Great Orme Mines

10/11/2026

⛏️ Great Orme is a headland filled with history and natural wonder. It’s got a certain amount of mystery too!

Reported in 1849 was a discovery that had happened in the previous January. Whilst the Great Orme copper miners were working below sea level they encountered a “most surprising and mysterious*” huge underground natural “cavern*” below sea level.

Suddenly a huge amount of water rushed forth at a rate of 10,000 gallons (approximately 45,460 litres) per minute! It forced the miners to retreat.

When, two months later, they eventually attempted to resume mining below sea level another sudden gush of water occurred and one of the miners was nearly caught up in the flood but managed to escape.

This caused the workings below sea level to be abandoned for months and as you can imagine, for a mining community such as Llandudno, this was devastating. At that time it was said “the principal support and prosperity of the village depends on the working and the success of the mines*”.

Many thanks to Dr. Alan Williams who forwarded us this article from The Mining Journal.

*The Mining Journal Saturday, 10th November 1849

06/11/2026

⛏️ A Bronze Age copper mine!

Three metals are central to the story of Great Orme Mines: copper, the ore of which was mined from the headland; tin, which was sourced from Cornwall; and when alloyed together the resulting harder metal, called bronze.

So significant was this development that bronze gradually replaced stone as the preferred material for making tools and weapons.

The Bronze Age had begun!

This is a photo of our display in the Education Room, for visiting schools and groups.

01/11/2026

📢 That’s a wrap for the 2026 season!

Great Orme Mines is now closed for the season, but we’ll be welcoming visitors back underground for three weekends in December!
🎄 Friday 4th - Sunday 6th December
🎄 Friday 11th - Sunday 13th December
🎄 Friday 18th - Sunday 20th December.

Thank you to everyone who has visited us this year. And what an October Half-Term it’s been! Alongside exploring this world famous Bronze Age site, visitors enjoyed blacksmithing demonstrations with Monolith Archaeology last weekend and met the Afanc with Llandudno Vaults on Tuesday!

Before we reopen in December we’ve got a busy few weeks ahead!
☺️ First, our team will be taking a well deserved break to recharge!

🥳 We’ll be attending the Go North Wales Tourism Awards on Thursday 19th November at Venue Cymru, where we’re shortlisted for Visitor Attraction of the Year! Wish us luck!

🔬 There is maintenance work to carry out across the site and further archaeological research to undertake.

Although the mine gates are closed for now, there’s plenty happening behind the scenes. Keep following us for updates!

We look forward to welcoming you back underground in December!

01/11/2026

Last chance!

Today is our last day of opening until Friday 4th December, so whether you're wanting a Bronze Age adventure, or to purchase a special gift from our shop head on up the Orme today!

📅 OPEN TODAY – SUNDAY 1ST NOVEMBER
🔒 CLOSED FROM MONDAY 2ND NOVEMBER
🎉 REOPENING FRIDAY 4TH DECEMBER

Don’t leave it until next time, visit us today! 😊

31/10/2026

👻 Happy Halloween! 🎃

Did you know that nineteenth century Llandudno copper miners believed that spirits inhabited the underground workings of the Great Orme? They called them “Knockers”, believing these kindly spirits would knock on the rock to guide miners towards the richest veins of copper ore!

There was also a very real Hobgoblin, or “bwgan” (ghost), at the mines in the 19th century. This was a mechanism used to ventilate the very deep workings, including those at and beyond sea level. The miners gave it its spooky name because of the eerie noise the system made. 👻

Today our visitors don’t enter the very deep Victorian workings, so there’s no need to worry about hearing the spooky sounds of the bwgan. And, with mining at the Great Orme ending in 1881, the Knockers have no need to guide miners towards rich seams of copper either! However, there’s still something truly atmospheric about exploring this ancient mine, making it the perfect place for a Halloween adventure!

📸: Pictured are two of the Halloween themed figurines we sell. These have been carved from obsidian.

30/10/2026

🔍 Guess the stone!

Today’s is quite a tricky one, possibly the trickiest one I’ve posted so far! But this beautiful sphere that looks like an alien planet is a new product in our shop and I couldn’t resist sharing it with you. 😊

Hint: Its name refers to its flower-like patterns and suggests it’s a type of agate, but it is described as a variety of orbicular rhyolite. Even more confusing! 😵‍💫

Can you guess its name? Post your guesses below!

29/10/2026

📚 We were delighted to welcome author Peter J Wood to Great Orme Mines today where he signed copies of his The Steading Trilogy books, now in stock in our shop.

Set in a world reclaimed by nature, this post-apocalyptic tale explores humanity’s struggle for survival and the hope of a new beginning, blending fiction with bushcraft, survival skills and homesteading.

📖 Pop into our shop to discover the series!

29/10/2026

😊 There’s still a few days left of Half-Term fun!

Bring your children along and they can try their hand at our Young Archaeologist’s Quiz! As they go around they mine, learning about our prehistoric ancestors, they collect answers.

After completing their visit they then get their answers marked in our shop, where a prize is given to them for their efforts! Whether primary of secondary aged children, all have good fun!

It’s educational and fun for all the family!

📸: Thanks to our visitor Dani of thecumberpatchgirls who shared with us this lovely photo of one of our young visitors participating in the quiz this week.

28/10/2026

🤗 A huge thank you to one of our visitors today, Katy Hinkley, who enjoyed the mine and shop so much that she gifted us the team this beautifully painted rock!

Katy created this lovely beach scene using Josh Griffiths Studio Beyond Stamping stampers and we’re delighted that she chose to leave this little piece of her creativity with us!

It’s always wonderful when a visitor shares with us how much they’ve enjoyed their experience of the site, sometimes that’s a TripAdvisor review, recommending a friend, or, like today, a little illustration. 😊

Thank you Katy!

27/10/2026

🏆 We’re absolutely delighted to be a finalist for Go North Wales Visitor Attraction of the Year!

Thank you to everyone who has visited, supported us. You have helped us preserve and research this important archaeological site.

Wish us luck! 🤞

Meet one of our Visitor Attraction of the Year finalists – Great Orme Mines ⛏️

This world-famous Bronze Age mine in Llandudno offers visitors something truly unique – the chance to explore 200 metres of underground workings dug by hand 3,500 years ago.

It all starts in the Visitor Centre, learning about the Bronze Age and seeing artefacts from the site, before heading underground into the ancient tunnels. Back on the surface, visitors discover how ore was turned into metal and take in the 4,000-year-old Opencast mine.

What makes Great Orme Mines extra special? It's a site of ongoing archaeological research – and every ticket and shop sale helps fund its continued study. Visitors aren't just learning about history, they're actively supporting it.

Congratulations and good luck! 🏆