Steel Dragon

I had a call out to Ystrad Mynach, and afterwards thought I'd revisit Ebbw Vale to have a look around. I worked there in 1994/5 and it's really changed a lot with new housing, the steelworks gone and general redevelopment. It was good to have a drive around and see the changes.

The town centre is being spruced up, and this art sculpture is situated in Bank Square, Ebbw Vale, which is in the heart of the town centre. It's a 4-metre-high stainless-steel dragon created by blacksmiths Sam Pask and William Holland, of Phoenix Forge, and was unveiled by Blaenau Gwent Council on Thursday 17th June 2014. It forms part of the “Heart of the Furnace” which includes a new stone screening wall with artwork and bespoke railings.

It is part of the Heads of The Valley regeneration scheme funded by The Welsh Government and The European Union Regional Development fund.

The blip photo shows the dragon with it's eggs and I've caught it like it's got a javelin in it's claws! The artwork is lit at night by LED lights.

The dragon's relevance is that it is the symbol of Wales, is on the Council's coat of arms. Ebbw Vale steelworks developed from 1780,  and by the late 1930s it had become the largest steel mill in Europe. Nationalised as the steel industry changed to bulk handling, iron and steel making was ceased in the 1970s, as the site was redeveloped as a specialised tinplate works. Closed by Corus in 2002, the site is being redeveloped in a joint-partnership between Blaenau Gwent Council and the Welsh Government.

Ebbw Vale means vale of The River Ebbw (it's name since 19th century) but previously it Old Welsh name was 'Glynebwy'  with 'Ebwy' meaning horse and 'Glyn' meaning Glen - so Vale of The Wild Horse.  On the drive back over the local mountains you can still see many wild horses roaming the commons.