UNESCO's Blaenavon World Heritage Site in South Wales has been awarded £2.47m for conservation and restoration work.

The money comes as part of the Forgotten Landscapes Partnership Scheme, created by 130 different organisations led by Gwent Wildlife Trust and Torfaen County Borough Council to cover about 40sq km (15.4sq m) around Blaenavon.

The Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) will provide 60 per cent of the funding, with the remainder coming from organisations such as the Welsh Assembly Government, the Heads of the Valleys programme, Valleys Regional Park, the Environment Agency and the Countryside Council for Wales.

It will be spent over the next three years on projects including the conservation and restoration of historical features such as the Pwll Du tramway tunnel, which was used to move coal, limestone and pig iron to the ironworks.

The surrounding wetlands and grasslands will also have money spent on them - a move aimed at promoting the return of Welsh mountain ponies and traditional breeds of cattle - and access to the area will be improved.

Torfaen council's chief officer, Christina Harrhy said: "This is fantastic news! Forgotten Landscapes will significantly improve the World Heritage Site and its landscape setting."

HLF has already made a number of awards in the area - which was shaped by the iron and coal industries - including those to Big Pit, the National Mining Museum of Wales (£5.4m), St Peter's Church (£104,500) and St Peter's School, World Heritage Centre (£1.3m).

Pic: Big Pit, the National Mining Museum of Wales