About

Brynmawr (Big Hill), at an elevation of 1,200 feet above sea leve,l is the highest town in South Wales. It owes its existence to the industrialisation of the Valleys, growing as a dormitory town around a criss-cross of tramways and turnpike roads which served the ironworks at nearby Nantyglo.

It was originally a small village settlement called Gwaen Helygen, and lay in the former county of Brecknockshire. With the expansion of the Nantyglo (meaning stream of coal), Ironworks housing was required for the workers and Brynmawr turned into a prosperous town. Although coal mining has declined, a large mining museum is nearby at Big Pit.