Visiting Dolaucothi

Visit Dolaucothi's Roman Mine

On your visit you’ll be guided on a tour that uncovers the secrets of this picturesque industrial landscape, discovering what life was like for Roman miners who tunnelled through the landscape with only the most basic of hand tools. 

Things that will help you prepare for your visit:

Do I need to book?

Yes, you’ll need to pre-book to visit.  The visit includes a tour of the only known Roman goldmine in the UK.  At the end of the tour, you can try the gold panning experience and explore the 1930s mine yard.  Do bring refreshments with you, we’ve plenty of picnic tables.

How can I cancel / amend my booking?

If you’ve booked and no longer able to make your booking or want to change the time and date, please call 0344 249 1895. Changes can be made in your online account (if you created one at the time of booking) up to 24 hours in advance of your original booking.

What kind of visit is it?

The tour is an active outdoor visit involving steep steps and upland pathways, it takes you underground into the Roman Gold Mine itself and through surrounding woodland.

Anything to see after the tour?

Explore the mineyard, discover Roman finds in the Field Centre, try your luck at gold panning, or enjoy a picnic. Please note there are no refreshments served onsite.

Dolaucothi   Carmarthenshire

Book your visit

Although Dolaucothi Goldmines are currently closed for the winter, the estate walks and woodland carpark are available to the public all year round, with no need to book. The Goldmines will reopen on 3 April 2022 offering pre-booked guided tours exploring our surface archaeology and taking you into the only known Roman Gold Mine in the UK. Bookings will open two weeks in advance of our re-opening, so be sure to call back nearer the time!

Check availability and book (from April 2022)

More detailed information

Timing of your visit and tour

Please arrive at your allocated booked time to ensure time to complete the safety briefing in readiness for starting the tour. 

If you find that you might be a little late on the day, please phone 01558 650177 and leave a message for the team. 

What does the visit involve?
By booking a visit to Dolaucothi you are booking to go on a tour of the Roman gold mine, as part of the tour you’ll go underground into the Roman gold mine. Tours last an hour and a quarter with time for you to try the gold panning experience and explore the mine yard afterwards.  

What do I need to bring with me?

Please bring a face mask with you to wear in any indoor spaces, such as the Field Centre (Reception) toilets and when you go underground into the mine. 

What to wear?
Our tour and visit involves an active outdoor offer, please come prepared for over an hour of walking outdoors up steps, steep slopes and uneven ground, you’ll also be going underground into the Roman mine, sturdy enclosed footwear is a must. 

We have hard hats that we ask everyone to wear whilst underground. 
    
Visiting with children
Before booking your visit, please note that everyone going in to the mines need to be over 1 metre in height and able to walk unaided on the underground tour, this is usually around 5 years old. For safety reasons we’re unable to have carried children or babies underground. 

Are babies and toddlers allowed on site even though we know they can’t go underground?
Yes everyone is welcome on the mine yard where you can visit some of the buildings onsite including the machinery sheds, and try the gold panning experience. You’re welcome to bring picnics to enjoy as we don’t have any refreshments facilities on site. Toilets are available on the mine yard. 

Are there any refreshments available? 

Please check out what's available locally, find the latest on opening times information for the Dolaucothi Arms, our local village pub in Pumsaint here. 

You're welcome to bring refreshments with you, we've plenty of picnic tables on the mine yard. 

What do I do if I can't use the online booking process?

If there's a problem or your unable to access the online booking process, please phone 0344 249 1895. 

Our opening times can be found here. 

Can I bring my dog?
Yes dogs on short leads are welcome at Dolaucothi, you can even take well behaved dogs on the tour with you. 

Dolaucothi Guidebook, available to buy online
Dolaucothi   Carmarthenshire

Dolaucothi Guidebook

If you’d like to find out more about Dolaucothi our fully illustrated guidebook is packed with information on the unique history of the gold mines and surrounding estate. Get your copy online or when you visit us at Dolaucothi.

Buy your copy