Date/Time
Date(s) - 27/05/2023 - 29/05/2023
All Day
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We’re excited to announce the Club’s first excursion into the scenic delights and industrial wonderland that is South Wales. Our weekend will give a great taster of what this fascinating region has to offer.
This first big event of the year has been organised by Club stalwarts Owen Burgess and Georgina Wootten who have pulled everything together using their local knowledge. The event takes advantage of the late May bank holiday weekend.
So don’t delay – if interested let Owen and Georgina know (contact below) so we can keep you up to date with the fine details such as timings, routes, meals, accommodation etc.
As always, all vehicles with an Eastern Bloc pedigree (and their keepers) are invited to join us for all or part of the weekend. Itinerary below:
Saturday 27th: Starting at Blaenavon Ironworks, this UNESCO World heritage monument was a cradle of the Industrial Revolution. In 1789 Blaenavon Ironworks first harnessed the power of steam to blow air into its huge blast furnaces, and was still at the forefront of steel production a century later. The ruined furnaces are still visible today alongside the impressive remains of the foundry, cast house and water balance tower that raised wagons 80 feet into the air. Alongside, we will explore the workers’ authentically furnished cottages and the recreated ‘truck shop’ where they spent their meagre wages. Admission is £6.60.
We then convoy a short distance for a group decent underground at the Big Pit National Coal Museum.
This award-winning national museum retains many features of its former life as a coal mine. As well as displays above ground, we’ll go 300 feet underground to see what life was like for the thousands of men who worked at the coal face.
For those local or stopping over, our group evening meal is planned at the King Brychan pub in Merthyr.
Sunday 28th: Starting in Merthyr Tydfil, our day-long road run takes in the Brecon Beacons with lunch stop planned in Llandovery where there’ll be time to look at the castle. 
Onwards to the famous Black Mountain roads, Bwlch mountain, the Rhigos mountain and return via the A4059 made famous by Top Gear.
Our group evening meal is planned at our base hotel – see below.
Monday 29th: A return trip on the Brecon Mountain Railway takes us into the National Park and along the full length of the Taf Fechan Reservoir before climbing to Torpantau high in the Brecon Beacons.
Participants are welcome to go their own way on return, allowing a daylight journey home for most!
Interested? Do please let us know (no commitment) – we will keep you up to date including timings, routes, suggested accommodation, evening meal reservations and more … Group meal reservations are required soonest! No fees for taking part other than venue admissions.
Contact Owen and Georgina at: owenburgess21[at]yahoo.co.uk (replace [at] with usual @ symbol) or via Club Events Officer, details on Contacts page).
More info: Links to our venues etc are below:
Venues:
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- Brecon Mountain Railway: bmr.wales
- Llandovery Castle: breconbeacons.org/poi/castles-llandovery-castle
- Blaenavon Ironworks: https://cadw.gov.wales/visit/places-to-visit/blaenavon-ironworks
- Big Pit National Coal Museum: https://museum.wales/bigpit/
- Brecon Beacons: visitwales.com/destinations/mid-wales/brecon-beacons
Meals:
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- King Brychan pub: kingbrychanpub.co.uk
- www.bessemerhotel.co.uk
Accommodation:
Lots of options out there including B&Bs, AirB&B and camping. Contact Owen and Georgina if seeking local suggestions.
If a hotel is more your thing, we suggest the Bessemer Hotel in the Merthyr area of Dowlais: www.bessemerhotel.co.uk . It seems to have the best cost / review balance, but other options including Premier Inn and Travelodge are available (NB – the latter seemed VERY expensive for our weekend when we checked).