Blaenavon altered the course of history. These hills on the outskirts of the Brecon Beacons were rich in coal, limestone, and iron ore – the industrial revolution’s fuel.
Wales heaved and belched its way onto the world scene from here. Welsh iron created ground-breaking engines, tools, and machinery. It constructed bridges, ships, and railway lines. In a nutshell, it gave birth to the contemporary world.
Blaenavon Ironworks was the first to use steam to drive air into its massive blast furnaces in 1789. Sidney Gilchrist Thomas invented a technique to remove phosphorus from iron ore here a century later, transforming the world’s steel industry.
The ruins of the furnaces may still be seen today, together with the magnificent remnants of the foundry, cast house, and water balancing tower, which lifted vehicles 80 feet into the air.
Blaenavon was ruled by powerful, and at times brutal, industrialists. But it would have been nothing if not for its employees. Explore their realistically furnished homes as well as the reconstructed ‘truck store’ where they spend their little earnings.
Their narrative, presented via cutting-edge interpretation, is at the core of an industrial environment so distinct that it has been designated a World Heritage Site.
