Blaenavon facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Blaenavon
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 Blaenavon War Memorial and Workmen's Hall |
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 Blaenavon
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| Area | 17.83 km2 (6.88 sq mi) |
| Population | 6,055 (2011) |
| • Density | 340/km2 (880/sq mi) |
| GSS code | W04000760 |
| OS grid reference | SO 255 095 |
| Community |
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| Principal area |
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| Ceremonial county | |
| Country | Wales |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | PONTYPOOL |
| Postcode district | NP4 |
| Dialling code | 01495 |
| Police | Gwent |
| Fire | South Wales |
| Ambulance | Welsh |
| EU Parliament | Wales |
| UK Parliament |
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| Welsh Assembly |
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Blaenavon (Welsh: Blaenafon) is a town in Torfaen county, Wales. It sits high on a hillside where the Afon Lwyd river begins. This area is part of the historic Monmouthshire county.
Blaenavon is home to about 6,055 people. A special part of the town and its surroundings is called the Blaenavon Industrial Landscape. UNESCO chose it as a World Heritage Site in 2000. This means it is a very important place for everyone to protect.
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The name Blaenavon means "head of the river" in the Welsh language. This makes sense because the town is near where a river starts.
Blaenavon grew because of an ironworks that opened in 1788. Three businessmen named Thomas Hill, Thomas Hopkins, and Benjamin Pratt started it. They spent a lot of money to build three large furnaces. Many skilled ironworkers moved to Blaenavon to help set up the new ironworks.
In 1836, a company called the Blaenavon Coal and Iron Company bought the ironworks.
Blaenavon House was a large mansion built in 1798. It later became a hospital in 1924. Local workers helped pay for the hospital. In the 1940s, it became a small community hospital. It closed in 1985.
After closing, the building was sold and became a nursing home for older people. In 1995, it was recognized as an important historic building. The nursing home closed in 2007. The house was empty for a while. In 2017, new owners bought it and are now restoring it as a family home.
The Municipal Offices in Lion Street were once the main government building for Blaenavon. This was until local government changed in 1974.
Blaenavon is a community in Wales. It has its own local council called Blaenavon Town Council. People in Blaenavon also vote for representatives on the Torfaen County Borough Council.
Blaenavon is also connected to a town in France called Coutras. This is part of a program called town twinning, which helps towns in different countries become friends.
The town is located close to where the Afon Lwyd river begins. It is north of the town of Cwmbran.
Population Changes
The number of people living in Blaenavon has slowly gone down over the years. This started after the ironworks closed in 1900. The population fell even faster after the coal mine closed in 1980. This decline was partly due to fewer births, not just people moving away.
Economy and Industry
The Blaenavon Coal and Iron Company helped develop the Big Pit coal mine. They also built steel works, especially for making railway tracks. The steel-making and coal mining industries helped the town grow a lot. At one point, over 20,000 people lived there.
Since 1988, part of the Big Pit site has become the Big Pit National Coal Museum. It is a popular place to visit.
Culture and Community Life
In 2003, people tried to make Blaenavon Wales' second "book town". The first one is Hay-on-Wye. The idea was to attract more visitors who love books. However, this project did not work out. This was partly because the town is quite far away and Hay-on-Wye was already very popular.
Even so, many active community groups help and improve the town. For example, Future Blaenavon has helped create a community garden.
Famous Landmarks
A large area of the town and its surroundings is known as the Blaenavon Industrial Landscape. UNESCO made it a World Heritage Site in 2000. This means it is a place of special cultural or physical importance.
Some popular places to visit in Blaenavon include:
- The Big Pit National Coal Museum. This museum is an important part of the European Route of Industrial Heritage.
- Blaenavon Ironworks.
- The Pontypool and Blaenavon Railway.
- The Blaenavon World Heritage Centre.
The town also has a male voice choir and a town band. There are many historical walking paths through the local mountains.
A railway bridge was built in 1790. It was later found and explored in a TV show called Time Team in 2001.
The Pontypool and Blaenavon Railway is a fun attraction today. It offers scenic rides and shows interesting geology and history. Blaenavon used to have two passenger train stations. Blaenavon High Level station closed in 1941. The last train from Blaenavon (Low Level) ran in April 1962.
- Blaenavon Heritage VC Primary School & Nursery
- Busy Bees Nursery
An old school called Blaenavon Endowed School was built in memory of Samuel Hopkins in 1815. It has since closed permanently.
Religious Sites
St Peter's Church was built in 1804. It was given to the town by Thomas Hill and Samuel Hopkins.
Blaenavon has several sports clubs:
- Forgeside RFC (Rugby Football Club)
- Forgeside AFC (Association Football Club)
- Blaenavon RFC (Rugby Football Club)
- Blaenavon Blues AFC (Association Football Club)
- Blaenavon Bowls Club
Blaenavon Golf Club used to exist but closed in 1937.
Many famous people were born in Blaenavon. These include:
- E. E. Clive, a Broadway and film actor.
- Dorothy Simpson, an award-winning mystery writer.
- International rugby players like Mark Taylor, Ken Jones (who was also an Olympic athlete), John Perkins, Chris Huish, and Terry Cobner.
Nick Thomas-Symonds, who became a Member of Parliament (MP) for Torfaen in 2015, grew up in Blaenavon.
Images for kids
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Blaenavon War Memorial and Workmen's Hall
See also
In Spanish: Blaenavon para niños
