At a glance
The world's largest known prehistoric copper mine — worked from 1700 BC on the Great Orme headland above Llandudno. Guided underground tours through 3,700-year-old Bronze Age tunnels. Adult £9.75. Open mid-March to October (LL30 2XG).
About the Great Orme Copper Mines
The Great Orme Copper Mines occupy a unique position in world prehistory — they are the largest known prehistoric copper mine on the planet. Worked from approximately 1700 BC during the early Bronze Age, the mines produced copper on an industrial scale for over 1,000 years, with over 5 miles of known tunnels penetrating the limestone headland. The operation was managed without metal tools — the miners used stone hammers, bone picks and fire-setting techniques to work the rock.
The scale of the evidence is extraordinary. Archaeologists have excavated over 33,000 fragments of animal bone (principally ox and sheep, used as picks and shovels), 1,700 bone and stone tools, and vast quantities of bronze-age pottery and charcoal. Crucially, isotopic analysis of Bronze Age copper artefacts found across northern Europe — from Ireland to Scandinavia — has identified Great Orme ore as a significant source, indicating that the site was supplying copper to an extensive trading network. This was not a local operation but an export industry serving bronze-making across a continent.
The mines were rediscovered in 1987 during routine commercial activities, and subsequent excavations revealed their extraordinary prehistoric extent. Today, visitors can enter the original Bronze Age tunnels — the narrow passages and worked rock faces exactly as the Bronze Age miners left them 3,700 years ago.
What to see at the Great Orme Copper Mines
- Underground Bronze Age tunnels — Guided tours through the actual Bronze Age workings — tight passages, worked rock faces and the immediate physical presence of 3,700-year-old human activity.
- The visitor centre — Displays of excavated bone tools, Bronze Age artefacts and explanations of the mining techniques and the wider European bronze trade.
- Hands-on discovery area — Bronze Age mining activities for children — grinding stone tools, trying bone picks and learning how the miners worked.
- The headland setting — The Great Orme headland itself — a limestone promontory with wild goats, rare flora and panoramic views across Conwy Bay and the North Wales coast — surrounds the mine site.
Find it on the map
Frequently asked questions
The Great Orme Copper Mines were first worked approximately 3,700 years ago — around 1700 BC, during the early Bronze Age. Mining activity is believed to have continued intermittently for approximately 1,000 years. The scale of the prehistoric workings — over 5 miles of known tunnels — indicates an industrial operation of remarkable scope for the period, producing copper that would have been combined with tin to make bronze for tools, weapons and ceremonial objects.
The Great Orme Copper Mines are the largest known prehistoric copper mine in the world. Over 1,700 bone tools and 33,000 fragments of bone from prehistoric levels have been excavated, along with stone hammers and other mining implements. Isotopic analysis of Bronze Age copper artefacts from across northern Europe has identified Great Orme ore as a significant source, suggesting the site supplied copper to a wide trading network during the Bronze Age.
The main attraction is the guided underground tour of the Bronze Age workings — you walk through tunnels opened by Bronze Age miners 3,700 years ago, seeing the actual rock faces they worked and the tight passages typical of early mining. Above ground, a visitor centre explains the geology, the Bronze Age context and the techniques used. Children can try Bronze Age mining activities in the hands-on discovery area.
The mines are on the Great Orme headland, approximately 2 miles from Llandudno town centre via the Marine Drive toll road or the B5115. The Great Orme Tramway — a Victorian cable tramway operating since 1902 — runs from Llandudno town centre to the headland and stops near the mines; this is the most enjoyable way to ascend. By car, follow signs for Great Orme Country Park and look for the brown tourist signs to the mines.
Yes — families are the primary audience. The underground experience is exciting and accessible for children aged approximately 4 and over (under-3s are free but the tunnels may be challenging). The hands-on activities above ground are specifically designed for children. Some low passages require crawling, which most children find thrilling. Note that people with claustrophobia, mobility limitations or large frames may find the tighter sections uncomfortable.
Yes — they are 5 miles apart and make an excellent same-day combination: the prehistoric mines in the morning and Conwy Castle in the afternoon, or vice versa. Llandudno's beaches and promenade are nearby for lunch. Adding the Great Orme Tramway experience (one of only three surviving cable-hauled street tramways in Britain) makes a full day on and around the Great Orme headland.