How to find us

Address: Pontypool & Blaenavon's Heritage Railway, Pontypool, NP4 9AX

What3Words: central.jotting.chainsaw

Blaenavon’s Heritage Railway is situated in the UNESCO-listed Blaenavon Industrial Landscape on the edge of the Brecon Beacons National Park in South Wales. There are several ways to reach the site from across the area by road and public transport.

By car: 

Ample free car and coach parking is available at Furnace Sidings, our main station. The site is just off the B4248 at Garn-yr-Erw between Brynmawr and Blaenavon. Please use postcode NP4 9SF for satnavs and mobile devices. This will lead you to the junction of the B4248 and the road leading to the Garn Lakes and the railway, go down this road until you reach the Furnace Sidings station car park. The road is signed using the tourist information brown steam train icon.

• By the M4 Westbound: Exit at Junction 25A (Grove Park) for Newport and Cwmbran. Once off the motorway, take the A4042 towards Cwmbran. As you approach Cwmbran, you will start seeing signs for Pontypool. Follow these until Croes-Y-Mwyalch roundabout. Continue following the A4042 towards Abergavenny until you approach Pontypool, where you will start seeing for Big Pit/Pwll Mawr. Follow these until you are near Blaenavon when you will begin to see brown train signs. These will take you to the main station at Furnace Sidings.
• By the M4 Eastbound: Exit at Junction 26 (Malpas) for A4051 Cwmbran, Newport and Caerleon. Follow the A4051 until you reach the Woodlands roundabout. Take the exit A4042 towards Abergavenny/Newport, before then taking exit A4042 Abergavenny at Croes-y-Mwyalch roundabout. Continue following the A4042 towards Abergavenny until you are near Pontypool, from where you will start seeing signs for Big Pit/Pwll Mawr. Follow these until you approach Blaenavon, when you will begin to see brown train signs. These will take you to the main station at Furnace Sidings.
• By the A465 (Heads of the Valleys Road): Exit the A465 at Brynmawr and follow signs for Big Pit/Pwll Mawr. These will take you onto the B4248 towards Blaenavon. Follow these, and as you approach the area you will see tourism signs for Blaenavon Heritage Town. As you enter the village of Garn-yr-Erw, lookout for the brown steam engine sign and the Pontypool and Blaenavon Railway advertising board. Turn off here and follow the access road across the valley to the main station at Furnace Sidings.

By public transport: 

The nearest railway stations with easy connections to the railway are at Cwmbran and Newport. Alight at either station to connect onto Stagecoach in South Wales’s X24 service from Blaenavon to Newport, which departs from Cwmbran Bus Station Stand E and Newport Market Square Bus Station Stand 16 respectively. Either ask to alight at Varteg Road Cemetery or Sycamore Road, both of which are located a short distance from Blaenavon High Level. Look out for our overbridge and follow the side path to the station.

Please take care if alighting at Varteg Road Cemetery as there is no pavement. Although the road from Sycamore Road bus stop to High Level has a continuous pavement, some may find the gradient up the valley side challenging.

Phil Anslow and Sons also operate local bus services around Blaenavon. Two of their services drop visitors off near the railway. The number 30 operates from Cwmbran Bus Station to Blaenavon on a different route to the Stagecoach X24. Alight at the Lion Street terminus, turn left, and then walk down Broad Street (passing The Railway Shop) until you are at the bottom of the valley. Then follow the B4246 up the other side of the valley until you reach Blaenavon High Level. The latter part of this route is the same as from the X24’s Sycamore Road stop, and therefore please note that some may again find the gradient challenging.

Phil Anslow and Sons also serve the Big Pit National Coal Museum on their number 31 service from Brynmawr to Blaenavon. The Big Pit Halt station can be found at the bottom of the overflow car park.