The Winding House, New Tredegar, South Wales

The Winding House in New Tredegar is an attractive modern building on the site of the Elliot Colliery – which is no more.  A distinctive steel walkway leads over the road from a large car park to the entrance. (An easy way to know you have arrived.)

The cafe shares space with the gift shop where you are welcomed in to enjoy coffee and a slice of cake.  A permanent museum gallery tells the story of Caerphilly from the time of the Silures through to the present.

A second gallery displays temporary exhibitions.  We enjoyed the Arthur Moore exhibition.  Firstly it provides details of the early nineteenth century to illustrate the times in which Arthur Moore was working.  His hobby was radio and he received the SOS signal from the Titanic.  Unfortunately, an amateur, living in rural south Wales was disbelieved, until the news filtered through via the media.

The original winding wheel from the colliery has been retained and preserved, providing a spectacular illustration of the heavy engineering required to reliably lift men and coal from the depths of the mine.

March 13^th we plan to return to see the wheel working as part of an evening when Brian Davies speaks on “Industry depicted in Art.”

View from the Winding House roadbridge

Although the coal has long gone, the rows of terraced houses remain, still following the contours of the mountain. 

Unusually for the valleys the Winding House overlooks a long straight road.

Half-term and school holidays it can, aparently become a little hectic.