Dolaucothi Gold Mines

Over het museum

Dolaucothi in the Cothi Valley, Carmarthenshire, is the only known Roman gold mine in Britain. The Romans began large-scale mining here around 70 to 80 AD, building open-cast workings, tunnels and water channels, and set up a military fort on the site of what is now the village of Pumsaint. Pick marks left by Roman miners can still be seen in the tunnels.

After the Roman period the mines seem to have been forgotten. The next major phase of mining came in the Victorian and Edwardian period: the South Wales Gold Mining Company was founded in 1888 to lease the mines from the Johnes family, who owned the estate. The ore contained little gold, so the early venture struggled, and mining was revived under a new manager in 1905. Work continued, with the 1930s mine yard and machinery, until the mine closed in 1938, shortly before the Second World War.

Today the site is cared for by the National Trust. Visitors can walk the floodlit Roman Mine Trail, take a guided Victorian or Level Mine tour underground, look at machinery in the mine yard, try gold panning, and see finds from the Roman fort at Pumsaint in the Field Centre. The surrounding estate covers around 2,500 acres of woodland, farms and parkland with many miles of waymarked paths.

Hoogtepunten

• The only known Roman gold mine in the UK
• Guided underground Victorian Mine Tour and accessible Level Mine Tour
• Floodlit Roman adit on the self-guided Roman Mine Trail with audio trail
• 1930s mine yard with machinery sheds and gold panning area
• Field Centre with finds from the Roman fort at Pumsaint
• Around 2,500 acres of estate with waymarked walks

Vaste collectie

• Roman Mine Trail – A self-guided route with hard hat and fob from reception through a floodlit Roman adit and gallery, with information boards and an audio trail.
• Guided underground tours – Guided tours of a Victorian drift mine and of an accessible level mine, led by experienced guides.
• Mine yard and Field Centre – A 1930s mine yard with machinery sheds and a gold panning area, plus a small museum of finds from the Roman fort at Pumsaint.

Beheerder

National Trust

Toegangsprijzen & kortingen

Site entry is free for National Trust members; prices shown are without the optional Gift Aid donation and are for non-members. All underground tours must be pre-booked, and the tour fee applies to members and non-members alike.

Toegankelijkheid

• Deels rolstoeltoegankelijk
• Lift: geen informatie
• Aangepast toilet
• Gehandicaptenparkeerplaats: geen informatie
• Hulphonden welkom: geen informatie
• Tastmodellen / voelbare objecten
• Rondleidingen in gebarentaal: geen informatie
• Informatie in eenvoudige taal: geen informatie
• Audiodescriptie: geen informatie

The mine yard is flat apart from a slight upward slope from the car park, and many of the machinery sheds can be used by wheelchair users and people with walking aids. There is a drop-off point, and Braille and audio guides are available. The accessible toilet has level access, handrails, an emergency cord and baby changing; there are no toilets on the tour routes. The Level Mine Tour has step-free access into the mine and is suitable for some wheeled chairs and walking aids, while the Victorian Mine Tour involves steep steps without handrails and upland paths.

Kinderen & gezin

Erg geschikt voor kinderen & gezinnen

• Gezinsrondleidingen & workshops
• Speurtocht, doeboekje of kinderaudiotour
• Doe- en voelstations
• Verschoonruimte

Families can pan for gold in the mine yard and keep what they find, borrow a Botanist Kit and spotter sheet from reception for the nature trail, and use dressing-up boxes, colouring materials and indoor games in the Field Centre. The mine yard is a large open space suitable for picnics and games. Children under 1 metre tall cannot enter the mines. A Calan Gaeaf (Welsh Halloween) folklore event runs from 28 to 31 October 2026. There is baby changing in the accessible toilet.

Bereikbaarheid & parkeren

From the A40 at Llanwrda take the A482 for about 7 miles and turn off just before Pumsaint village; from Lampeter follow the A482 south-east through Pumsaint and turn left immediately after the village. The last stretch is a single-track road. A bus service from Lampeter (Bws Bach y Wlad) is mentioned.

Service & horeca

Het museum heeft hierover geen informatie gepubliceerd.

Evenementen & zaalverhuur

Het museum heeft hierover geen informatie gepubliceerd.

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