A-Z of Railway Stations: E is for Ebbw Vale

A town still somewhat struggling to recover following the closure of the steel works there 40 years ago. The 'Circuit of Wales' race track on top of a mountain never came into being which I can't help think was a good thing. Cyber security company Thales have recently announced jobs going there which sounds good. Lots of European money invested but the population still has a significant pro-Brexit majority. The small museum in the old steel works headquarters is well worth a visit.

The train that I caught to Ebbw Vale, still in Arriva Train Wales colours.

Ebbw Vale Town station

It takes an hour from Cardiff Central to get to Ebbw Vale Town by train. The line heads towards Newport and then swings off north just before Newport. and heads up the valley through places like Rogerstone and Risca.

Up until 2015 the line used to stop at what is now Ebbw Vale Parkway but the new station of Ebbw Vale Town was constructed at a cost of £11.5 million. You don't get a lot for your money judging by looking at the station buildings but I guess it is all to do with laying the like and signalling etc.

The Ebbw Vale Works Museum is based in the General Offices, the former HQ for the Steelworks, and what a grand building it is. The museum, staffed by former employees it seemed, full of enthusiasm to tell me all about the former steel works. Entrance is free but donations always welcome. The building, with its fine clock tower, also houses various other offices and a small cafe.

Behind the old steelworks HQ is sheet roller.  Imagine the noise this beast used to make when it was running. 

Coleg Gwent, another building with easy access to the train station

Gwent Archives building in Ebbw Vale

Anyone with ancestors in Gwent will find the modern archives building a very useful resource, and easy to get too as it is next to the station.

The fine clock tower on the headquarters building of the former Ebbw Vale steelworks

Just part of the collection of artifacts in the Steel Works museum, each with its own story to tell no doubt, if it could. 

Ebbw Vale cable car

 There is a small cable car present that takes you up from the level of the station and college up to the level of the town. When I was there it was pretty busy with students from the college using it.  unfortunately is does seem to get vandalized on a regular basis and is frequently out of operation.

Once I was up in the town of Ebbw Vale I had a wander up and down the main street.  There were a few modern sculptures that interested me as did the  old Ebbw Vale Literary and Scientific Institute, now preserved and used for arts and entertainment purposes it seems.

Ebbw Vale Literary and Scientific Institute

In 2014 a derelict piece of land was transformed into an attractive public open space featuring a four metre high dragon.I must admit I liked the dragon. There is a geocache nearby too in case you are wondering.

The 36 foot tall stinless steel clock.  

If you look the clock up on Google you find local residents complaining that it is a waste of space and could be used for market stalls. whats worse if that the stainless steel balls at the bottom of the clock get hot in the sunshine and people are worried they may get burnt. Yes, I'm not joking. Or is it I wonder the local newspaper just looking for a story. Who knows.

After returning to the lower level of the railway station using the cable car again, I decided I fancied a walk so followed the track down the valley to Ebbw Vale Parkway station doing some geocaching on the way to keep myself occupied. I never did find the cache on the wooden footbridge even though I spent n age clambering all over it and underneath it. Ever so often I think of that cache and let out a sigh. I must go back one day.

A-Z of Railway Stations: B is for Bridgend

The modern ticket office at Bridgend station

Well this is an easy challenge so far.  Spoilt for choice of where to go for a B.  In the end I decided on Bridgend more because I fancied a trip combined with a bit of geocaching.  It's an easy trip from Cardiff that's for sure as Bridgend is on the main Cardiff to Swansea line and most trains stop there.  Have I  been there before?  Not that I can recall though I must have been through it on the train many times before.

So regular is the service I didn't even bother planning my trip - just turned up at Cardiff Central and caught the next train to Bridgend.  Fortunately for me it turned out to be one of the new Class 800 trains.  My dog gave it the thumbs up and lay down quietly for the journey.

One of the new Class 800 trains at Bridgend station

Once at Bridgend I had a nose around the station, quite a mix of modern and old.  It was then out and virtually straight into the centre of town.  Yes, the River Ogmore does pass through the centre but if I was being honest it is not at its most attractive at this point.

The historic bridge in the centre of Bridgend

My hound isn't at his most comfortable in town centres - mainly sniffing out scraps of food that people have dropped.  So maybe that should be I am not at my most comfortable with my dog in town centres.  He's probably perfectly happy.  We soon escaped the main streets and the rest of the day was spent geocaching to the south west of the town along the banks of the River Ogmore, finding all bar one of the ones we looked for.  Some were a bit tricky but most were OK, some quite inventive in the way they were hidden. 

One of these creatures wasn't real.  

The Phoenix pub in an old chapel.

Another pub - tempting this one but not with the dog. 

For more news on this challenge visit:  A-Z of Railway Stations

A-Z of Railway Stations - A is for Aberdare

Me and my stationary dog - you would have thought he would have been excited enough to look at the camera.  Apparently not. 

Yes, I admit it.  I'm a bit of a list man.  I'm coming to the end of my challenge to have a pint of Guinness in every European Capital City so it is time to think of a new challenge.  That's where this one came from.  The idea to travel a bit more by train.  But to take the effort of having to think about where to go next I thought I would go through the alphabet, hence A is for Aberdare.  There's quite a few stations starting with A in Wales so why did I choose Aberdare.  Weill it's not a town centre I have explored much in the past, only sort of driven through it - not that there is that much of a town centre.  So let's go and see what there is.

Someone asked if I was doing the challenge in Welsh or English.  No need to decide just yet.  They both begin with A

Thought I had better get a shot of the train that I arrived on - after all the days of these old trains are numbered I believe,  Also my wife decided to join me of this first trip.  I am honored.

From the train station it is only a short walk up into the town though not exactly in a straight line. There are some main roads to get across and the route is a bit wonky.

Railings outside Aberdare library - they do say Aberdare but haven't come out too well on the photo.

Ahh.  That's better.  Now that's what I call A is for Aberdare.  

Aberdare Constitutional Club - a great looking building

From Aberdare town centre we walked up to Dare Valley country Park.  It's a pleasant walk of around an hour I guess, though I was dawdling quite a bit or should I say geocaching, which slowed up progress a bit as some of the caches were tricky to find. It was a good route for the dog too.  At the end we were rewarded with finding a tea shop.  Do dogs allowed in the main tea room but they are allowed in the foyer of the building on the opposite side of the courtyard so we went there and sheltered from the cold weather.

Not the train we were going home on luckily.  

There was just time to walk back down to town and meet up with a friend for a drink in a good Aberdare pub before heading home having enjoyed the start of another challenge.  Only 25 letters to go now.

For more news on this challenge visit:  A-Z of Railway Stations