Blaenau was a major hub of the slate mining industry in the 19th and early 20th Centuries, but with the decline of the industry, the town has shrunk dramatically – I certainly couldn't imaging living in the shadow of the vast spoilheaps and looming cliffs (see the next image) unless I had to.
Though it's at the heart of the Snowdonia National Park and reliant on tourism, the National Park boundaries exclude the town. I'm not sure whether that's entirely appropriate; the terraced waste rock isn't exactly pretty, but industrial heritage needs to be protected alongside natural beauty.