Rhydymwyn world war two tunnels open to public bbc news. Rhydymwyn valley tunnels gareth hacking photography. Visits to these tunnels are strictly limited by the sites landlord defra and the newcomen society has been able to book a party visit on the. Ifcpp inside north wales secret bunkers that homed. Download the bibliography file, in adobe pdf format, for a list of all titles available. As you are aware, we have handled your request under the freedom of information act 2000 foia please find enclosed a copy of the information you requested. The rhydymwyn valley history society was founded in may 2008 and its core interest is the. When the milwr tunnel eventually reached hendre an old shaft known as the olwyn goch the red wheel was. At right angles to the three main tunnels are four cross chambers you can find a plan diagram on the rhydymwyn. Take a tour of the secret north wales tunnel complex that. The opening of box tunnel therefore started the golden age of quarrying at coronas, which took place from 1850 to 1910. Part of britains hidden wartime history lies just outside the village.
Search for garage services and other automotive services near you on. Response by welsh government to colin barber on 8 july 2014. Along the main road from the old sardis chapel, and only a few feet from the edge of the a541 there is an ancient well ffynnon leinw leinw comes from the welsh word llanw meaning tide as it is reported that the water in the well rose and ebbed with the tides of the dee estuary. Rhydymwyn history society the land had been purchased by the ministry of supply in 1939 and over 100 specialised buildings were. Rhydymwyn valley history society has been working for years to get safe access to the tunnels near mold that stored mustard gas in the 1940s. Rhydymwyn have now got the task of building on that and will be looking to move further up the table in season 2014 despite limited resources and funds. Today, the rhydymwyn valley works site is a flourishing nature preserve, home to a wide variety of plants and wildlife. Posted by andy on october 20, 2015 december 20, 2019. Focuses on the ministry of supply factory, rhydymwyn, near mold, north wales aka valley works and its important contribution to wwii and the part it might have played had events dictated. Rhydymwyn valley is not in any way secret and is a nature reserve open to the public seven days a week although it seems you have to book online and join some society for official access. Introduction today i am delighted to post a first guest blog on grandys landing.
Dear mr barber i attach a response to your freedom of information request of 10 june. Rhydymwyn valley works tunnels tunnels that housed thousands of mustard gas shells during the height of production in the war years will soon be open to the public for the first time. Visits to these tunnels are strictly limited by the sites landlord defra and the newcomen society has been able to book a party visit on the morning of tuesday 21st may. As soon as world war ii was declared, the dissused glyn rhonwy slate quarry in the heart of. Ministry of supply factory, valley was a second world war site in rhydymwyn.
I got to know maureen in 2011 through blaze, a poetry group in my hometown northwich in cheshire. Landscapes of chemical and biological warfare bbc news. Located in a lovely isolated area of north wales, rhydymwyn valley has been concealing a secret for over 75 years. These documents are available for download from our site in adobe pdf format. Ici suggested rhydymwyn, said the experts, because it was 30 miles away from its production hub in runcorn, cheshire. Rhydymwyn tunnel tours 2020 we have begun taking and confirming bookings for the 2020 tunnel tours at the rhydymwyn valley site.
Members of rhydymwyn valley history society later unearthed proof the miles of tunnels under the nature reserve would have had a key strategic role in. The rhydymwyn valley history society holds a large stock of books which are available to members for research. The history of the valley works at rhydymwyn, a history of the rhydymwyn tunnels, projects wellbright, mallard, folium and python. At one point more than 2,000 men and women worked at the rhydymwyn valley works where over 100 buildings and an extensive rail network were built. The antelope field site, whose tanks had been removed to the tunnels early in the war, was cleared for civilian use. The new parish of rhydymwyn was created on 31 march 1865, comprising. At the united kingdoms only residential library you can sleep among the books. Following years of secrecy, the hidden history of a world war ii site is being brought to light. I am the chairman of rhydymwyn valley history society and i can tell you that the title is a misnomer. Inside north wales secret bunkers that homed tonnes of. Book now for the 2020 tunnel tours april is totally full but there are a few vacancies for may but more for june.
You can now go inside secret world war two tunnels in. The tunnels tours can be booked by downloading the form from this link. Rhydymwyn valley works set to reveal its wartime secrets. Rhydymwyn tunnel tours will open to the public in 2018 for five special tours in april, may, june, july and september. Mine exploration, photographs and mining history for mine explorers, industrial archaeologists, researchers and historians mine explorer and mining history videos on youtube connect with other mine explorers on facebook. If you are interested in joining the party, please email. And for my first guest, who better than my good friend, the awardwinning poet maureen weldon. Former deputy sheriff eddy craig right to travel traffic stop script washington state law duration. The official opening of the rhydymwyn tunnels took place on saturday, 22 april 2017 when. The rhydymwyn contribution to the manhattan project, the history of the british bomb, scandal, spies and the theatre. Mine exploration forum view topic uk mine exploration forums north wales rhydymwyn tunnels open day. Before the final tunnel arrangement was achieved two changes in required storage capacity had been made and changes made to the original layout. Requests similar to request for information concerning conrad, ukcicc and the rhydymwyn tunnels the former valley works at rhydymwyn. Mining in the alyn valley all but ceased during this period.
The tunnels tours can be booked by downloading the form from this link and sending it to us. During world war ii an area was developed as a base for storing significant amounts of mustard gas shells. Rhydymwyn valley tunnels rhydymwyn valley is located in north wales, not far from mold. Top secret wartime tunnels which housed mustard gas and where. Documents for the period august 20 to the present concerning the tunnels at rhydymwyn. The munitions works at rhydymwyn, in flintshire played a. The rhydymwyn valley history society is an organisation which researches and promotes the operation of the former ministry of supplys valley works in the. There are also tours of the empty tunnels where they insist you wear silly clothes.
Follow the latest news for rhydymwyn in clwyd, wales, uk local news and information in your area. Requests similar to request for information concerning. Occupying 35 hectares of the alyn valley to the south of the village of rhydymwyn is one of the uks most mysterious and fascinating. Rhydymwyn s role in the cold war, now i am become death, destroyer of worlds. The tunnels and the factory site were administered separately. Despite starting life as simple quarries, the network of tunnels have had a varied history that has reflected events above ground. This was an ideal site as it was well hidden in a relatively narrow concealed valley and tunnels could also be created to provide complete protection from enemy bombs. Occupying 35 hectares of the alyn valley to the south of the village of rhydymwyn is one of the uks most mysterious and fascinating historical sites. Its a lovely little isolated spot, but its also been concealing a secret for over 75 years part of britains hidden wartime history is located just to the south of the village. Valley works rhydymwyn a secret site heritage tours. By the eve of the second world war, however, the ministry of supply came up with a new use for the site at rhydymwyn. Works at rhydymwyn which we received on 09 june 2014. Next monthly meeting cancelled the visitor centre, 17, nant alyn road, rhydymwyn, ch7 5hq. If you would like to receive any of the attachments.
An area was cleared on the surface for heavily armed troops to. Rhydymwyn valley works set to reveal its wartime secrets as. Rhydymwyn tunnel tours 2020 we have begun taking and confirming book. At its height, during world war two, 2,200 people worked at the rhydymwyn facility. The content is mostly cut and paste and is probably assembled by a rambler. For years the secrecy surrounding the rhydymwyn valley works site, near mold, served only to fuel rumour about what, if anything, could still be hidden in underground tunnels that once housed. Rhydymwyn valley works jhlphotography a selection appears below. There will be a small charge to include a buffet lunch on site. The landscape of britain continues to be littered with the remains of past conflicts. The rhydymwyn valley history society is an organisation which researches and promotes the operation of the former ministry of supplys valley works in the alyn valley at rhydymwyn in northeast wales.
And in 2008, 21 of the buildings and tunnels were listed as ancient scheduled monuments. About us rhydymwyn2 rhydymwyn valley history society. Visitors are allowed access to the first few yards of the tunnel at present. Inside the secret welsh tunnel complex people rarely get. The rhydymwyn valley works tunnel tour dates the tunnel tours will open to the public for five special tours in april, may, june, july and september. The rhydymwyn valley history societys core interest is the operation of the former valley works at rhydymwyn in flintshire, wales. Once at rhydymwyn, the gold would have been stacked in the tunnels in eightfeethigh piles.
Cris ebbs excellent book, the milwr tunnel, bagillt to loggerheads 18971987 will give you more details about the mine, the tunnels under hendre and the surrounding countryside. Latest news in rhydymwyn in clwyd, wales, uk inyourarea. The site is now operated as a controlled access nature reserve and historical site by rhydymwyn history society. A working party under the umbrella of friends of rhydymwyn valley secured funding from cadwyn clwyd and after over two years of work produced a. Take a tour of the secret north wales tunnel complex that people. Access to the tunnels is strictly limited and can only be arranged as part of a. The rhydymwyn tunnels in flintshire once housed a mustard gas factory and has a network of tunnels some cut right into the hillside. The thirty tanks from woodside were emptied and removed to the tunnels. Visitors to the site can still take a tour through an eerie maze of underground tunnels and marvel at the huge bombproof caverns that once stored mustard gas. A fascinating secret world is hidden in the village of rhydymwyn near mold. While the tunnels were being excavated temporary storage was made available by sinking twelve 65 ton tanks adjacent to the site on antelope field. Rhydymwyn valley history society tunnel tours flintshire.
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