Mines & Mountains

This is our tour through the South Wales Valleys and the Brecon Beacons National Park.

We start the day at ‘Big Pit’ National Mining Museum of Wales for a visit to a famous Welsh coal mine and its award winning underground tour*. The experience of descending into the depths of this mine attract people from all around the world to visit and wonder at the life of a Welsh coal miner. You will discover how this part of the world became the heart of the Industrial Revolution over 100 years ago and how the town of Blaenavon has now become a World Heritage Site.

Travelling a short distance we enter the Brecon Beacons National Park for the rest of the tour with a landscape shaped by glaciers but now with rolling green hills, sandstone peaks, high mountain lakes and cascading waterfalls … and plenty of sheep!

Onto the old market town of Brecon and what a lovely town it is too. Cosy little streets with plenty of shops and boutiques. A fine Cathedral, indoor market and a host of well stocked craft shops to keep you browsing.

As for lunch, Brecon has some lovely cafes and pubs but the Tower Cafe at St Mary’s church in the centre of town is something different with fine food and the chance of a chat with the locals.

We stop next at the National Park Visitors Centre situated in the heart of this inspiring ‘breathing space’ to discover why the Brecon Beacons is so special. Maybe you’ll feel like a short walk or, if you’re feeling a little fitter, a walk up to an ancient iron-age hillfort to stand where people lived over 2500 yrs ago.

Big Pit was given the Gulbenkian Award winner for museums & galleries in 2005. Blaenavon achieved UNESCO World Heritage Town status in 2000.

Brecon Beacons National Park ‘Fforest Fawr’ was awarded UNESCO Geopark status and named the world’s 5th International Dark Sky Reserve.