Alun Pugh wants Welsh people to learn about their heritage

Big Pit - also known as the National Mining Museum of Wales - educates visitors about the industry synonymous with the country's heritage.

Welsh assembly Culture Minister Alun Pugh has had a preview of the new-look attraction in Blaenavon.

He said people should visit the centre in order to learn about mining.

"Big Pit is bigger and better then ever, and well worth a visit," he stressed.

"It's a great example of how museums can successfully bring the past to life by making the experience as realistic and true-to-life as possible.

Special status

"Wales' industrial past is an important part of our heritage and history and we can be proud that Big Pit is so close to the Blaenavon World Heritage site," added Mr Pugh, himself the son of a Rhondda miner.

Former miner Terry Mason, now a guide at the pit said: "Visitors find it hard to believe that I enjoyed being underground. There was a camaraderie about it and, without being sexist...there were no women."

It is more than three years since Blaenavon and the surrounding countryside won World Heritage status.

The judges ranked the area alongside the Taj Mahal and the Great Barrier Reef after agreeing that it contained rare examples of the UK's industrial heritage.

As a result of Big Pit's redevelopment, visitors will be able to see a new haulage house underground and the fan-house on the top of the mine shaft which regulates the air quality.

The pit-head baths have also been refurbished.

The project has been funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund, the Wales Tourist Board, a variety of private trusts and the Welsh Assembly Government.

"Big Pit continues to be one of Wales' top visitor attractions with over 112,000 visitors last year," said Mr Pugh.

"Visitor numbers have been boosted by the success of the Welsh Assembly Government's free admission policy which is helping to ensure that everyone has a chance to enjoy Welsh culture and heritage," he added.

To mark the reopening of Big Pit, Max Boyce, one of Wales' favourite entertainers, has been invited to attend.

The comedian will also see for the first time a locker especially dedicated to his successful career.