Blaenavon Heritage Centre News

Events Living Landscapes Lecture - 13 May  • Discover what the Forgotten Landscapes Partnership have been doing to care for the globally important Blaenavon World Heritage Site landscape • FREE entry to the lecture starting at 6pm at Blaenavon World Heritage Centre • Minibus tour of the landscape at 10am on Saturday 24 May. Meet at Blaenavon World Heritage Centre • Places limited. Booking essential. Call 01495 742333 -  Details of other events Big Pit National Coal Museum - A Wild Whitsun Monday 26 May - Sunday 1 June 11am - 4pm A week full of outdoor activities for the whole family - enjoy walks, trails, nature detecting and much more. Suitable outdoor clothing and footwear required. Please book by calling: (029) 2057 3650. Charge applies. Pontypool and Blaenavon Railway is running every weekend in May……. 3rd Steam Engine; 4th and 5th Steam and Diesel Engines; 10th and 11th Diesel Engines; 17th and 18th Vintage Train; 24th, 25th, 26th Teddy Bears Picnic - meet our teddy and bring your own! With games and activities to take part in, every child gets a free picnic! More details...   Table Top Sales , Bethlehem Court The Blaenavon Town Team are holding regular table top sales in Bethlehem Court.  £5 per table or two tables for £8 for community groups and £10 for a business.  There will be a series of table top sales up until August, as follows: 7 June, Saturday 12 July and 23 August. Contact Blaenavon World Heritage Centre to book a table on 01495 742333 or e-mailblaenavontic@torfaen.gov.uk    News Celts Week at World Heritage Centre In April we hosted our popular “Celts  Week” for young school children who used the World Heritage Centre as a base to learn more about our Celtic ancestors, making pots, a silver “torque” (bracelet) and weaving before heading outside for their “Warrior Training” which included painting their faces a fierce blue! There were 250 visitors and the popularity of the trips has meant that extra sessions are scheduled for June and October and there is already a waiting list! The World Heritage Centre education offer is increasing to cover learners of all ages. If you are interested in bringing a class of children please ring 01495 742333 to discuss your requirements or visit our website.   Flying Camera in the World Heritage Site Recently we had a remotely operated flying camera filming in the grounds of the World Heritage Centre (as well as other locations around the World Heritage Site). Sounding like a swarm of angry bees the flying platform’s film quality and images captured are amazing and will feature soon on a forthcoming promotional film of the World Heritage Site. Watch this space for details.  Fringe Festival  This year’s Blaenavon World Heritage Day will be on Saturday 28 June 2014.  In the lead up we will be holding a ‘Fringe Festival’ from Saturday 21 June – Saturday 28 June.  It will give local traders the opportunity to promote their businesses to the local community and visitors.  We are encouraging traders to put on their own activities, offers and events; these will be marketed in the lead up to the main event. Please forward details of all your activities and events to kate.fitzgerald@torfaen.gov.uk or 01633 648319. Saving the Powder House Located on the B4248 Blaenavon to Brynmawr road the Powder House is a listed Building and is part of the World Heritage Site story. The building stored explosives which were used to mine for minerals. Over the years, run off from adjacent coal spoil has been undermining the Powder House and causing it to largely collapse. To to help safeguard what’s left of it the Forgotten Landscapes Project has improved drainage in the area and created a reed bed which will be great for wildlife.  More information about Forgotten Landscape projects.    Copyright © 2014 -Torfaen County Borough Council, All rights reserved. Their mailing address is: Torfaen County Borough Council, Ty Blaen Torfaen, Panteg Way, New Inn, Pontypool, Torfaen. NP4 0LS