Using the simplest definition, Coal Tips are formed form the waste product produced during the mining of coal. Yet, what is hidden by such a simple definition? This talk will explore some of the unique characteristics of South Wales’ Coal Tips and how they are viewed; from a risky feature with the potential to slip as demonstrated at Tylorstown in 2022 and tragically by the Aberfan Disaster of 1966; biodiversity hotspots; piles of waste; and sites of heritage to the mining industry. These piles of discarded waste are loaded with meaning that expands further than their humble content. 

Ben Walkling is a PhD student in Human Geography at Swansea University. His PhD research explores the cultural and social perspectives of South Wales’ Coal Tips by using a mix of qualitative methods including an online survey, interviews, ethnographic field visits, and textual analysis. The working title of the PhD is “Welsh Coal Tips: Old Waste or New Risk?” and the research is funded by the Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol. Ben is bilingual speaking both English and Welsh.