be purchased in advance for £8 per person.

Limited tickets are available on the day for £5. Concession tickets are available without the need for evidence to be shown.

The committee noted that most visitors were happy with the amount they paid – but as a matter of principle, recommend that underground tours should remain free of charge.

The report made another four recommendations, including that income from temporary exhibitions should not replace the need for adequate public funding for museums, and that the Welsh Government should explore ways of helping organisations host more temporary exhibitions to improve the range of exhibitions on offer.

The Welsh Government will now consider to committee’s recommendations.