Weird isn’t perhaps the most appropriate adjective to describe Sebastien Boyesen’s dramatic monument, but there is no denying that it’s an unusual sight. This 20m-high sculpture of a Welsh miner dwarfs the trees in the wooded valley south of Abertillery, 12 miles north-west of Newport.
Made from a series of steel strips, the statue – which weighs over eight tonnes – is a poignant memorial to the coal miners who lost their lives during a tragic accident in the Six Bells Colliery on 28 June 1960.
That day, firedamp – flammable gas found in coal mines, typically coalbed methane – had been leaking from the seam all morning. Though usually vented before a dangerous amount could build up, on that morning the firedamp hadn’t been detected – and at about 10:45am coal dust in the air ignited, causing an explosion fuelled by the gas.
The blast surged through the western part of the mine, leaving behind lethal concentrations of carbon monoxide that killed many of those who survived the initial explosion. Of the 48 men working underground that day, only three returned to the surface alive.
How can you visit the Guardian?
The Guardian is clearly signed from the A467 between Aberbeeg and Six Bells. It’s a short walk from the car park by the Abertillery Learning Community Building, Six Bells Campus, on the path alongside the building .
