Blaenau Gwent

Blaenau Gwent is a county borough in south‑east Wales centred on the upland valleys that drain southwards. The principal towns are Ebbw Vale, Abertillery, Brynmawr, Nantyglo and Tredegar. The Ebbw Fach and Ebbw Fawr rivers run through the area and meet as they descend from the moorland, shaping a landscape of steep valley sides and compact town centres. Industry in the 19th and 20th centuries was focused on coal and iron; Ebbw Vale housed a large integrated steelworks and numerous collieries, and much of that infrastructure has been cleared or reclaimed, leaving a patchwork of woodland, reclaimed spoil tips and open land threaded by footpaths.

Local history is visible in surviving rows of workers’ housing, miners’ institutes and community halls that remain active. Tredegar is known for its link with Aneurin Bevan and the Tredegar Medical Aid Society, a local organisation that influenced his thinking on healthcare. Contemporary Blaenau Gwent supports small manufacturing, services and outdoor recreation, with walking routes and valley trails that follow former railway lines and river corridors through the borough.