Visit No: 2 to Blaenavon

The Big Pit National Coal Museum

My friend and I are amazed that this town still has more to offer!  After a second visit, we are planning a third to finish off our tour of this interesting town. Who would have thought it?

The Big Pit National Coal Museum is dedicated to the Welsh heritage of coal mining. This pit was part of the Industrial Revolution of the 19th century.  The pit was first worked in 1860 and was a working mine until it's closure in 1980. Big Pit is adjacent to the preserved Pontypool and Blaenavon Railway, and was opened to visitors in 1983. Today it is preserved under the auspices of the National Museum for Wales. I have enjoyed both my visits, and the information provided on the history is user friendly and informative.



The Pit Head Baths




 



A second start!

I am going to try and revise this Blog for the second time!  I Blogged for two years and enjoyed it, Why I went 'off the boil' I don't know!

A recent trip to Blaenavon, made me feel I ought to resume again.  A place such as this needs to be spoken about.  This town is a world Heritage Site, and on our doorstep, here in South East Wales.  It lies North of Pontpool and within the historic boundaries of Monmouthshire.

 Blaenavon Ironworks

Stack Square, Blaenavon.



Blaenavon grew around an ironworks opened in 1788, part of which is now a museum. The steel-making and coal mining industries followed, boosting the town's population to over 20,000 at one time, but since the ironworks closed in 1900 and the coal mine in 1980, the population has declined.


Attempts have recently been made to turn the town's image around by introducing it as Wales's second "book town" (the first being Hay-on-Wye). However after over a year of attempts to attract visitors the project seems not to have succeeded. This can be attributed to a combination of the town's remote location and the established competition from Hay. However, Blaenavon has musch to offer. Attractions in the town include the Big Pit National Coal Museum, Blaenavon Ironworks, the Pontypool and Blaenavon Railway,  Blaenavon World Heritage Centre and many historical walks through Blaenavon's mountains. It was impossible for my friend and I to appreciate all that is on offer in one day, so we are planning a return trip.  If you are a history buff, like me, I would recommend a visit to this historic town.