Pontlottyn
Pontlottyn ( is a village

Village

A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet with the population ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand , Though often located in rural areas, the term urban village is also applied to certain urban neighbourhoods, such as the West Village in Manhattan, New...

 located in the county borough

County borough

County borough is a term introduced in 1889 in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland , to refer to a borough or a city independent of county council control. They were abolished by the Local Government Act 1972 in England and Wales, but continue in use for lieutenancy and shrievalty in...

 of Caerphilly

Caerphilly (county borough)

Caerphilly is a county borough in southern Wales, straddling the ancient county boundary between Glamorgan and Monmouthshire.Its main town is Caerphilly, and also the largest...

, within the historic county boundaries of Glamorgan

Glamorgan

Glamorgan or Glamorganshire is one of the thirteen historic counties and a former administrative county of Wales. It was originally an early medieval kingdom of varying boundaries known as Glywysing until taken over by the Normans as a lordship. Glamorgan is latterly represented by the three...

, Wales

Wales

Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...

, United Kingdom

United Kingdom

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...

. It is sited just to the south of Rhymney

Rhymney

Rhymney is a town and a community located in the county borough of Caerphilly in south-east Wales, within the historic boundaries of Monmouthshire. Along with the villages of Pontlottyn, Fochriw, Abertysswg, Deri and New Tredegar, Rhymney is designated as the 'Upper Rhymney Valley' by the local...

, and to the west of the Rhymney River

Rhymney River

The Rhymney River is a river in the Rhymney Valley, south-east Wales, flowing through Cardiff into the Severn estuary.The river forms the boundary between the historic counties of Glamorgan and Monmouthshire.-Path of the river:...

.

History

Pontlottyn, initially part of Lower Rhymney, was born and grew from the enterprise of the coal and ironmasters and as many as thirty-one pits and levels existed between these two villages before 1835. This industrialisation brought a huge increase in population with rural Welsh workers and particularly Irish immigrants flowing in, attracted by the promise of rich earnings from the growing iron industry.

It was well known for its neighbouring collieries, which employed nearly the entire local population in the early 20th century.

Edward Thomas Chapman

Edward Thomas Chapman

Edward Thomas Chapman VC, BEM was a Welsh recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces....

, a miner who won the Victoria Cross

Victoria Cross

The Victoria Cross is the highest military decoration awarded for valour "in the face of the enemy" to members of the armed forces of various Commonwealth countries, and previous British Empire territories....

 during World War II

World War II

World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

, was born at Pontlottyn in January 1920.

Facilities

Pontlottyn has a chemist, doctor surgery, post office, 4 fast food establishments, general shops (serving convenience and specialist goods), local cafes, 2 hairdressers, and 3 pubs with some serving food. The village also has a local community centre which contains a library with computer facilities.

The village is served by Pontlottyn railway station

Pontlottyn railway station

Pontlottyn railway station is a railway station serving the village of Pontlottyn, south Wales. It is a stop on the Rhymney Line of the Valley Lines network. The station generally enjoys an hourly train service to Cardiff , although it has additional trains in the peak hours, but a reduced service...

.

External links

• www.geograph.co.uk : photos of Pontlottyn and surrounding area
• Welsh Coal Mines - all the pits, all the brief histories

See also

• Rhymney Valley
  Rhymney Valley
  The Rhymney Valley is a valley encompassing the villages of Abertysswg, Fochriw, Pontlottyn, Tirphil, New Tredegar, Aberbargoed, Rhymney, and Ystrad Mynach, and the towns of Bargoed and Caerphilly, in south-east Wales, formerly famous for its coal mining and iron industries.-Geography:Created as a...
  
  

• Evans, Marion, (1994), A Portrait of Rhymney with cameos of Pontlottyn, Tafarnaubach, Princetown, Abertysswg and Fochriw, volume 1. Old Bakehouse Publications. ISBN 1 874538 40 9.
• Evans, Marion, (1995), A Portrait of Rhymney with cameos of Pontlottyn, Tafarnaubach, Princetown, Abertysswg and Fochriw, volume 2. Old Bakehouse Publications. ISBN 1 874538 70 9.
• Evans, Marion, (1996), A Portrait of Rhymney with cameos of Pontlottyn, Tafarnaubach, Princetown, Abertysswg and Fochriw, volume 3. Old Bakehouse Publications. ISBN 1 874538 417.
• Evans, Marion, (1998), A Portrait of Rhymney with cameos of Pontlottyn, Tafarnaubach, Princetown, Abertysswg and Fochriw, volume 4. Old Bakehouse Publications. ISBN 1 874538 026.
• Evans, Marion, (2009), A Portrait of Rhymney with cameos of Pontlottyn, Tafarnaubach, Princetown, Abertysswg and Fochriw, volume 5. Old Bakehouse Publications. ISBN 978-1-905967-20-9.