WALK 29 - A Celebration of 25 years of Unesco World Heritage status - Monday 10th March

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WALK DETAILS

Meeting Point: Blaenavon Iron Works Car Park

Grid Ref: SO 248 091

What3Words: commenced.houseboat.oddly

Time: 10:00 to 14:30

Distance: 5 miles ( 8.0 km )

Ascent: 1100 ft ( 335 m )

Leader: Frank Olding

Leaving the town, our route heads uphill past Hill Pits, mines which produced both iron and coal in the 1830’s, then follows an 1850’s incline built to transport pig iron to Garn Ddyrys forge on the northern slope.  Glimpse the history of Pwll Du village, once home to over 300 but now just the closed Lamb and Fox pub, and then head along tramroads to Keeper’s Pond, a holding pond for both the forge and the Brecon and Abergavenny Canal.  We head downhill past sites of early mining ponds and relics of brickyards where special bricks were made for lining furnaces.  Passing the sites of old workers’ cottages, we return to the Ironworks site, once scheduled for demolition but now preserved by Cadw (Welsh Heritage) as part of the Blaenavon UNESCO World |Heritage Site. 

DIRECTIONS TO START

From Crickhowell allow 30 minutes. Take the A40 towards Brecon and turn left at the Shell petrol station over the river bridge and turn left. Keep straight on through Gilwern to the major roundabout with the A465. Take the third turning into Govilon and go right through the village. Just as you leave the village turn sharp right towards Big Pit and Blaenavon. Follow the signs to Big Pit but before Big Pit pass Blaenavon Ironworks on your right and the car park is on your left.