Day 18 7/7/19 Swansea and Blaenavon World Heritage Site (near Abergavenny).

Day 18 7/7/19 Swansea and Blaenavon World Heritage Site (near Abergavenny).

We had discovered a few days ago that the Alvis Owners Club (UK) where having a display day and concourse in Swansea today at the National Waterfront Museum so it seemed a good idea to visit and see both.

Unfortunately, what we didn’t know was that it was also the weekend for the Welsh Air Show and the spectator area was on the foreshore somewhere near the Museum. As you can imagine the traffic was horrendous and all the car parks where reserved. GPS kept telling us that some roads where closed but by the time we realised why it was to late (also discovered later that the display had been cancelled due to the air show).

Port Talbot, home of one of the largest steel works in the world

Highway curls around to cross this bridge

Anyway, we couldn’t even find the Museum, let alone park near it, so after visiting a number of spots around the docks we never intended to go (due to various road closures) we decided to cut our losses and visit the Blaenavon World Heritage Site.

The whole site covers 33 square kilometers and takes in some of the Brecon Beacons National Park. Most of it is centered around the village of Blaenavon.

Countryside near Blaenavon

Big Pit and railway sign

We didn’t have time to visit all of the sites and hopefully will get back. We did travel on the Heritage Railway (not a steaming day though still interesting) and The Big Pit (an underground coal mine).  

Historic Railway, its not very long, round trip takes about an hour but very pleasant and your ticket lets you ride on it all day if you want.

Impressive "key", this is the railway token they have to carry. Only one train was running today but they can run multiple trains so the token system is important.

Re-coupling the engine

View down the train

Engine (obviously)

Maritta found "Alan", the Heritage Railway Bear, he wants to be a Fireman apparently, perhaps we can introduce him to Puffing Billy.

Donkeys near Whistlestop station

Blaenavon Village

 

 We where to late to do the underground tour at the Big Pit but the above ground displays where very interesting. And because we where late we didn’t have to pay to park, the money goes to the Museum anyway so its worth paying (museum entry was once again free).

The Big Pit opened in around 1800, is 90M deep and closed in 1980. It was opened to the public in 1983 and still uses the transport cages to get visitors in and out of the mine. The site is run by volunteers and is well worth a visit.

Railway was originally built to carry coal from the mine

Pit Head

Inside the pit head building

Winding room, originally steam, then diesel, now electric

Blacksmiths shop

Magnificent old milling machine

There is a magnificent display depicting life in the pit (aside from the underground tour which we didn't do), this is a relatively modern coal shaving machine

First stage of mechanisation, sort of a horizontal "ditch witch", prior to this all coal was dug by pick, shovel and explosives.

Looking down over the pit head and village

A big step forward, shower block so the miners didn't go home covered in coal dust, this was for cleaning your boots.

Royal Dalton, nothing but the best

Shower block

Development of the ore trolley, right wooden skids, cemtre wooden wheels, left rails and steel wheels, its not hard to guess which one moves the easiest.