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World Heritage and National Park Tour

The World Heritage Site of Blaenavon

UNESCO inscribed the Blaenavon Industrial Landscape as a World Heritage Site in December 2000. The reason stated was:

'The area around Blaenavon bears eloquent and exceptional testimony to the pre-eminence of South Wales as the world's major producer of iron and coal in the 19th century. All the necessary elements can be seen, including coal and ore mines, quarries, a primitive railway system, furnaces, the homes of workers, and the social infrastructure of their community'.

Blaenavon World Heritage Centre

The Blaenavon World Heritage Centre is located in the former St. Peter’s School. The school was built in 1816 by Sarah Hopkins in memory of her brother, the Ironmaster, Samuel Hopkins. It was one of the earliest purpose built schools in Wales to be established by an industrial employer for the benefit of the children of the workers. Work began on restoring the building early in 2005. The centre was opened earlier this year by Rt. Hon Rhodri Morgan, First Minister for Wales.

During a visit to the centre we learn about why Blaenavon has become a World Heritage Site. We find out about the lives of ordinary men, women and children who shaped this area during the industrial revolution and so helped create the modern World.

The Blaenavon Ironworks

The Blaenavon Ironworks started production in 1789 and was to become the first purpose built multi-furnace ironworks in Wales. At that time it was on the cutting edge of technology. The furnaces were coke fired and the blast provided by a steam engine.

Blaenavon is now home to one of the best preserved 18th century ironworks in Europe. It is complete with furnaces, cast houses, a magnificent water balance tower, cupola furnace, calcining kilns and ironworkers cottages.

More recently, the Ironworks was home to BBC Wales series 'Coalhouse', where three families were transported in time to life in 1927 Blaenavon.

Pwll Mawr - Big Pit

We visit Big Pit, the National mining museum of Wales, where escorted by an ex-miner, you can descend the 300 feet mine shaft to walk through an underground world of coal faces and levels, air doors and stables. On the surface, the winding engine-house, blacksmith’s workshop and pithead baths complete the picture of a working pit that, at its height, employed 1300 men.

Crickhowell

We continue our journey to Crickhowell, an attractive country town in the eastern part of the Brecon Beacons National Park. This historic town is dominated on one side by the magnificent Llangattock Escarpment and the other Pen Cerrig Calch towering above the town.

But in addition to its scenic and architectural splendour Crickhowell's appeal to the us lies in its range of excellent eating establishments. It is here we enjoy lunch at the award winning Bear Hotel or one of the other restaurants or coffee shops nearby.

The Brecon Beacons National Park

The Brecon Beacons National Park spans 519 square miles of beautiful mid-Wales contryside and contains some of the most spectacular and diverse landscapes in Europe.The landscape is scattered with prehistoric monuments, Roman remains and medieval castles, spectacular waterfalls, caves and wooded gorges, along with distinctive upland formations.

The National Park Visitor Centre

We call at the National Park Visitor Centre at Libanus for a short walk providing stunning views of the Beacons, including Pen-y-Fan,the highest mountain in South Wales, with its distinctive red table top summit standing at 886 metres.

Caerphilly Castle

Our final destination is Caerphilly Castle, the second largest castle in Britain. Built in the late 13th century, the fortress is a supreme example of the concentric 'walls within walls' system of defence. Also the castle's outstanding water defences made it almost impregnable to siege warfare.

Particularly noteworthy features include the gatehouse, banqueting hall and full-size working replicas of medieval siege-engines. Often threatened but, unsurprisingly, never taken, the castle's only sign of weakness is its famous leaning tower (which out-leans the tower at Pisa), possibly caused by subsidence.