Explore a fascinating piece of Welsh history, as author and historian Norena Shopland discusses her book Women in Welsh Coal Mining: Tip Girls at Work in a Men’s World.

We tend to think of coal mining as predominantly a male occupation, though women worked at the coal face for many years before they were banned in 1842. However, many still continued to work underground, some dressing and passing as men to fool visiting inspectors. However the majority worked on the pit brow where they received the coal, cleaned, sorted and cut it to size. Dirty, laborious work, including many accidents and deaths, done by women and girls, some as young as 10 years old. This is the story of these incredible women.