Tales From Wales: Big Pit and Abersychan

Sam and I had the incredible opportunity to go to the Big Pit coal mine with my parents in Wales. Two of my ancestors, Lewis and John Bowen, worked here. It was a very sobering experience to see the incredibly hard conditions they endured working there. Sam jumped the gun a little and posted about this tour about two months ago. (He is WAY ahead of me in posts!) See the video and his thoughts here.

 

In our hardhats ready for the tour! No batteries were allowed in the mines for safety reasons, so we don't have any video or photos from inside the mine.

My beautiful and amazing mom in front of the ironworks

This is the Blaenavon Ironworks where we believe Lewis and John Bowen also worked. When they worked at the Big Pit, it was actually an iron mine; so this place worked in conjunction with the mine.

After going to the Big Pit, we continued on to a river in Abersychan where they and their families were baptized. Lewis Bowen's parents actually disowned him and his family for joining the church. I am so grateful for my ancestors who came before me and went through so many hardships, and for the choices they made that have shaped my life in the best way possible.

Abersychan River

After visiting the river, we hiked up a little hill behind it and got to see a nice view of Pontypool in the sunset. I loved getting to travel with my parents, and I hope we will be able to go on many more trips with them in the future!

  

We also were able to go to the parish where they worshiped before they joined The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.