Although I'm generally not a big fan of industrial sites, I quite enjoyed my visit to Blaenavon. It is a pretty town in South Wales that can be reached by bus from Newport in about an hour. The main attraction is the Big Pit with the associated National Coal Museum, which was a working coal mine from the mid-19th to the late 20th century. Nowadays, there are very interesting underground tours guided by former miners. The complex includes several exhibitions about the mines and the often miserable lives of the miners. The Big Pit is about a 20-minute walk from the centre of Blaenavon village; attractions in the centre itself include the remains of the ironworks and several historic buildings associated with mining. The best thing is that since the Big Pit is part of the National Museums of Wales, entrance is free. So all in all, it was a very pleasant excursion on a warm summer day.