Pontymoile
Encyclopedia
Pontymoile is a large community of the town
of Pontypool
in Torfaen
, south east Wales
, within the historic boundaries of Monmouthshire
.
It is directly south of Pontypool and is bordered by Griffithstown
to the south and New Inn
to the east. It is all but merged with the nearby suburb
s of Cwmynyscoy
and Upper Race.
It contains a mixture of traditional Welsh
terraced houses, early Edwardian townhouses and modern 1960s flats and local authority housing.
Pontymoile is spread across a large area and so is home to much of Pontypool's facilities including West Monmouth School
, Coleg Gwent
's Pontypool campus, the Pontymoile Basin
on the Monmouthshire & Brecon Canal
as well as St. Matthew's Anglican Church and the nondenominational Pontymoile Christian Mission on Rockhill Road. Pontymoile has its own primary school as well as a small selection of shops and public house
s.
-listed fine metal gates that are known locally as the Sally gates. Sally was the nickname for the Duchess of Marlborough who presented them to the Hanbury family in thanks for their assistance in the execution of her late husband's will.
Research has determined that the columns and gates date from around the mid 19th century, but were later added to (the addition of dog bars) to allow larger carriages and motorized traffic to enter the park.
A report taken from the Pontypool Free Press in 1933 states that the gate's specifications were designed by T. E. Deakin in July 1835. Of particular interest are the vines on the pillars and bunches of grapes that were originally have been gilded as were some icanthus leaves and finials on the gates. It is thought the original colour of the gates may have been green, maroon or a blue colour popular at the time.
was built (diverting traffic away from Griffithstown
and New Inn
). This ended opposite the Pontymoile Mission and the area quickly became a traffic bottle-neck as the dual-carriageway A472 filtered into a one way system.
Further redevelopment took place in the late 1990s to eradicate this bottle-neck when a new flyover
on the A472 road was constructed to allow traffic to easily pass either into or by Pontypool town centre. This resulted in many buildings being demolished (including the original Pontymoile Mission, the railway viaduct and closure of the Prince of Wales public house). The development also resulted in a new road system to West Monmouth School
and Coleg Gwent
's Pontypool campus.
Town
A town is a human settlement larger than a village but smaller than a city. The size a settlement must be in order to be called a "town" varies considerably in different parts of the world, so that, for example, many American "small towns" seem to British people to be no more than villages, while...
of Pontypool
Pontypool
Pontypool is a town of approximately 36,000 people in the county borough of Torfaen, within the historic boundaries of Monmouthshire in South Wales....
in Torfaen
Torfaen
Torfaen is a county borough in Wales within the historic boundaries of Monmouthshire. It was originally formed in 1974 as a district of the county of Gwent and in 1996 it was reconstituted as a unitary authority.-Education:...
, south east 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...
, within the historic boundaries of Monmouthshire
Monmouthshire (historic)
Monmouthshire , also known as the County of Monmouth , is one of thirteen ancient counties of Wales and a former administrative county....
.
It is directly south of Pontypool and is bordered by Griffithstown
Griffithstown
Griffithstown is a large community of Pontypool in the borough of Torfaen, Wales, within the historic boundaries of Monmouthshire. It is an ecclesiastical parish, formed in May, 1898, from Llanfrechfa Upper and Panteg, and includes Sebastopol, but, under the provisions of the Local Government Act...
to the south and New Inn
New Inn
New Inn is a village and community of approximately 3,000 households located to the south east of Pontypool, within the County Borough of Torfaen in Wales, within the historic boundaries of Monmouthshire.- Location :...
to the east. It is all but merged with the nearby suburb
Suburb
The word suburb mostly refers to a residential area, either existing as part of a city or as a separate residential community within commuting distance of a city . Some suburbs have a degree of administrative autonomy, and most have lower population density than inner city neighborhoods...
s of Cwmynyscoy
Cwmynyscoy
Cwmynyscoy is a suburb of Pontypool town in the district of the County Borough of Torfaen, south east Wales.-Statistics:*All figures quoted have been derived from the 2001 Census unless otherwise stated.-Demographic Indicators:...
and Upper Race.
It contains a mixture of traditional Welsh
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...
terraced houses, early Edwardian townhouses and modern 1960s flats and local authority housing.
Pontymoile is spread across a large area and so is home to much of Pontypool's facilities including West Monmouth School
West Monmouth School
West Monmouth School is a state-funded and non-selective secondary school in Pontypool, Torfaen, south Wales.-Admissions:Pupils who attend the generally live in the Pontypool area...
, Coleg Gwent
Coleg Gwent
Coleg Gwent is Wales' largest further education college.It has more than 35,000 students ranging from secondary school leavers to mature students...
's Pontypool campus, the Pontymoile Basin
Pontymoile Basin
Pontymoile Basin is a mooring point and canal junction on the Monmouthshire & Brecon Canal.-Location:The basin lies on the Pontypool stretch of the Monmouthshire & Brecon Canal in the Pontypool suburb of Pontymoile in the historical county of Monmouthshire in south east Wales, now part of...
on the Monmouthshire & Brecon Canal
Monmouthshire & Brecon Canal
The Monmouthshire and Brecon Canal is a small network of canals in South Wales. For most of its length it runs through the Brecon Beacons National Park, and its present rural character and tranquillity belies its original purpose as an industrial corridor for coal and iron, which were brought to...
as well as St. Matthew's Anglican Church and the nondenominational Pontymoile Christian Mission on Rockhill Road. Pontymoile has its own primary school as well as a small selection of shops and public house
Public house
A public house, informally known as a pub, is a drinking establishment fundamental to the culture of Britain, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand. There are approximately 53,500 public houses in the United Kingdom. This number has been declining every year, so that nearly half of the smaller...
s.
Pontymoile Gates
The Pontymoile entrance to Pontypool Park was the original entrance leading to the house owned by the Hanbury Family. Pontymoile Gates (Welsh: Giatiau Pont-y-moel) are Grade II*, CADWCadw
-Conservation and Protection:Many of Wales's great castles and other monuments, such as bishop's palaces, historic houses, and ruined abbeys, are now in Cadw's care. Cadw does not own them but is responsible for their upkeep and for making them accessible to the public...
-listed fine metal gates that are known locally as the Sally gates. Sally was the nickname for the Duchess of Marlborough who presented them to the Hanbury family in thanks for their assistance in the execution of her late husband's will.
Research has determined that the columns and gates date from around the mid 19th century, but were later added to (the addition of dog bars) to allow larger carriages and motorized traffic to enter the park.
A report taken from the Pontypool Free Press in 1933 states that the gate's specifications were designed by T. E. Deakin in July 1835. Of particular interest are the vines on the pillars and bunches of grapes that were originally have been gilded as were some icanthus leaves and finials on the gates. It is thought the original colour of the gates may have been green, maroon or a blue colour popular at the time.
Redevelopment
Two distinct phases of road building have affected the Pontymoile area. During the early 1980s an extension to A472A472 road
The A472 is a cross valley link road in South Wales that runs west to east across the old South Wales coalfield from Treharris through Nelson, Ystrad Mynach, Maesycwmmer, Pontllanfraith, Newbridge, Crumlin, Hafodyrynys, Pontypool and thence into the Usk valley, through Little Mill and Usk to a...
was built (diverting traffic away from Griffithstown
Griffithstown
Griffithstown is a large community of Pontypool in the borough of Torfaen, Wales, within the historic boundaries of Monmouthshire. It is an ecclesiastical parish, formed in May, 1898, from Llanfrechfa Upper and Panteg, and includes Sebastopol, but, under the provisions of the Local Government Act...
and New Inn
New Inn
New Inn is a village and community of approximately 3,000 households located to the south east of Pontypool, within the County Borough of Torfaen in Wales, within the historic boundaries of Monmouthshire.- Location :...
). This ended opposite the Pontymoile Mission and the area quickly became a traffic bottle-neck as the dual-carriageway A472 filtered into a one way system.
Further redevelopment took place in the late 1990s to eradicate this bottle-neck when a new flyover
Overpass
An overpass is a bridge, road, railway or similar structure that crosses over another road or railway...
on the A472 road was constructed to allow traffic to easily pass either into or by Pontypool town centre. This resulted in many buildings being demolished (including the original Pontymoile Mission, the railway viaduct and closure of the Prince of Wales public house). The development also resulted in a new road system to West Monmouth School
West Monmouth School
West Monmouth School is a state-funded and non-selective secondary school in Pontypool, Torfaen, south Wales.-Admissions:Pupils who attend the generally live in the Pontypool area...
and Coleg Gwent
Coleg Gwent
Coleg Gwent is Wales' largest further education college.It has more than 35,000 students ranging from secondary school leavers to mature students...
's Pontypool campus.