British Disasters, Aberfan

 

 

 

 

 I took this in 2008

 

 

In the Welsh village of Aberfan on October 1966, a huge coal slag heap, loosened by days of rain collapsed and slid down the hillside. It buried a row of houses and the village school in millions of tons of choking liquefied coal waste, killing 144 people, 116 of whom were schoolchildren aged 7-10.

The village has never fully recovered, having had such a huge chunk of a single generation wiped out in one fell swoop. I have visited Aberfan many times, when entering Aberfan you always feel a chill in the air!

Site Map Navigate site Welcome Medieval Travel