Things to see and do Blaenavon (Blaenafon)

The ironworks opened its doors in 1789, for another revolution... It is now one of the best preserved forges in Europe. We visit its huge furnaces that were powered by coal. It is also a whole living environment that we discover: an information centre houses models that provide an overview of the site's structure and internal organization. Photographs and press clippings from the period also provide information on the fate of these pioneers of the industrial revolution.

It is the museum of the city's inhabitants, the one that pays tribute to them. Various objects related to life in the industrial site are displayed in display cases and photographs. The museum is named after the writer Alexander Cordell, whose book Le Viol de la Belle Contrée describes the troubled history of the village in the early days of the industrial revolution. He recounts the life of a family of miners fighting against poverty and social injustice

We cannot ignore Big Pit if we want to understand the country's past, the solidarity that came out of the mines and Britain's place in the industrial revolution. We start by going down into the mine itself where we stay for almost an hour. It's better not to be too claustrophobic to walk through these long tunnels! Then, to finish, we visit the huge block of collective showers and a permanent exhibition on the history of mines.