Coal Mining in South Wales essays

Coal Mining in South Wales essays Coal in the Rhondda was, in its time was the best steam coal in the world. From its rise in the 1850s, till its fall in 1983, the Rhondda has been both a place of hope and a place of despair. But as well as this it has been a ray off hope for the working class, with the workers and there families of the this small south Wales vally standing up for there basic rights and pay, standing up for what they believe is right. Over the years the Rhondda valley has changed dramatically. It has changed from a small solitude hamlet nestled in the beauty of the surrounding valley, to a bruised fallen king of industry tossed onto the dieing heap of Britains long since over industrial revolution. There were many reasons for the coal industry to boom in the Rhondda valley, amount these are, the thousands of square acres of steam coal rivalled by non which, G.T. Clarke of Dowlais remarked as in the highest degree of purpose of manufacture, of commence and of war. This comment was made during a time when every thing was run by steam engines and so was very true. But although this was true at the time it was not true later on. As the development of the diesel engine came in and things were slowly modernised, the demand for steam coal dropped. Also the resent boom of Cardiff as a modern port, and the recent opening of the Taff Valley Railway linking Merthyr and Cardiff. Both of these put to together meant that south Wales coal was now more accessible then ever. There is another reason for the boom of the coal industry in the Rhondda Valley. To truly appreciate this reason we first have to look at who it is, that is saying it and why they are saying it. The reason I am talking about is that of the findings of Henry de la Beche and Doctor Lyon Playfair, who said after scientific test, said that South Wales coal unequivocally was the best fitted the needs of the navy. The ...