CARDIFF AND THE BLACK GOLD THAT BUILT IT.

Byline: Richard Irwin Staff Writer

CARDIFF, Wales - Like a ghost from the past, the weak beam of light from the headlamp on my helmet came to rest on a name placard: ``Shadow.'' As I peered into the horse's stall, I felt sorry for its former occupant, an animal which had spent its life toiling in the bowels of the earth.

Like the other horses used in the coal mines, Shadow was brought to the surface only on miner's holidays. The rest of the time, he was entombed in the Big Pit - one of the 500 coal mines that once dominated the Welsh countryside.

The 1941 John Ford classic ``How Green Was My Valley'' provided a glimpse into the rugged life of the coal miners. Surprisingly, many retired miners have said the movie was pretty close to reality.

Today, all the mines in Wales but two have closed, as the industrial revolution transforms into the information revolution - as man adjusts from working with his hands to working with his head.

But it's fascinating to explore the recent past, when the world changed from an agrarian society into an industrial one, when the black gold from these hills fueled the entire world.

Today's visitor can peer into the mines, wander the verdant countryside, survey a castle built with coal profits, and tour the modern, cosmopolitan city that is Cardiff, the capital of Wales.

It might be hard to believe that Cardiff was once the busiest port in the world. In the not-so-distant past - in the 19th and early 20th centuries - ships from around the world would call here to take on a load of Welsh steam coal. The black rock powered the massive steam engines that had replaced human sinew and muscle. In that industrial era, steam engines had become king, and coal was queen.

Eventually, Shadow went blind from pulling coal cars in the total blackness of the vast coal mine. Then he was destroyed and taken above for burial.

A harsh existence for the horse, but it was even worse for the miners of the day, who were treated with even less care and respect. Horses cost money; miners were a dime a dozen.

Still, the mines made some social progress. Before horses were used, the mines would employ women and children to load the coal carts and pull them to the elevator shafts. For many families, this child labor was the only way to eke out a living in a region that provided little other commerce.

The Big Pit is quiet today, a monument to the miners and the country that helped change the world. Tourists can now visit the mine and gain an understanding of how the miners lived and worked. The guides are retired miners, many of whom actually worked in the Big Pit.

Our guide was John, and he recalled how he had started in the mines was he was only 16. He'd give his wages to his mother, who left him an allowance to spend at the pubs. Today John is retired and suffering from black lung disease, a condition caused by breathing coal dust for 50 years.

After we jammed into the elevator car for the 400-foot descent into the coal mine, we plunged into the dark and distant past. Reality is suspended when your entire world is illuminated by the small lantern on your helmet and the helmets of your fellow ``miners.'' John had us turn off our lamps to experience the total blackness that greeted the miners every day.

Down, down the elevator dropped into the cool dark air that engulfed us. Eventually, it came to a stop, and we stepped out of the car into a small gallery with corridors that branched off like a spider's web.

John led us along one of the dark corridors, warning us whenever the ceilings became too low for the tall Americans. Taking turns, we would hold open large wooden doors that partitioned the mine.

John said the doors had to be kept closed in order for the ventilation system to work properly. Small boys were given the jobs in the old days, and they spent long hours opening and closing the wooden portals in the constant darkness. They were paid so poorly that the children did not want to spend any of their precious money on lanterns.

Further along, we came to a section divided into stalls. It was the underground stable, where Shadow and many other horses were quartered. ``Shadow,'' ``Lightning'' - the names remain over their stalls, quiet testimony to the years the animals spent hauling tons of coal along the dark corridors.

The unforgiving toil in the Big Pit generated tremendous wealth. Much of it flowed to the noble family that had had the foresight to invest in the transportation infrastructure needed.

Until the docks were built in 1830, Cardiff was just a small seaside town. The Second Marquess of Bute spend a large part of the family fortune building the first dock. His investment proved to be a shrewd one.

Ultimately, the demand for Welsh steam coal skyrocketed, and the tonnage shipped through Cardiff rose from less than 100,000 tons in 1830 to 7.5 million tons by 1900.

When John Patrick Crichton-Stuart, the Third Marquess of Bute, received his title (and a few that accompanied it), he reportedly became the richest man in the world. He was, by all accounts, an eccentric character.

A shy, scholarly man, the marquess developed a lifelong fascination with religion, astrology, history and theology. These were reflected in the many architectural projects he funded lavishly.

Crichton-Stuart's friend, architect William Burges, shared the marquess' fascination with the Middle Ages. Together, they built a great palace in the form of a medieval castle - Cardiff Castle - right in the center of the city.

The castle's 132-foot Clock Tower may not be that impressive from the outside, but inside, its rooms are opulent. No expense was spared in the bachelor apartments for the marquess.

The crowning glory of the tower is the summer smoking room. This room is rich with symbolism. Inlaid with silver, bronze and copper, its floor tiles depict the five continents. The glorious painted wall tiles represent legends of the zodiac and the four elements. The eight winds of Greek mythology are depicted by human figures carved into the pillars supporting the high, vaulted ceiling.

The winter smoking room on the third level reflects themes from astrology and Norse mythology. Six magnificent stained-glass windows represent the traditional Scandinavian days of the week, while the seventh depicts a sun carved into the center of the ceiling. The 12 signs of the zodiac are painted on the four walls, as well as in the eight ceiling pieces between the vaulting.

The castle comes complete with marble bathrooms and spiral staircases. Be sure to check out the children's room, the huge banquet hall, the rooftop garden and the marquess bedroom.

While the marquess' home may not have been a real castle, right outside sits one of the best-preserved ruins of an actual Norman castle. A mound was raised on the ruins of a Roman fort in 1093. This was topped by a timber palisade, which was replaced with a stone keep in the 12th century.

Today, visitors can climb the steep steps to the keep. The water-filled moat surrounding this fortress made it easier to defend the castle. The city spreads out below the parapets, offering a spectacular view.

Cardiff itself has grown into a beautiful, modern city. It's an extremely pedestrian-friendly place, with much of the city center closed off to vehicle traffic.

Take your time strolling down Queen Street, the main retail and restaurant area. This popular area boasts three indoor shopping centers, as well as several unique little shops.

When you get hungry, enjoy one of the many restaurants and pubs. Most have lovely outside patios in the summer. And street artists abound on warm, sunny days.

Most of the attractions are within easy walking distance of the downtown hotels. Cardiff Castle and the City Hall, for example, are literally across the street from the new Hilton.

With its own impressive clock tower, City Hall dominates the civic center. It once served as the seat of local government.

Right next door is the National Museum and Art Gallery of Wales. Open daily, the museum contains an impressive collection of art treasures and informative exhibits. The National Museum tells the history of Wales from the earliest times to the beginning of the industrial revolution, and includes artifacts ranging from mammoth's teeth to Celtic coins.

The National Gallery features a wide range of art in 15 different galleries, notably British and other European art - including paintings and sculpture by Auguste Rodin, Pierre-Auguste Renoir and Claude Monet.

Coal built Cardiff and put Wales on the map. While the era of coal-fed influence has passed, Cardiff remains a vibrant city in a land where the green of the rolling hills is every bit as valuable as the black ore once pried out of the earth.

IF YOU GO

BIG PIT: The Big Pit National Mining Museum is located 26 miles north of Cardiff in the town of Blaenavon. It is open from March through November; its hours are 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. There is no admission charge.

NATIONAL MUSEUM: The National Museum and Galleries of Wales is located in Cardiff's Civic Center. The museums are open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday. There is no admission charge.

CARDIFF CASTLE: Cardiff Castle is located on Castle Street in the center of Cardiff. The castle is open daily from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Admission is $10 for adults, $6 for children.

INFORMATION: The British Tourist Authority office in the United States can be reached at [phone]. Wales maintains a tourism Web site at www.visitwales.com.

CAPTION(S):

7 photos, box

Photo:

(1 -- 3 -- color) At the mine heads of the Big Pit, top right, Welsh coal miners were lowered to the underground regions where they performed their dangerous jobs. Today, the mine is open for tours. Cardiff Castle, right, was built with coal riches, as is evident in the ornate woodwork of its Clock Tower Smoking Rooms, above.

(4) Sailboats moor in Cardiff Bay, once one of the busiest seaports in the world.

(5 -- 7) Cardiff Castle, above, is located next to the original Norman keep, which can also be seen at right, with a military band playing in front of it. Below, the imposing French terra cotta building of the Pierhead was built in 1896.

Box: IF YOU GO (see text)