Made in Blaenavon
The town of Blaenavon in south Wales is known to history because
of the important part it played in Britain's industrial revolution. The famous
ironworks were founded in 1788, although smelting had been carried on here
since the sixteenth century. The works became one of the largest in Britain as
the Empire expanded and many of the town's skilled men were welcomed in
America and Australia as these countries developed their own industries. Large
scale production ceased around 1900 and the present population of Blaenavon is
reckoned to be just a quarter of the size it achieved when the furnaces roared
day and night to stiffen the sinews of an industrial giant.
These days Blaenavon is a place of pilgrimage for those interested in our
industrial heritage but the town is also home to a range of modern industries,
both large and small.
Note: Blaenavon is an anglicized spelling of the Welsh Blaenafon which
means "source of a river".