Print this page

THE BLAENAVON INDUSTRIAL LANDSCAPE

A Circular Walk including part of
the Blaenavon Industrial Landscape
World Heritage site

Approx 17Km (10.5  miles): 4- 4.5  hours

The Blaenavon Industrial Landscape was awarded World Heritage Site status by the United Nations Educational Science & Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) in November 2000.

It is also included in the register of Landscapes of Outstanding Historic Interest in Wales, published by the Countryside Council for Wales (CCW), Welsh Historic Monuments (CADW) and the International Council on Monuments & Sites (ICOMOS UK).

Blaenavon is one of the most significant examples of development in the formative years of the Industrial Revolution in Wales. Within the space of a few decades the landscape changed from that of a sparsely populated moorland area into industrial communities with all the features of urban life. As industry grew so the houses and streets multiplied until in places they eventually merged to form one town.

Included on the walk are numerous Grade I, II  and II* Listed Buildings.   The grading means they have been identified as being of special architectural or historic interest as determined by the Secretary of State for Wales.

This walk has been designed to guide visitors around part of the World Heritage Site to see some of the heritage features that contribute towards its recognition as outstanding in terms of its industrial heritage. The walk also allows one to see the wide variety of both natural and man-made landscapes that exist within the area and to experience spectacular views of the valley.  The route is approximately 17 Km (101⁄2 miles) and will take about 4 - 41⁄2 hours to complete.

The waymark is a yellow arrow on a disc, found on a post, stile or gate. The route includes paths in exposed locations which may be wet throughout the year. For your own comfort and safety, make sure that you are properly equipped with warm, waterproof clothing. Walking boots or strong shoes are essential for this walk.

Please follow the waymarked path carefully, especially on Coity Mountain as it is dangerous to wander freely on the mountainside in this area. There are four busy main road crossings, so please be mindful of the traffic at these locations. Please shut all gates behind you and follow the Country Code.

WARNING: The path crosses countryside in which there are a number of known hazards, and others could be expected.
The path itself has been checked and is safe, but it is dangerous to stray off the path, in particular the stretch over the Coity Mountain. It is essential that children are kept in view and on the path at all times.

START

Begin at the Whistle Road Car Park,  just off the B4248, Garn Road (OS grid ref SO 230103). Turn left as you leave the car park and walk along the Whistle Road, passing the Whistle Inn and then, on your left, after 25 metres you come to a metal gate and a ladder stile over the dry stone wall. Climb the stile and go along the bridleway (heading south down the valley). You may have to walk through a group of ponies that are sometimes kept in this and other fields.

Follow the track between the dry stone walls, constructed in the 17th Century. Waun Mary Gunter Farm is over to your right, west of the path. Mary Gunter was a member of the important Gunter family of Abergavenny in the 1600’s and was persecuted for her Catholic faith. Her farm and surrounding fields were confiscated. Climb the stile to cross the field, over more wooden stiles to reach a derelict farmhouse. Passing the farmhouse on your left, climb the right hand stile, and continue down the track to reach the road.

As you reach the road you will see the railway track and sidings of the Pontypool & Blaenavon Railway Company. The original railway was opened to traffic in December 1869 and was initially known as ‘The Blaenavon & Brynmawr Branch of the London & North Western Railway’, becoming fully operational in 1870. The railway company keeps a number of old steam and diesel engines here, and boasts the highest standard gauge preserved railway in Wales. For a detour take a left off the route. Train rides may be taken at weekends and bank-holidays during the warmer months.
Telephone (01495) 792263 for further details.

Continuing with the route, turn right and follow the road. Another detour may be taken to visit Big Pit Mining Museum (follow the signs). Big Pit is a real colliery and produced coal on a large scale from 1880 until it closed in 1980. It offers access for the public to underground workings between mid February and November and is well worth a visit. Telephone (01495) 790311 for further details.

Resume the walk and follow the waymarks along the concrete track from Big Pit, to pass Forge Pond on your left.  Bear left, walk down to enter Forgeside and pass the Old Forge, on your left. The Forge, built mid 19th Century of red brick with a slate roof, is where the method of converting pig iron made from phosphoric ore into basic steel pioneered by Sidney Gilchrist Thomas, was used. On the right are the terraced cottages built for workers which still have their original name of ‘CRow’. Rows C to E still exist and are a good example of early industrial housing. At the end of C Row, turn right into Forge Road. Pause here to look to your left and you will see Coity House.

It is a Grade II Listed Building, and is thought to have been built around 1860 for the works manager when Forgeside was first developed. Continue along Forge Road, where Doncaster’s works is on your left running parallel to the road. The works now make high precision alloys for the aerospace industry and is a lasting legacy of the old iron Industry. Passing modern housing on your right you come to a junction where Forge Road bends first left, then right, before straightening up again. Following Forge Road  you will pass the Zion Baptist Chapel built 1874, Listed Grade II. Pass Oxford Terrace, Clapham Terrace and the former Forgeside Inn (now a private dwelling) turning right to go through the gate onto the bridleway opposite the bus stop.

Walk up the track passing a recently closed Old Drift Mine, once a property called Highmeadow, bearing round to the right up onto the open common. A small stream now runs down the route making it wet and muddy underfoot. Follow the boundary on your right until you reach the remains of the walls of a building once known as Coity Canol (Middle Coity). Keeping the ruins to your right follow the track towards some more old stone walls (the remains of Coity Mawr cottages) and then crossing over a wide level track, follow the steep path as it ascends to the top of the ridge. You are now 650 metres or 2,000 feet above sea level! Follow the waymark posts which take you along the path, over the Coity Mountain.

WARNING: The path crosses countryside in which there are a number of known hazards, and others could be expected. The path itself has been checked and is safe, but it is dangerous to stray off the path, in particular the stretch over the Coity Mountain. It is essential that children are kept in view and on the path at all times.

Travelling southwards - look out for Red Grouse, Meadow Pipit and Skylark. The patchwork quilt of bare grass, seeded/mown heather (for feeding) and old heather (for nesting) has created an ideal habitat for Grouse. This is probably why their predator, the Hen Harrier has been spotted here. There are only 20 breeding pairs in the whole of Wales due to culls by gamekeepers in the last century. The mountain moors were once entirely managed by gamekeepers for hunting. At the peak of the Coity Mountain, a favoured dog, Carlo the Red Setter, is buried. He was accidentally shot whilst hunting on August (the ‘glorious’) 12th 1864, and an inscribed headstone, the ‘Dog Stone’ (21⁄2 metres high) has been installed in his memory (see the photo at the front of this leaflet).

Descending  for approximately 1Km, you will eventually pass a white farm house,            ‘Blaen-melyn’, known locally by the name of the family who owns it, as ‘Penny’s’  Farm. Continue down the track, following the dry stone wall and line of conifers. Looking out for the waymarks you will come to a red ash track, which is the old rail/tram road.  The views from here are spectacular. Looking straight ahead of you, see Severn Estuary and on a clear day ships can be seen

Over to your right on the side of Twyn Ddu mountain, are the ruins of Graig Ddu. Built between late 17th and early 18th Century, it was inhabited until 1963 and has served the community both as a chapel and a public house. It has been the inspiration for the historical novelist Marguerite Shaw to pen ‘We Shall Sing Again’ and ‘Shall We Meet Again’.

Turning left and following the red ash track  for 1Km to a cattle grid, turn to look behind you, and high up on Coity Mountain, (to the right) the ‘Dog Stone’ can be seen. Continue on past the cattle grid down the track on the left there is a derelict stone building called ‘The Lighthouse’. The origin of the name is ambiguous. Some say it is so called because miners lamps for the pit were stored here. Others say the name comes from many years ago when, lit up, it was seen for miles around, like a light house!

Continue, passing historic spoil tips on the left, and go over another cattle grid, passing a field on your right where Shetland Ponies are occasionally to be seen. The track then changes underfoot to a concrete road taking you past a covered reservoir on your left. Carry on down to join Varteg Road and cross here, being careful of the traffic. Approximately 300 metres further along on the right you will come to a bridleway signpost. Follow the bridleway down the bank to a stile and gate. Climb the stile and follow the track to a waymarked post. Turn right here and follow the zig-zag path into the beech woodland. Continue to follow the path through the wood  carefully following waymarks until you reach the former mineral railway line. Cross the old mineral railway line (which is now part of the National Cycle Network), and head toward Glebeland Farm. Passing the farm on your left, go through the gate and cross the field to the next gate. Follow the track and cross the bridge over the Afon Lwyd to Cwmavon Road. Cross the road carefully. Go through a gate and follow the forest track up through Blaenavon Community Woodland. Eventually you will come to an old barn, once used as a camping barn but now hosts environmental education activities. This is an ideal spot to take a rest. With the barn in front of you follow the track to the left, you reach a footpath on the right. Take this path and walk up through the pine wood until you reach Llanover Road.

From here you may make a detour to the site of the remains of Capel Newydd, by turning right and walking approximately 1⁄2Km up the road. The site is marked by an iron cross. Almost certainly built in the 16th Century, the Chapel was used in the summer months up to 1861. It had a view of all the valley up to Garn-yr-erw and would have been visible by every house and homestead in the area.

Back on the walk, passing Blaenavon Community Woodland on the left, continue down Llanover Road. You will walk past some residential properties passing ‘The Pottery’ public house. Another 1⁄2Km along, you will pass allotments on the left. Continuing your downward descent you will come to a fork in the road. Take the right hand fork and St. Paul’s Church will be on your right. Built in 1893, St. Paul’s was built out of the original stone taken from the Capel Newydd site. Pass St. Paul’s Church and carry straight on. Ahead of you, between a conifer hedge on your left and Brookside on your right, is Bryn Terrace. Walk up Bryn Terrace to the junction where the Cambrian Inn public house is situated on the corner.

Turn left into Hill Street and proceed down it, stopping where the road curves to the left  (at approx. Nos. 56-58 Hill Street). Cross over the road to the bollards to approach Cross Street. Go through the bollards, veering to the left to continue down Cross Street. After a short walk, passing three turnings on the right, turn right into George Street. On the left is an old school room (once Hawkins Corn Stores, now Pet Stores) which is constructed of original rubble stone with dressed stone quoins and slate roof. It  was a later addition to the Moriah Chapel on Broad Street. Descend the steps ahead of you and turn left into Broad Street. The yellow painted Blaenavon Evangelical Moriah Chapel, on your left, was opened in 1888 and is a Grade II Listed Building. 

A few paces along Broad Street, looking across the road to the right, at Bethlehem Court, you will find the Bethlehem Congregational Church. Broad Street also contains Grade II Listed Buildings at numbers 15-19 which represent well preserved 19th Century shops. Walk about 20 metres along Broad Street to pass the Market Tavern and then cross the road, taking the right hand fork ahead of you into Ivor Street. Walk down Ivor Street past Ivor Gardens to the junction where the Co-op building is situated on the corner. The Post Office building is across the road, built in 1937 (Listed Grade II) and still contains its original post office clock. Turn right and go up Church Road. You will pass the Horeb Baptist Chapel on your right which opened in 1863 and is Listed Grade II.
The Chapel’s design is unusual because it was built along the lines of an industrial engine house. The inside is particularly beautiful and worth a visit.

Adjacent to Horeb Chapel is the War Memorial, built in 1931 in Art Deco style, and the Workmen’s Hall & Institute, built in 1894, which are both Listed Grade II. Interestingly, the Institute was built using subscriptions raised from the workmen themselves. Opposite on the left is St. Peter’s Church. It was opened for worship in 1805 and is Listed Grade II*. The church has historical associations with the early ironworks community at Blaenavon. It has the original cast iron font, designed to resemble stone which is unique in the British Isles. The south side of the church’s graveyard contains a group of five listed historically important tombstones. The heavily tooled stone chest tombs have unusual cast iron lids. The graves include those of Thomas Deakin, mineral agent to the Ironworks and Samuel Hopkins, a proprietor of the Ironworks. Behind the Workmen’s Hall are other buildings of interest: the Park Street Methodist Church which has a circular stained glass window; Vipond House and the old Wesleyan Day School.

The  former St. Peter’s School is situated further up Church Road on the left. It is in the Neo-Gothic style and Listed Grade II*. Further along is the Infants School also Listed Grade II. The school, soon to house the Blaenavon World Heritage Centre, was founded in 1816 by Sarah Hopkins in memory of her brother Samuel Hopkins. This was the first  purpose built school to be financed by an industrialist. It is the oldest known ironworks school in Wales and used a pioneering method of elementary education, known as ‘the Madras school’.

Continuing up Church Road, the cream painted building on the right, set in its own grounds is now ‘The Beeches’ Nursing Home. This used to be called ‘Ty Mawr’ (Big House). Behind the main wall there is an unusual stone entrance which was used to facilitate access to the house. It was built around 1800 by Samuel Hopkins, and is late Georgian architecture. Built as a family residence, it was eventually converted into a hospital by the local medical society, into which workers paid a subscription, pre-empting the national health service.

Around the bend on the brow of the hill, Blaenavon Ironworks can be seen. The site is a Scheduled Ancient Monument which is presently being restored by CADW (Welsh Historic Monuments) and includes Grade I and II Listed Buildings. The Ironworks is probably the best preserved example of an 18th Century ironworks in Western Europe. It has the most complete example of a water balance tower in Wales, and remains of the iron hoist survive. The water balance was used to lift iron and raw materials in trams between the furnace tops and the yard area below. It was built in 1839 as part of a modernisation programme by James Ashwell, managing director of the Blaenavon Iron & Coal Company. The Ironworks site is open to the public from April to October. Telephone (01495) 792615 for further details.

Turn left into Estate Road and follow the road up along the pavement on the left hand side for safety. Continue for approximately 1⁄2Km until you reach the junction at the top. Turn left, proceed to the bus stop and cross Garn Road (B4246), with care. A signpost will direct you onto a tarmac track ahead, which changes to a fenced track. This unimposing dirt track used to be the main road to Blaenavon. Continue along the fenced track which takes you through gates to the naturally revegetated spoil tips. Make sure to keep on the well defined footpath, all the while looking out for waymarks. The views to the left are of Big Pit and Coity Mountain. En route look out for Sphagnum Moss. On the right there is a Molinia Grass bog to be seen, identified by its brownish colour. The tips underfoot originate from many historic workings of coal and iron and are considered to be an important feature of Blaenavon’s industrial heritage.

You will eventually reach the stone chimney at the former Hill Pits. They were opened in 1844 and supplied iron ore and coal for the Ironworks at Blaenavon. They were linked by a tram road. The six metres high stack is built of roughly dressed stone, on a chamfered stone plinth with dressed quoins. Walk round the stack and you will pass by old industrial ponds which supplied water to the boilers at Hill Pits. Please note that in wet weather the track can become very muddy. Follow the waymarked track and eventually begin to walk downhill for 3⁄4Km until you meet the main road. Taking care, cross the road and go through a metal gate and over a footbridge, then taking the path as it bears right you will return to the start point at the Whistle Road Car Park. On your left, looking southwards, is Garn Lakes.

Recently reclaimed via open cast coal recovery, Garn Lakes was opened as an amenity area in July 1999. The conservation pond has a resident and visiting population of wild birds, including Lapwing, Snipe, Redshank, Common Sandpiper, Coot, Dipper, Reed Bunting, Stonechat, Skylark, Linnet, Yellow Hammer, Willow Warbler, Windchat, Wheatear and Whitethroat. There are numerous paths around the lakes and the area is well worth a visit.

The history of industrial activity in the area dates back to the 16th Century but it was the development of the Ironworks in 1789 that lead to the growth of the town. The works were the first purpose-built multi-furnace ironworks in Wales. By 1796 it was the second largest producer of iron in Wales, with an annual output of 5,460 tons.

Many of the Listed Buildings which are seen on this walk are linked to the evolvement of the towns industrial heritage. The town itself is the focus of a number of books by Alexander Cordell, the most famous of which is ‘Rape of the Fair Country’.

A new impetus for growth was provided by the opening of the Forgeside Works, the sinking of Big Pit and the opening of railway lines to Brynmawr and Pontypool in the mid 19th Century.

The importance of the heritage of the town and its environs as a resource of world significance is demonstrated by 46 Listed Buildings, eight Scheduled Ancient Monuments, its designation in the register of Landscapes of Outstanding and Historic Interest in Wales and the designation of a Conservation Area in 1984.

The Blaenavon Industrial Landscape was placed on the UNESCO list of World
Heritage Sites in
November 2000.

Enjoy the countryside and respect its life and work;

Other walks leaflets for the World Heritage Site and other areas in Torfaen are available. For further information contact the Torfaen Countryside section on 01633 648066