Tref o obeithion coll a dyfodol o'r gorffennol?

Arweiniodd dirywiad y diwydiannau glo a dur yng Nghymru yn yr 20fed ganrif filoedd o bobl i adael Blaenafon i chwilio am waith mewn mannau eraill. Roedd y newid economaidd a chymdeithasol yn golygu bod Blaenafon yn dioddef, a gwelwyd nifer o siopau, busnesau, tafarndai a chapeli yn cau. Erbyn diwedd yr ugeinfed ganrif, roedd rhai o adeiladau hanesyddol y dref wedi cael eu dymchwel a gorchuddiwyd nifer o siopau ac adeiladau â phren.

Yn y flwyddyn 2000, cydnabuwyd Tirwedd Ddiwydiannol Blaenafon fel safle o bwysigrwydd byd-eang a daeth yn Safle Treftadaeth Byd UNESCO. Ers hynny gwnaed ymdrechion i adfywio’r economi lleol trwy hyrwyddo twristiaeth ac adfer adeiladau hanesyddol. Denwyd busnesau newydd i’r dref, sydd unwaith eto yn fan lle mae pobl am fyw, ymweld â hi a buddsoddi ynddi!

Mae'r ardal o amgylch Blaenafon yn dystiolaeth huawdl ac eithriadol o amlygrwydd De Cymru fel prif gynhyrchydd haearn a glo'r byd yn y 19eg ganrif. Gellir gweld yr holl elfennau angenrheidiol yn y fan a'r lle - pyllau glo a mwynau, chwareli, system reilffordd gyntefig, ffwrneisi, cartrefi'r gweithwyr, a seilwaith cymdeithasol eu cymuned.

UNESCO 2000

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  • All the shops in King Street have now closed. Some have been demolished and others turned into housing
  • Blaenavon is trying to reinvent itself as a tourist town, attracting new businesses (Acknowledgement: TCBC)
  • Blaenavon’s coal and steel industries suffered badly in the economic depression of the 1920s and 1930s. It also had a negative impact on shops and businesses. Whilst the economy improved during World War Two, the population of Blaenavon continued to fall
  • Boot Lane to the rear of Broad Street (Acknowledgement: TCBC)
  • Community pride is being restored (Acknowledgement: TCBC)
  • Events and parades continue to be held in Blaenavon Town Centre (Acknowledgement: N.A. Matthews)
  • In the 1990s more than half of Blaenavon’s shops were derelict. The town was described in a national newspaper as ‘Plywood City’ (Acknowledgement: TCBC)
  • Lower Broad Street, Blaenavon (Acknowledgement: TCBC)
  • Since World Heritage Site status was awarded in 2000, there have been attempts to regenerate the town centre (Acknowledgement: TCBC)
  • St. Peter’s School in a derelict state (Acknowledgement: TCBC)
  • The derelict Blaenavon Town Hall in Lion Street (Acknowledgement: TCBC)