Mining Lamps Rhondda
Rhondda in South Wales is a town shaped by its history of mining. Like many towns and villages in the south of Wales, Rhondda has been home to thousands of pit workers over the years, and many old miners still live in the area. The changing economic and industrial demands of the wider world might have reduced the demand for coal mining in the area, but many families are still rightly proud of the hard-working men, women and children of the area who put Rhondda on the map with their strength, skill and courage.
While modern mining has changed, it is still important to remember the hard work and effort that was required to carry out pit mining, not to mention the personal cost, and there is no more iconic symbol of the industry than the mining lamps that are still carefully hand crafted in the area. Mining lamps, Rhondda or elsewhere, are a classic icon of the industriousness and ingenuity of the local people, and they can be used as a meaningful gift, a beautiful decoration in the home or garden, or as a trophy or keepsake. But what is so special about the mining lamps Rhondda residents still love?
Read on the find out more about the local mining lamps Rhondda has to offer, and why they are such a great piece of local history!
The World-Famous Local Mining Lamps
Rhondda and the areas around have long been known in certain circles as the home of the best quality traditional oil mining lamps. The story of the mining lamps Rhondda has to offer goes back to the dangerous world of traditional pit driven coal mining. Taking open flamed lamps into a mine was very dangerous as flammable gases known as ‘damp’ could build up in the shafts, and as the mines got deeper and deeper the risk of fires or explosions caused by damp increased. Mining lamps or even sparks from tools were often the cause of explosions in the mine and many a community in the South of Wales has been scarred by the effects of a mining explosion. Engineers all over the country raced to find a solution, and soon it was discovered that safer mining lamps could be made by putting a mesh cover or chimney over the flame. This simple innovation saved many lives, but the early ‘safety’ mining lamps Rhondda needed were still very temperamental and could easily be dropped or damaged.
New Mining Lamps Rhondda
A local engineer called Evan Thomas came up with an improved design for safety mining lamps which was a lot more robust, gave better light and was easier to use. Soon the mining lamps Rhondda had were being used in mines up and down the country and these local mining lamps were recognised nationally for their valuable service to mining safety.
The mining lamps Rhondda is famous for are still engineered locally by E. Thomas and Williams Limited, and they are available to buy today for gifts, use around the home or as trophies. Get in touch today for details.
