Blaenavon, Blaenau Gwent

Big Pit, Blaenavon

Until this summer I knew very little about Blaenavon. I had taken various grandchildren to Big Pit (pictured) over the years and I knew about the wonderful BBC2 Wales series called 'The Coal House' a TV reality experience, filmed in Stack Square, Blaenavon, but that was all. The series has just made a welcome return to BBC 2 Wales this time set in war time during the 1940's. The same super formula of the community is being used again and is of great interest to me as I was born in the late 1940's.

That all changed this summer when I met a new friend who lives in Blaenavon. I borrowed a digital camera and to show me how to use it I was taken to Blaenavon to take some pictures. I learned so much about the place, perhaps not of such basic historical interest as Tredegar, more of a tourist industry with historical back ground, but perhaps I am being biased!

I learned about The Blaenavon Cheddar Company, Torfaen who produce 8 distinctive Cheddar's, one matured in the Big Pit mineshaft!; also four varieties of goat's cheeses. What a good idea for a Christmas gift with a bottle of wine. They have a web site: www.chunkofcheese.co.uk

I was taken to Keepers Pond on the lovely moors of Bleanavon and learned about the newly opened Heritage Centre, a ride on the small steam railway, and finally a visit to a few of the new nature reserves for nearby Torfean, homes to an abundance of wildlife ....Oh and attended a small local music festival for a picnic in the grounds at the Goose & Cuckoo inn at Upper Llanover which was situated at the top of a very steep hill with spectacular views of the surrounding countryside. It could not be accessed by car , lovely as the views were I could barely appreciate them as I was nearly dead when I got to the top!

I have Blogged so much about Tredegar over the months, but there are many things of interest in the Welsh valleys, being away for so long I had forgotten what was there and some new interests also, this is why I have written about Blaenavon this afternoon ..... take a look sometime.