Seven Sisters

This footbridge in Seven Sisters was covered in snow on Christmas 2004. The 35th photo taken by my camera!

Formerly the Seven Sisters Leisure Swimming Pool.

Driveable track to the quarry gate - handy for visiting the Marilyn summit of Hirfynydd

Wonder what this was for?

An estate of miners' houses by the A4109 between Seven Sisters and Dyffryn, where opencast working still takes place locally.

A community in the Dulais valley.

The corner of Hedd Aberth and Aberhenwaun Uchaf in this small mining community.

The village of Seven Sisters had always been recognised historically for its coal mining pit that was located in the middle of what was once one of the richest sources of coal in Britain, if not the world in the heart of the South Wales Coalfield. The sinking of the pit began when Miss Isobella Bevan, one of seven daughters of local coal-owner Evan Evans-Bevan cut the first sod of the colliery on Monday, March 11 1872, leading to its completion in 1875. Initially, Evans-Bevan had wanted to name the pit after his first daughter, Isobella, but reconsidered and named it after all his seven daughters, hence the name of Seven Sisters Colliery. In turn as the community grew around the colliery, it also adopted its name, Seven Sisters village. At its peak in 1945 the colliery employed over 759 men from the surrounding area. However, during the 1950s geological problems and changing economic conditions took their toll on the colliery and in 1963 the pit closed. The men who had been employed at the Seven Sisters were transferred to the nearby Blaenant Colliery, which closed in 1990. After the closure of the Seven Sisters Colliery in 1963 the site was demolished and filled in. Today the site is home to playing fields but the history of what existed in the village still remains, with the pit head winding gear sunk in the ground next to the site of the old colliery. Source; Wikipedia This church seems to date from the same era as the heyday of mining.

At Bryndulais Row in the ex-mining village described here; SN8109 : St. Mary's church, Seven Sisters.

On the corner of Church Road and Bryndulais Row in this ex-mining village described here; SN8109 : St. Mary's church, Seven Sisters.

Just a gentleman in a wheelchair out on the street in this mining village this morning. See SN8109 : St. Mary's church, Seven Sisters for more information.

A modern surgery at Nant-y-cafn serving the needs of this mining valley. A check on its website reveals that there are no surgery hours between 11am and 2.30pm, hence the empty car park in this shot.

An ex-mining community in the Dulais valley. This land is next to the new Health Centre, SN8107 : Dulais Valley Primary Care Centre, so is probably ripe for development.