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Blaenavon - from Cwmavon to Waunavon
Including The Blorenge, Garn-yr-erw, Pwlldu, and Garndyrys
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Blaenavon at 'Industrial Monmouthshire - The Leftovers'

COITY and CEFN COCH

Johnsons Colliery SO 2484 0786 A working colliery, not in general use but the subject of exploratory work during 2010.
Blaentillery No 2 Colliery SO 2350 0818 A working colliery, 2 adits and interesting selection of old drams in 2009.
Coity Quarry SO 2330 0830 Coity sandstone quarry was working by 1844 supplying stone for the ironworks, housing and collieries in the area and had closed by the mid-1880s. The prominent incline ran down through Coity Colliery to the Ironworks and coke ovens, the upper half closing with the quarry. The lower half continued until 1900 to serve the colliery, which was incorporated into Big Pit, becoming its upcast shaft. In the quarry are the remains of the brake wheel mechanism and other ironmongery, including a cast cog on the end of a wooden shaft. Next to the drum are a pair of rails leading from the drum to the tips and a fenced airshaft with a pulley hoist over it, which was connected to a level just below the quarry.
'Robens Folly' or Blaentillery Drift SO 2315 0860 The very top of the 1966 adit, known as 'Roben's Folly' because it found no workable coal at all, that goes right through the mountain to Abertillery can be seen on the West side of the track from Milfraen. The rest is buried beneath your feet.
Forgeside Powerhouse SO 2426 0861 This was the original powerhouse for the Forgeside complex. the brick-built building is still in industrial use and dates from the 1920s. Next to it is the Forge Pond and a lot of foundations.
Dodds Level SO 2382 0882 Dodds Level is preserved as part of the Big Pit Museum.
Coity Farm level SO 2337 0928 An old level is shown on OS maps next to Coity Farm, a very small adit still exists in 2010, possibly just a drainage adit from the levels above it.
ADWB pipeline tunnel SO 2291 0937 The Abertillery and District Water Board (ADWB) pipeline from Grwynne Fawr Reservoir to Abertillery enters the Coity Mountain here. The tunnel was built between 1912 and 1915 and is just short of a mile long. The gated concrete entrance and tips from excavation are easily found. I'm told there's a stop valve on top of Coity Mountain and, of course, there's the other end to find somewhere near Blaentillery farm.
Ty Rheinallt Farm airshaft SO 2319 0955 A filled-in airshaft, possibly once ventilating the Kears and Kays complex, next to the derelict farmhouse, which was abandoned in the late 1960s due to subsidence.
Marquess Red Ash Colliery SO 2084 0963 Marquess Red Ash Colliery was opened by 1902 and shown as disused by 1922. In 2009 the site consisted of tips, old rails and stonework. The incline to Mifraen Colliery is in amongst the bracken.
Milfraen Colliery SO 2179 1010 Milfraen Colliery opened in c1845, was rebuilt in 1865 and closed in 1933 following an explosion in 1929. It was retained for ventilation until the mid 1930s. The area has been cleared but the site of the shaft, foundations and earthworks remain.

Blaenavon
Blaentillery Colliery 2010 		Blaenavon
Coity Quarry airshaft 2010 		Blaenavon
Quarry Quarry winding drum 2010
Blaenavon
Forgeside powerhouse 2010 		Blaenavon
Dodds level, Big Pit 2010 		Blaenavon
Coity Farm drainage level 2010

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BLAENAVON TOWN

Riverside

Aaron Brute's bridge SO 2485 0881 Aaron Brute's Iron Bridge was fenced-off in 2010and very difficult to see. Hopefully it will be restored and re-opened. A small drainage adit is immediately downstream of the bridge.
Aaron Brute's level SO 2481 0880 This very old ironstone level is at the road end of the path from the bridge, once the route of the tramway.
Engine level SO 2475 0894 Engine Level is the lower level from the Engine Pits site at SO 244 089. It is a very prominent roadside level, bricked off just behind the iron grille. It was retained as an emergency exit from Big Pit after Engine Pits were closed.
River Arch level SO 2442 0892 This is the current emergency exit from Big Pit.

Blaenavon
Aaron Brutes drainage adit 2010 		Blaenavon
Engine level 2010 		Blaenavon
River Arch level 2010

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Blaenavon Ironworks

The Blaenavon Ironworks World Heritage Site is at SO 2495 0930 and is open to the public.

Bunkers Hill and Garn Road

Pwll Du tramroad tunnel SO 2485 0983 The Southern entrance is buried to the top of the arch and is marked by a line of breeze blocks just showing above ground, at a slight angle to the approach. The course of the approach is clearly defined as are the foundations of various buildings around it.
Viaduct from 1790s SO 2483 0955 Buried beneath about 50 feet of rubble is the viaduct illustrated by Sir Richard Colt-Hoare and re-discovered by the Channel 4 'Time Team' in 2001. It was built in c1790 and disappeared from maps in c1815, having been covered in ironworks and mine waste.
Meadow Vein level or
Peggi's level		 SO 2480 0990 Behind the tunnel entrance are the spoil tips and sites of coal, clay and ironstone levels. From them the courses of two tramway head back towards the brickworks and ironworks.
Powder Magazine SO 2466 0962 This stone-built magazine to the North of Garn Road dates from the 1850s.
Garn Road Airshaft SO 2439 0955 Airshaft on the South side of Garn Road, probably ventilating the Engine Pits or Cinder Pits.

Blaenavon
Pwll-Du Tramroad tunnel
(the white blocks in the foreground) 2010 		Blaenavon
Garn Road airshaft 2010 		Blaenavon
Garn Road magazine 2010

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GARN-YR-ERW

Hill's Pits and New Pit

tramroad incline and brake house SO 2428 0990 The Incline begins at the cottages at SO 2435 0966 and leads up to the brake house. This contains the remains of the brake band mechanism and the brakesman's shelter. In 2010 the site was being cleared of undergrowth and rubbish. The tramway from the top has many stone sleepers on the way to the Pits.
Ty Abraham Harry SO 2411 1028 Just to the North-East off the tramway are the ruins of a farmhouse, occupied until the mid 1960s. There are remains of many coal, clay and ironstone levels and tips around the farmhouse.
Hill's Pits chimney, shafts and reservoirs SO 2390 1027 The stone-built engine house chimney is the centrepiece of the area, with the shafts just beyond. The pits were sunk in the 1830s, closing in 1894, Two reservoirs are either sideof the site. Another shaft is poorly covered and fenced to the North-East. The tramway continues to New Pit.
New Pit SO 2307 1061 The filled shafts and remains of the headgear are at the foot of the Dyne-Steel incline. there is a small reservoir with a concrete dam just in front of the site with a large earth-banked reservoir a little further on.
Dyne-Steel Incline SO 2395 1094 The Dyne-Steel Incline was built to avoid the Pwll-Du tramroad tunnel and was a double track, standard gauge incline. The route is very clear as it crests the ridge. About half-way up there is a well-defined level to the right. Towards the top the remains of the engine and brake houses can be seen.

Blaenavon
Hill's Pit brakewheel 2010		 Blaenavon
Hill's Pit chimney 2010 		Blaenavon
New Pit shafts 2010

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Photo Gallery

There are lots of photos of the area are on my photo gallery website :- 'Transport and Industry - The Leftovers'

with the Blaenavon area in The Blaenavon gallery

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Other Locations

A comprehensive sortable 'Excel' spreadsheet of all known sites is on The Home Page

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