Built to haul coal and passengers, this railway has been restored by local volunteers, allowing you to catch a train from the town centre to Furnace Sidings (near Big Pit) and on to Whistle Halt, which at 396m is one of the highest stations in Britain. Check online for running days and times, most of which involve restored steam locomotives.
Pontypool & Blaenavon Railway
Southeast Wales
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
14.77 MILES
You could be forgiven for thinking that Caerphilly Castle – with its profusion of towers and crenellations reflected in a duck-filled lake – was a film…
25.48 MILES
After Welsh marauders torched the original Saxon cathedral, the Norman rulers of Hereford erected a larger, grander cathedral on the same site. The…
20.74 MILES
There's a medieval keep at its heart, but it's the later additions to Cardiff Castle that really capture the imagination. In Victorian times, extravagant…
20.44 MILES
Devoted mainly to natural history and art, this grand neoclassical building is the centrepiece of the seven institutions dotted around the country that…
19.47 MILES
The haunting riverside ruins of this sprawling monastic complex have inspired poets and artists through the centuries, most notably William Wordsworth,…
St Fagans National History Museum
21.34 MILES
Historic buildings from all over the country have been dismantled and re-erected in the semirural surrounds of St Fagans village, 5 miles west of central…
20.76 MILES
Flanked by the castle and the River Taff, Bute Park was donated to the city along with the castle in 1947. With Sophia Gardens, Pontcanna Fields and…
20.92 MILES
Imposing Chepstow Castle perches atop a limestone cliff overhanging the river, guarding the main river crossing from England into South Wales. It is one…
Nearby Southeast Wales attractions
1. Big Pit National Coal Museum
0.47 MILES
Fascinating Big Pit provides an opportunity to explore a real coal mine and get a taste of what life was like for the miners who worked here from 1880 to…
0.98 MILES
When it was completed in 1789, this ironworks was among the most advanced in the world. Today the site is one of the best preserved of all its Industrial…
3. Blaenavon World Heritage Centre
1.08 MILES
Housed in an artfully converted old school, this centre contains a cafe, a tourist office, a gallery, a gift shop and, more importantly, excellent…
3.11 MILES
Of the three mountains encircling Abergavenny, Blorenge (561m) is the closest to town – the round trip is only 5 miles – but it is a steep and strenuous…
5. Abergavenny Museum & Castle
4.91 MILES
Abergavenny castle's keep was converted into a hunting lodge during the Victorian era and now houses a small museum. It tells the history of the castle…
4.93 MILES
Established in 1992, this vineyard on the northwestern edge of town produces a variety of white and red wines, including an award-winning sparkling. You…
5.03 MILES
The large blocky building next to the church is the former abbey's 12th-century tithe barn, the place where people brought their obligatory contributions…
5.05 MILES
Although you wouldn't guess it from the outside, this large stone church has been described as the 'Westminster Abbey of South Wales' because of the…