Tour guides to show real face of the valleys (From South Wales Argus)

Tour guides to show real face of the valleys

8:40am Wednesday 15th April 2009 in News By South Wales Argus Newsdesk

VISITORS to Tredegar will have a helping hand to uncover the town's history after ten local people qualified as tour guides thanks to £10,000 of Assembly funding.

The group, called Real Valley Tours, completed a seven month course funded by the Assembly’s Heads of the Valleys Programme, to become members of the Wales Official Tourist Guides Association - the only tour guides officially recognised by the Assembly to guide around Wales.

Available to individuals and groups, the tours offer an insight into the industrial heritage of the area and educate visitors about well known locals such as Aneurin Bevan.

They also visit key landmarks including Bedwellty House and Park, the Aneurin Bevan stones and the Tredegar town clock.

Tredegar Town Mayor, Cllr John Morgan, who completed the course and is now a qualified guide, said the tour was a great way for local people to get to know the history of their town as well as a way of attracting tourists.

He said: “There is so much history in the area that we just did not realise until we did the course.

“The tours are good for bringing in business and teach youngsters about the area’s history. Heritage helps keeps town alive.”

The Assembly’s deputy minister for regeneration Leighton Andrews, said the Assembly was committed to improving communities across the Heads of the Valleys area and attracting tourists.

He said: “The region has a fascinating industrial history and heritage which has played an important role in shaping South Wales and beyond and I am very pleased that these trained guides will be able to promote some of these gems.”

For more information and prices of the tours contact Sue Collins on 01873 8116525 or visit www.realvalleytour.org.uk.

Where the tours will visit

Bedwellty House was built in 1818 and is surrounded by a 26-acre Victorian garden and park. The Grade II listed building was home to the Homfray family who were the co-founders of the Tredegar Iron works. Restoration work to the cost of £5.6 million is currently taking place to restore the house and park features including a new bowls pavilion, tennis courts and outdoor events area. Once completed Bedwellty House will be available for weddings, exhibitions and events, as well as continuing to be the home of Tredegar Town Council, which has moved to Tredegar Library during the restoration. Tredegar Town Clock was erected in the centre of the Market Square, now known as the Circle, in 1859. The clock has four faces and stands at 72 feet tall and was designed to be seen from all areas of Tredegar. The idea for the clock came from Mr R.P Davies, manager of the Tredegar Ironworks, who agreed to pay £400 towards the cost if the town’s people under the guidance of his wife, could raise the remainder - an amount which is still disputed today. Mrs Davies and her sister organised a bazaar, which raised the money but both died before the clock was completed. The Aneurin Bevan Stones commemorates the life of NHS creator Aneurin Bevan who became the Labour Member of Parliament for the area in 1929. The monument stands on the hillside between Tredegar and Ebbw Vale where he used to address his constituents. Symbolically the central stone represents Bevan with the three surrounding stones for the towns of his constituency - Ebbw Vale, Tredegar and Rhymney.