A magical mystery tour

On Sunday 21 May a large group of Friends set off on their second mystery tour. Ably organised by Dr John Chandler, this time he took us to mid-Wales to discover the effects of the industrial revolution on local communities.  In Brecon we had time to visit the cathedral before a walking tour showed how the fortified market town had been transformed into a wealthy commercial centre when iron production started nearby in the late 18th century. 

Then on to the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Blaenavon to visit the best preserved 18th Century ironworks in the world, complete with rows of workers’ cottages. It was a site that was at the cutting edge of the industrial revolution.  In between we had the pleasure of travelling through some of Wales’s most stunning countryside and hearing a brief talk on the Chartists and the Newport Rising of 1839.  The verdict?  Let’s have another mystery tour next year!

Someone must know the way?

If you are not a Friend already, why not join and know that your subscription will make a real contribution to Gloucestershire Archives? Visit www.foga.org.uk/ for more details.