Places to visit in the School Holidays
"Wales is a fringe country; on the fringe of a kingdom, on the fringe of a continent and on the fringe of universal history... There was one brief period, when Wales stood flamboyantly at the vortex of the world. The industrial revolution of the eighteenth and nineteenth century changed the planet for ever, and was fuelled by the minerals embedded in the hills of southern Wales." Jan Morris's introduction to Under Blorenge Mountain by Chris Morris.
Evidence of the industries that changed the landscape and the world are many and varied. But nature (with a little help) is reclaiming its birthright. South Wales is a beautiful place to live with quiet solitude only a ten minute car drive away. Countryside surrounds us, but inspiration from man's ability to invent and create are never far away. These maps created for the European Route of Industrial Heritage provides a list of places of interest and their approximate position in the landscape. Please check out exactly where these places are if you intend visiting.
"The area is rich in biodiversity.
Pond and Woodland areas have been
identified as nature reserves.
The mosaic of habitats such as acid grasslands, hay meadows, wet heath mire, swamp and open water contains a huge diversity of plant life from the Heath spotted and southern marsh orchids to blue and white bells, scabious, primroses, lady's smock, birds goot trefoil and teasel.
Bird watchers can observe buzzards, kestrels, sparrow hawks, skylarks, barn, tawny and little owls. In summer evenings nocule and pipistrelle bats search for insects in the evening sky.
Woodland ponds, lakes and ditches support frogs, toads and newts. Rabbits, hedgehogs, pygmy and common shrews, short tailed voles, wood mice and squirrels now abound around the countryside." Alyson Tippings, Blaenau Gwent CBC Tourism Officer.
Eastern Route
The locations shown are approximate, please check the actual location before visiting.
1. Big Pit, Blaenavon
2. Goytre Wharf, Abergavenny
3. Pontypool Museum
4. Fourteen Locks, Newport
5. Newport Transporter Bridge
6. Blaenavon World Heritage Centre
7. Blaenavon Ironworks
8. Tredegar Town Clock
9. Blaenavon Community Museum
10. Sirhowy Ironworks
11. Nantyglo Roundhouses
12. Abertillery Museum
13. Tintern Ironworks
14. The Works, Ebbw Vale
15. Pontypool and Blaenavon Railway
Western Route
The locations shown are approximate, please check the actual location before visiting.35. National Waterfront Museum, Swansea
36. National Woollen Museum,
Newcastle Emlyn
37. Aberdulais Falls, Neath
38. Tondu Ironworks, Bridgend
39. South Wales Miners' Museum, Afon Argoed
40. Discovery Centre, Llanelli
41. Cefyn Coed Colliery Museum
42. Ynyscedwyn Iron Works
43. Twrch Aqueduct, Ystalyfera
44. Whitford Point Lighthouse
45. Neath Abbey Ironworks
46. Gwili Railway, Carmarthen
47. Parc Howard, Llanelli
48. Kidwelly Industrial Museum
49. Dolaucothi Gold mine
So much to do and see within a small geographical area.
"Wales is a fringe country; on the fringe of a kingdom, on the fringe of a continent and on the fringe of universal history... There was one brief period, when Wales stood flamboyantly at the vortex of the world. The industrial revolution of the eighteenth and nineteenth century changed the planet for ever, and was fuelled by the minerals embedded in the hills of southern Wales." Jan Morris's introduction to Under Blorenge Mountain by Chris Morris.
Evidence of the industries that changed the landscape and the world are many and varied. But nature (with a little help) is reclaiming its birthright. South Wales is a beautiful place to live with quiet solitude only a ten minute car drive away. Countryside surrounds us, but inspiration from man's ability to invent and create are never far away. These maps created for the European Route of Industrial Heritage provides a list of places of interest and their approximate position in the landscape. Please check out exactly where these places are if you intend visiting.
"The area is rich in biodiversity.
Pond and Woodland areas have been identified as nature reserves.
The mosaic of habitats such as acid grasslands, hay meadows, wet heath mire, swamp and open water contains a huge diversity of plant life from the Heath spotted and southern marsh orchids to blue and white bells, scabious, primroses, lady's smock, birds goot trefoil and teasel.
Bird watchers can observe buzzards, kestrels, sparrow hawks, skylarks, barn, tawny and little owls. In summer evenings nocule and pipistrelle bats search for insects in the evening sky.
Woodland ponds, lakes and ditches support frogs, toads and newts. Rabbits, hedgehogs, pygmy and common shrews, short tailed voles, wood mice and squirrels now abound around the countryside." Alyson Tippings, Blaenau Gwent CBC Tourism Officer.
Eastern Route
The locations shown are approximate, please check the actual location before visiting.
1. Big Pit, Blaenavon
2. Goytre Wharf, Abergavenny
3. Pontypool Museum
4. Fourteen Locks, Newport
5. Newport Transporter Bridge
6. Blaenavon World Heritage Centre
7. Blaenavon Ironworks
8. Tredegar Town Clock
9. Blaenavon Community Museum
10. Sirhowy Ironworks
11. Nantyglo Roundhouses
12. Abertillery Museum
13. Tintern Ironworks
14. The Works, Ebbw Vale
15. Pontypool and Blaenavon Railway
The Central Route
The locations shown are approximate, please check the actual location before visiting.
The locations shown are approximate, please check the actual location before visiting.
16. Rhondda Heritage Park
17. Cynon Valley Museum and Gallery
18. Cyfarthfa Castle, Merthyr Tydfil
19. Pierhead Building, Cardiff
20. Engine House, New Tredegar
21. Museum of Welsh Life, St Fagans
22. Brecon Canal Basin
23. Barry Docks
24. Cefyn Coed y Cymmer Viaduct
25. Robertstown Bridge, Aberdare
26. Pontycafnau Bridge, Merthyr
27. Coal Exchange, Cardiff
28. Tower Colliery, Hirwaun
29. Ynysfach Engine House, Merthyr
30. Joseph Parry's House Merthyr
31. Aberfan
32. Butetown, Rhymney Valley
33. National Museum of Wales, Cardiff
34. Pontypridd Museum
exciting network. Three planned routes
are within South Wales 'Anchor sites'
allow visitors to relive different stages of industrial history with help from guided tours, multimedia presentations. These
sites connect with smaller sites to form regional routes.
http://www.erih.net/topmenu/about-erih.html
34. Pontypridd Museum
European Route of Industrial Heritage
has linked the most important industrial heritage sites in Europe into a single exciting network. Three planned routes
are within South Wales 'Anchor sites'
allow visitors to relive different stages of industrial history with help from guided tours, multimedia presentations. These
sites connect with smaller sites to form regional routes.
http://www.erih.net/topmenu/about-erih.html
Western Route
The locations shown are approximate, please check the actual location before visiting.35. National Waterfront Museum, Swansea
36. National Woollen Museum,
Newcastle Emlyn
37. Aberdulais Falls, Neath
38. Tondu Ironworks, Bridgend
39. South Wales Miners' Museum, Afon Argoed
40. Discovery Centre, Llanelli
41. Cefyn Coed Colliery Museum
42. Ynyscedwyn Iron Works
43. Twrch Aqueduct, Ystalyfera
44. Whitford Point Lighthouse
45. Neath Abbey Ironworks
46. Gwili Railway, Carmarthen
47. Parc Howard, Llanelli
48. Kidwelly Industrial Museum
49. Dolaucothi Gold mine
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