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Royal Mint to officially open doors to public for first time

The Royal Mint has unveiled plans to throw open its doors to the public for the first time in its 1,000 year history. Officials today announced they are planning to develop a £7.7 million visitor centre at the mint in Llantrisant.

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  1. Alexandra Lodge

Royal Mint visitor centre: What to expect

The Royal Mint is opening its doors to the public for the first time in its 1,000-year history.

Britain's oldest manufacturing organisation started in the Tower of London, but since 1968 its headquarters have been in Llantrisant.

A grant from the Welsh Government means it can now build a new visitor centre. Our reporter Alexandra Lodge has been given a sneak preview of what people can expect to see.

Royal Mint considering visitor centre 'for some time'

The Royal Mint says it has been exploring plans for a visitor centre "for some time" after receiving large numbers of visitor requests each year.

The Royal Mint is a highly secure, Ministry of Defence-protected site which is not usually open to the public, with the exception of very special occasions and by invitation only.

We receive large numbers of requests to visit from members of the public every year and have been exploring the opportunity of a visitor centre for some time.

It gives us great pleasure to announce that this can now go ahead, and that people will be able to come here and see the work of one of Britain's national treasures.

– Shane Bissett, Royal Mint

Officials today announced plans to develop a £7.7 million visitor centre at the mint in Llantrisant.

It will be the first time in its 1,000-year history that the doors will be officially opened to the public.

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Royal Mint to open doors to public for first time

Nickel-plated steel blanks come off the production line ready to be pressed in 10p pieces Credit: PA

The Royal Mint has unveiled plans to throw open its doors to the public for the first time in its 1,000 year history.

Officials today announced they are planning to develop a £7.7 million visitor centre at the mint in Llantrisant, South Wales.

Visitors will be allowed to look behind the scenes and see for themselves the people and processes responsible for the coins we use every day.

They will also have the opportunity to strike their own coin as a memento of their visit.

The project has been made possible after the Royal Mint secured a grant of £2.3million from the Welsh Government.

Construction of the visitor centre will begin this spring, subject to planning permission.

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