Discover Brynmawr: Nature and Local History

Brynmawr offers a range of themes for your trip: west of the town is the Parc Nant y Waun nature reserve, while the Brynmawr Swimming Pool and the Market Hall building are part of the town’s history. Other highlights include the Brynmawr Heritage Trail and the Market Hall Cinema. Nature, history, walking and film offer different focuses. If you are looking for hotels in Brynmawr, you can start by considering which of these themes is most important for your trip.

Natural landscape west of Brynmawr

Parc Nant y Waun is located west of Brynmawr. The nature reserve covers 22 hectares of grassland, wetlands and reservoirs, and was officially opened in 2007. These three features give the natural landscape its distinctive character: it includes grassland, wetlands and water reservoirs. With its location west of the town, Parc Nant y Waun is a clearly defined nature-focused option for planning your trip. The opening year, 2007, is part of the reserve’s history; it is markedly later than the dates associated with Brynmawr’s historic sites.

Volunteer project and swimming pool

Brynmawr Swimming Pool opened in July 1932. Its history is connected to an international volunteer project: in the summer of 1931, the Religious Society of Friends in Brynmawr, together with Jean Inebnit, a Swiss Quaker and lecturer at the University of Leeds, recruited more than a hundred volunteers to build an outdoor swimming pool and a surrounding park on an old rubbish tip. 41 of the volunteers came from abroad, 74 from the United Kingdom and 48 were students. The figures reflect different aspects of the group: its international participation, its participants from the UK and the proportion who were students. Jean Inebnit had previously worked with Pierre Cérésole, the founder of Service Civil International. Brynmawr Swimming Pool was the first international volunteer project in Great Britain. The history therefore includes both how the project came about and the people who took part.

Market Hall, Heritage Trail and cinema

The Market Hall building in Brynmawr opened in February 1894. The Brynmawr Heritage Trail offers another way to explore the region’s cultural history: it starts at the Market Hall Cinema and lets walkers experience the region’s heritage and culture. Route conditions can change, so it is best to check them before setting out. The Market Hall Cinema regularly shows current films; the programme may change. Check in advance which screenings suit your travel dates. This gives you different options to consider when planning: a walk connected to regional culture or a current film programme.

Nature and history as different focuses

The themes can be clearly distinguished by type. Parc Nant y Waun represents a natural landscape of grassland, wetlands and reservoirs. The history of Brynmawr Swimming Pool leads back to the volunteer project of 1931 and its opening in July 1932; the Market Hall building’s opening in February 1894 is also recorded. The Heritage Trail combines walking with an experience of regional culture, while the cinema regularly shows current films. When planning your trip, you can weigh up whether nature, local history, a walk or film is the deciding factor for you.

Discover more destinations: Cwm, Ebbw Vale, Blaina, Tredegar.

For the broader travel overview: Blaenau Gwent.