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Wernos Colliery, Ammanford

Located on the southeastern edge of the town of Ammanford, South Wales, the Wernos Washery formed part of one of the most important coal mines in the local area employing hundreds of local people. Today, the current site is approximately 170 acres of coal fines, with ancillary sites of an additional 20-30 acres, totalling near to 200 acres of former industrial land. Over the last few decades there have been some areas on the site planted with saplings, while the remaining site has naturally established itself with areas of grass, scrub and woodland.

Date:
2025
Client:
Private

This site presented the opportunity to reimagine this post-industrial landscape as a new asset for the area. Transforming this former waste site into a new destination. Stitching the community that was torn apart by the closures back to together and become an active, performative and productive landscape for both local people and visitors alike.

Wernos Washery has the potential to revitalise the local area, perfectly situated next to Pantyffynnon Railway Station and nearby Ammanford Station both on the Heart of Wales Line – a spectacular rural railway between Swansea and Shrewsbury. Its location at the end of the M4 corridor presents a unique gateway, with easy links to the Brecon Beacons to the East and the Gower Peninsula to the South. The site poses the ideal space to support an environmental educational facility for learning about the landscape, with scope for workshops, construction utilising materials from the site and landscape-focused activities.

The site could provide a fresh, inclusive and accessible space to learn about alternative technologies and the environment, while at the same time providing a marker in history, showcasing the transition from fossil fuels to future technologies. There is scope for eco cabins, live/workspaces and residencies alongside camping sites.

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