Black Country Living Museum's underground mine reopens

Visitors can experience the harsh reality of being a miner at the museum

An underground mine attraction at Black Country Living Museum is welcoming visitors again after renovation work was completed.

Work stalled during the pandemic, but can now retell the area's historical links with mining.

A single seam of coal about 10 yards in thickness - the thickest in the UK - was the greatest energy resource of the Industrial Revolution, the museum said.

David Pitt from the museum said it was delightful to reopen the experience.

The Black Country Living Museum gives visitors a taste of ordinary life in Victorian England

Visitors will experience the darkness a miner endured, see their working conditions and the harsh reality of life as a coal miner, the museum said.

"It has always been a popular part of the museum and we can't wait to invite returning visitors to head 'into the thick' again as well as introduce the experience to first-time visitors," Mr Pitt said.

"I'm proud of the hard work and dedication of the museum's teams to reopen this much-loved experience."

Last year, West Midlands Combined Authority said it will support the museum's £30m plan to grow in size by a third.

New attractions are thought to include recreating what life in the area was like in the 1940s, 50s and 60s.