Blaenavon
Encyclopedia
Blaenavon is a town
and World Heritage Site
in south eastern Wales
, lying at the source of the Afon Lwyd north of Pontypool
, within the historic boundaries of Monmouthshire
. The town lies high on a hillside and has a population of 6,349 people. Blaenavon literally means "front of the river" or loosely "river's source" in the Welsh language
.
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.
Attractions in the town include the Big Pit National Coal Museum (an Anchor Point of ERIH, The European Route of Industrial Heritage
), Blaenavon Ironworks
, the Pontypool and Blaenavon Railway
, Blaenavon World Heritage Centre, Blaenavon Male Voice Choir and many historical walks through Blaenavon's mountains.
The above mentioned Pontypool and Blaenavon Railway
is only a tourist attraction. Blaenavon lost both of its passenger railway stations many years ago with Blaenavon High Level station closing as early as 1941 and the last train from Blaenavon (Low Level) to Newport via Pontypool Crane Street leaving in April 1962. The lower line was actually closed 18 months prior to the notorious Beeching Axe
. It was later disclosed that a number of rail passenger services within Monmouthshire were withdrawn in the early 1960s, not because they were doing particularly badly in financial terms, but because of severe rail congestion in the Newport
area due to the amount of traffic coming from the then newly opened Llanwern steelworks
.
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 has not succeeded. This can be attributed to a combination of the town's remote location and the established competition from Hay. There are many thriving community groups within the town, including Future Blaenavon, which has helped to create a community garden at the bottom of the town.
Blaenavon is twinned
with Coutras
in France.
archaeology
television programme Time Team
came to Blaenavon during its February 2001 series to find "The Lost Viaduct" - "the world's first railway viaduct
". This had been built in 1790, to be used by horse-drawn wagons to carry coal from the mines. Despite being about 40 metres long and 10 metres high, within about 25 years of its construction it had completely disappeared. But with no records of its demolition, the group was there to see what might remain of this structure. Eventually, during the mid to late afternoon of the final (third) day of the excavation, the team managed to uncover the top of the viaduct, the arched roof of which, under 12–15 metres of rubble and earth, was seemingly still standing. However, because it was so late on their last day, and for reasons of safety, they were unable to dig any further.
International rugby union player Mark Taylor
was born in Blaenavon. Ken Jones, rugby and Olympic athlete. John Perkins
, capped by Wales at rugby. Terry Cobner
, capped by Wales and British Lions at rugby union.
Town
A town is a human settlement larger than a village but smaller than a city. The size a settlement must be in order to be called a "town" varies considerably in different parts of the world, so that, for example, many American "small towns" seem to British people to be no more than villages, while...
and World Heritage Site
World Heritage Site
A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a place that is listed by the UNESCO as of special cultural or physical significance...
in south eastern Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
, lying at the source of the Afon Lwyd north of Pontypool
Pontypool
Pontypool is a town of approximately 36,000 people in the county borough of Torfaen, within the historic boundaries of Monmouthshire in South Wales....
, within the historic boundaries of Monmouthshire
Monmouthshire (historic)
Monmouthshire , also known as the County of Monmouth , is one of thirteen ancient counties of Wales and a former administrative county....
. The town lies high on a hillside and has a population of 6,349 people. Blaenavon literally means "front of the river" or loosely "river's source" in the Welsh language
Welsh language
Welsh is a member of the Brythonic branch of the Celtic languages spoken natively in Wales, by some along the Welsh border in England, and in Y Wladfa...
.
History
Blaenavon grew around an ironworksIronworks
An ironworks or iron works is a building or site where iron is smelted and where heavy iron and/or steel products are made. The term is both singular and plural, i.e...
opened in 1788, part of which is now a museum
Museum
A museum is an institution that cares for a collection of artifacts and other objects of scientific, artistic, cultural, or historical importance and makes them available for public viewing through exhibits that may be permanent or temporary. Most large museums are located in major cities...
. The steel
Steel
Steel is an alloy that consists mostly of iron and has a carbon content between 0.2% and 2.1% by weight, depending on the grade. Carbon is the most common alloying material for iron, but various other alloying elements are used, such as manganese, chromium, vanadium, and tungsten...
-making and coal mining
Coal mining
The goal of coal mining is to obtain coal from the ground. Coal is valued for its energy content, and since the 1880s has been widely used to generate electricity. Steel and cement industries use coal as a fuel for extraction of iron from iron ore and for cement production. In the United States,...
industries followed, boosting the town's population to over 20,000 at one time, but since the ironworks
Ironworks
An ironworks or iron works is a building or site where iron is smelted and where heavy iron and/or steel products are made. The term is both singular and plural, i.e...
closed in 1900 and the coal mine in 1980, the population has declined.
Attractions in the town include the Big Pit National Coal Museum (an Anchor Point of ERIH, The European Route of Industrial Heritage
European Route of Industrial Heritage
The European Route of Industrial Heritage is a network of the most important industrial heritage sites in Europe. The aim of the project is to create interest for the common European Heritage of the Industrialisation and its remains...
), Blaenavon Ironworks
Blaenavon Ironworks
Blaenavon Ironworks is an industrial museum in Blaenavon in Wales. The ironworks was of crucial importance in the development of the ability to use cheap, low quality, high sulphur iron ores worldwide...
, the Pontypool and Blaenavon Railway
Pontypool and Blaenavon Railway
The Pontypool and Blaenavon Railway is a volunteer-run heritage railway in South Wales, running trains between a halt platform opposite the Whistle Stop public house southwards to the town of Blaenavon via a two-platform station at the site of former colliery furnace.The line is the highest...
, Blaenavon World Heritage Centre, Blaenavon Male Voice Choir and many historical walks through Blaenavon's mountains.
The above mentioned Pontypool and Blaenavon Railway
Pontypool and Blaenavon Railway
The Pontypool and Blaenavon Railway is a volunteer-run heritage railway in South Wales, running trains between a halt platform opposite the Whistle Stop public house southwards to the town of Blaenavon via a two-platform station at the site of former colliery furnace.The line is the highest...
is only a tourist attraction. Blaenavon lost both of its passenger railway stations many years ago with Blaenavon High Level station closing as early as 1941 and the last train from Blaenavon (Low Level) to Newport via Pontypool Crane Street leaving in April 1962. The lower line was actually closed 18 months prior to the notorious Beeching Axe
Beeching Axe
The Beeching Axe or the Beeching Cuts are informal names for the British Government's attempt in the 1960s to reduce the cost of running British Railways, the nationalised railway system in the United Kingdom. The name is that of the main author of The Reshaping of British Railways, Dr Richard...
. It was later disclosed that a number of rail passenger services within Monmouthshire were withdrawn in the early 1960s, not because they were doing particularly badly in financial terms, but because of severe rail congestion in the Newport
Newport
Newport is a city and unitary authority area in Wales. Standing on the banks of the River Usk, it is located about east of Cardiff and is the largest urban area within the historic county boundaries of Monmouthshire and the preserved county of Gwent...
area due to the amount of traffic coming from the then newly opened Llanwern steelworks
Llanwern steelworks
Llanwern Steelworks is located in Llanwern, east of the City of Newport, South Wales.Built by Richard Thomas & Baldwin Ltd, the works was originally referred to locally as "The RTB", before being called Spencer Works and later Llanwern...
.
Attempts have recently been made to turn the town's image around by introducing it as Wales's second "book town
Book town
A book town is a town or village with a large number of second-hand or antiquarian book shops. These shops, and sometimes also literary festivals, attract bibliophile tourists to them...
" (the first being Hay-on-Wye
Hay-on-Wye
Hay-on-Wye , often described as "the town of books", is a small market town and community in Powys, Wales.-Location:The town lies on the east bank of the River Wye and is within the Brecon Beacons National Park, just north of the Black Mountains...
). However after over a year of attempts to attract visitors the project has not succeeded. This can be attributed to a combination of the town's remote location and the established competition from Hay. There are many thriving community groups within the town, including Future Blaenavon, which has helped to create a community garden at the bottom of the town.
Blaenavon is twinned
Town twinning
Twin towns and sister cities are two of many terms used to describe the cooperative agreements between towns, cities, and even counties in geographically and politically distinct areas to promote cultural and commercial ties.- Terminology :...
with Coutras
Coutras
Coutras is a commune in the Gironde department in Aquitaine in southwestern France.-History:The Battle of Coutras, one of the most important battles of the French Wars of Religion, was fought there on 20 October 1587.-Population:-References:*...
in France.
Time Team dig
The Channel 4Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
archaeology
Archaeology
Archaeology, or archeology , is the study of human society, primarily through the recovery and analysis of the material culture and environmental data that they have left behind, which includes artifacts, architecture, biofacts and cultural landscapes...
television programme Time Team
Time Team
Time Team is a British television series which has been aired on Channel 4 since 1994. Created by television producer Tim Taylor and presented by actor Tony Robinson, each episode features a team of specialists carrying out an archaeological dig over a period of three days, with Robinson explaining...
came to Blaenavon during its February 2001 series to find "The Lost Viaduct" - "the world's first railway viaduct
Viaduct
A viaduct is a bridge composed of several small spans. The term viaduct is derived from the Latin via for road and ducere to lead something. However, the Ancient Romans did not use that term per se; it is a modern derivation from an analogy with aqueduct. Like the Roman aqueducts, many early...
". This had been built in 1790, to be used by horse-drawn wagons to carry coal from the mines. Despite being about 40 metres long and 10 metres high, within about 25 years of its construction it had completely disappeared. But with no records of its demolition, the group was there to see what might remain of this structure. Eventually, during the mid to late afternoon of the final (third) day of the excavation, the team managed to uncover the top of the viaduct, the arched roof of which, under 12–15 metres of rubble and earth, was seemingly still standing. However, because it was so late on their last day, and for reasons of safety, they were unable to dig any further.
Notable people
- See also :Category:People from Blaenavon
International rugby union player Mark Taylor
Mark Taylor (rugby player)
Mark Taylor is a former Wales international rugby union player who played at centre. He is a former captain of Wales and was the first person to score a try at the newly built Millennium Stadium against South Africa in 1999. He signed for Sale Sharks from Llanelli Scarlets in April 2005 and in...
was born in Blaenavon. Ken Jones, rugby and Olympic athlete. John Perkins
John Perkins (rugby player)
John Perkins is a former international rugby union player.Perkins made his debut for Wales on 19 February 1983 versus Scotland. He played club rugby for Pontypool RFC.- References :...
, capped by Wales at rugby. Terry Cobner
Terry Cobner
Terence "Terry" John Cobner is a former Welsh international rugby union player and British Lion. He was born in Blaenavon, Monmouthshire and currently lives in Pontypool.- Welsh international and British Lion :...
, capped by Wales and British Lions at rugby union.