BLAENAVON, WALES | UNESCO World Heritage Site l 4K Walk

From Whc.unesco.org: Blaenavon Industrial Landscape The area around Blaenavon is evidence of the pre-eminence of South Wales as the world's major producer of iron and coal in the 19th century. All the necessary elements can still be seen - coal and ore mines, quarries, a primitive railway system, furnaces, workers' homes, and the social infrastructure of their community. Outstanding Universal Value Brief synthesis The landscape of Blaenavon, at the upper end of the Avon Llwyd valley in South Wales, provides exceptional testimony to the area’s international importance in iron making and coal mining in the late 18th and the early 19th century. The parallel development of these industries was one of the principal dynamic forces of the Industrial Revolution. The major preserved sites of Blaenavon Ironworks and Big Pit, together with the outstanding relict landscape of mineral exploitation, manufacturing, transport, and settlement which surrounds them, provide an extraordinarily comprehensive picture of all the crucial elements of the industrialisation process: coal and ore mines, quarries, a primitive railway system and canal, furnaces, workers’ homes, and the social infrastructure of the early industrial community. The area reflects the pre-eminence of South Wales in the production of iron, steel and coal in the 19th century. The Blaenavon Ironworks (circa 1789) provided the main impetus for mineral workings and settlement. The remains of the late 18th century furnaces, together with later 19th century furnaces, are the best preserved of its period in the United Kingdom. Beside the furnaces, two of the original casting houses can still be seen. Above the furnaces is a range of ruined kilns in which iron ore was calcined or roasted. The remains of the original workers’ housing provided on site can still be seen around the original base of the massive chimney to the blowing engine house, and the cast-iron pillars and brackets which carried blast pipes to the furnaces still survive. The iconic water balance tower of 1839 is an excellent example of lift technology using water to counter-balance loads. The Big Pit was the last deep coal mine to work in the Blaenavon area, and the surface buildings, including the winding gear, remain almost exactly as they were when coal production ceased in 1980. The underground workings are still in excellent condition and can be seen on guided tours. The Blaenavon landscape reflects ways in which all the raw materials necessary for making iron were obtained. The landscape includes coal, iron ore, fireclay and limestone workings and transport systems including a primitive iron-railed railway, leading to the canal and later steam railway tracks which were used for the import and export of materials. The landscape also reflects the development of early industrial society. Close to the Ironworks and Big Pit is the town of Blaenavon, the best preserved iron town of its period in the United Kingdom. Here can be seen the terraced housing of the workers. Overall the town reflects powerfully the distinctive culture that had developed in ironworking and coal-mining areas of the South Wales Valleys and provides a complete picture of patronage and the social structure of the community. Notable buildings include St. Peter’s Church, built by the ironmasters in 1804; the Blaenavon Workmen’s Hall, built by workers’ subscriptions in 1894; and St. Peter’s School, built by the ironmaster’s sister, Sarah Hopkins, in 1816. The school has been restored as the United Kingdom’s first dedicated World Heritage Interpretation Centre. Taking all these elements together, the property provides one of the prime areas in the world where the full social, economic and technological process of industrialisation through iron and coal production can be studied and understood. #thescenicroute #blaenavon #wales #unescoworldheritage #worldheritagesite #unescoworldheritagesite #scenicrelaxationfilm #scenicrelaxation #scenic_relaxation #scenic_relaxation_film #walkwithme4k #4kvideo #4k60fpsvideos #4k60fps #4k60fps_cinematic #4k #walkforhealth #virtualwalk #virtualwalks #accessibletravel #accessibility #accessibletourism #flaneur #walking #walkingtour #CityWalk #NatureWalk #HikingTrail #WalkingExercise #WalkingFitness #ExploreOnFoot #OutdoorWalk #Stroll #Sightseeing #Wanderlust #WalkingAdventure #WalkingHoliday #WalkingVacation #WalkingDestination #WalkingRoute #WalkingExperience #HealthyWalk #GreenSpace #WalkingTrail #NatureLovers #DiscoverNature