Pontypool
Encyclopedia
Pontypool is a town
of approximately 36,000 people in the county borough of Torfaen
, within the historic boundaries of Monmouthshire
in South Wales
.
Today Pontypool is regenerating itself and may be seen as a dormitory town for its southern neighbours Cwmbrân
and Newport
. It is one of the goals of the Pontypool and Blaenavon Railway
to extend southwards towards Pontypool from Blaenavon.
of Torfaen
. Although situated on the edge of the South Wales coalfield
s, Pontypool is regarded as an industrial town with former industries including iron
and steel
production, coal mining
and the growth of the railways. A rather artistic manufacturing industry which also flourished here alongside heavy industry was Japan or lacquer
ware.
and uncle of King Henry VII, on 10 October 1490, made a grant of land to one John ap David, and in the conveyance fixes one boundary as "the highway leading from the church of Trevethin
towards the bridge called Pont poell." It would seem therefore that the town gains its name from the bridge placed near the swampy pool which almost certainly would be greater than the forge pond that exists today.
. Although iron was made from 1425 in Pontymoile
, now a suburb of Pontypool, Pontypool grew only when Richard Hanbury bought land locally during the Elizabethan period in 1588 and constructed an ironworks
. The Hanburys pioneered the production of iron Pontypool japan
-ware with its decorated, lacquered style.
The Hanbury family lived in what was to become Pontypool Park
, and around this the town grew. Much of the town's history comes from this family of industrial pioneers. The Napoleonic Wars
were kind to the Hanburys, with increased prosperity due to the demand for munitions and armanents. With this increased wealth, Capel Hanbury Leigh extended Pontypool Park House between 1779 and 1840. Highly elaborate, wrought iron
gates can be seen at the entrance to the park. These were made in the 1720s and remodelled in 1835 by Thomas Deakin. They were a gift to Major John Hanbury (1664–1734) by the Duchess of Marlborough
.
completely diverted traffic away from the town centre. This added to the decline of many years and much of the old town centre was increasingly abandoned by both visitors and businesses. In 2003 plans were drawn up to regenerate the town centre and today the town has experienced a redevelopment of Crane Street, one of the principal shopping streets.
Crane Street had been the location of the town's central railway station, on the Newport
- Blaenavon
branch line but it was closed to passengers in April 1962 and freight in 1967. Contrary to what is often remembered locally, the passenger service to Crane Street had already been closed for more than a year before the publication of the notorious Beeching Report. In financial terms the line was doing no worse than any of the other lines in the South Wales valleys but the closure of the railway line was linked to the opening of the new Llanwern steelworks
on the outskirts of Newport
. The amount of freight traffic the new plant generated was causing severe rail congestion in the Newport area and in an era when passenger rail transport was in decline a number of local services in Monmouthshire were withdrawn by the British Transport Commission as an operational measure.
Pontypool still has a passenger rail link, but as the main Cardiff
- Crewe
line skirts the town it is well over a mile from the town centre. Pontypool Road as it was originally known, became a major and important junction, engine shed and marshalling yard, but the decline of the railways after the war, combined with the run-down of the mining industry, hit the area badly and all the local passenger and coal lines have been closed and the tracks removed. Passenger services to Usk
and Monmouth
ended in 1955, and the line to Neath
and Swansea
(which also stopped at a station called Pontypool Clarence Street on the edge of the town centre) closed in 1964 - the latter being the only rail service in the area which actually did fall victim to Dr Beeching. In 1972 the station was renamed to just "Pontypool" and again in 1994 to "Pontypool and New Inn", to reflect its actually location in the suburb to the south-east of the town, but it is now an unmanned station with few amenities, and only approximately half of the passenger trains on the line stop there, the rest going straight through.
The once famous Clarence Hotel was redeveloped in 2004-05 http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/258748 and converted into flats and offices http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/357794. In April 2006 a new Wetherspoons
pub was opened on Osborne Road and named in honour of John Capel Hanbury, former owner of Pontypool Park House (now St. Alban's R.C. High School
).
In March 2011 the local council reported the winning of bids to various bodies including the lottery heritage fund for further works of regeneration in the town centre. The Pontypool regeneration fund is worth aprox £13m and will fund restoration works to key buildings, including the market hall, and will allow property owners access to 80% grants for works.
s: West Monmouth School
, (formerly Jones' West Monmouth Grammar School
for Boys) and Abersychan Comprehensive School
(formerly Abersychan Grammar). Trevethin Community School
has been closed. This was formerly Pontypool Grammar School for Girls (also known as 'The County'), although at one time the sole campus was where the Welsh medium school, Ysgol Gyfun Gwynllyw
now stands. In addition there is a church school
, St. Alban's R.C. High School
. There is also a Coleg Gwent
campus located in the town, formerly known as Pontypool College.
is a leisure centre
with the only swimming venue in Pontypool. It has a 25 metre Swimming Pool for competitive swimming galas and viewing for up to 200 spectators. It also has a separate teaching pool and two hydroslides.Pontypool Park
is also home to Wales oldest and longest artificial Ski slope. Built in 1974 and at 230m long it is used for leisure and by the Welsh Ski Squad for training . It is currently closed for part of the year due to local council funding cutbacks.
is one of the town's cornerstones. Founded in the 1870s, the club became a founder member of the Welsh Rugby Union
in 1881. Under the captaincy of Terry Cobner
the intervening years saw 'Poola' become one of the great teams of Welsh rugby. The legendary 'Pontypool Front Row' in the 1970s, of Bobby Windsor
, Charlie Faulkner
and Graham Price
was immortalised in song by Max Boyce
. Whilst the team's contribution to Wales was seen again in 1983, when Pontypool's "forward factory" produced five of the Welsh pack in the Five Nations Championship. Other rugby union
clubs based in or near the town are Pontypool United RFC
, Garndiffaith RFC
, Talywain RFC
and Blaenavon RFC
. Pontypool's rugby league
club are called the Torfaen Tigers
and play in the Rugby League Conference Welsh Premier
.
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 approximately 36,000 people in the county borough of 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:...
, 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....
in South Wales
South Wales
South Wales is an area of Wales bordered by England and the Bristol Channel to the east and south, and Mid Wales and West Wales to the north and west. The most densely populated region in the south-west of the United Kingdom, it is home to around 2.1 million people and includes the capital city of...
.
Today Pontypool is regenerating itself and may be seen as a dormitory town for its southern neighbours Cwmbrân
Cwmbran
Cwmbrân is a new town in Wales. Today forming part of the county borough of Torfaen and lying within the historic boundaries of Monmouthshire, Cwmbrân was established in 1949 to provide new employment opportunities in the south eastern portion of the South Wales Coalfield. Cwmbrân means Crow...
and Newport
Newport
Newport is a city and unitary authority area in Wales. Standing on the banks of the River Usk, it is located about east of Cardiff and is the largest urban area within the historic county boundaries of Monmouthshire and the preserved county of Gwent...
. It is one of the goals of the Pontypool and Blaenavon Railway
Pontypool and Blaenavon Railway
The Pontypool and Blaenavon Railway is a volunteer-run heritage railway in South Wales, running trains between a halt platform opposite the Whistle Stop public house southwards to the town of Blaenavon via a two-platform station at the site of former colliery furnace.The line is the highest...
to extend southwards towards Pontypool from Blaenavon.
Location
It is situated on the Afon Lwyd river in the county boroughCounty 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 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:...
. Although situated on the edge of the South Wales coalfield
South Wales Coalfield
The South Wales Coalfield is a large region of south Wales that is rich with coal deposits, especially the South Wales Valleys.-The coalfield area:...
s, Pontypool is regarded as an industrial town with former industries including iron
Iron
Iron is a chemical element with the symbol Fe and atomic number 26. It is a metal in the first transition series. It is the most common element forming the planet Earth as a whole, forming much of Earth's outer and inner core. It is the fourth most common element in the Earth's crust...
and steel
Steel
Steel is an alloy that consists mostly of iron and has a carbon content between 0.2% and 2.1% by weight, depending on the grade. Carbon is the most common alloying material for iron, but various other alloying elements are used, such as manganese, chromium, vanadium, and tungsten...
production, coal mining
Coal mining
The goal of coal mining is to obtain coal from the ground. Coal is valued for its energy content, and since the 1880s has been widely used to generate electricity. Steel and cement industries use coal as a fuel for extraction of iron from iron ore and for cement production. In the United States,...
and the growth of the railways. A rather artistic manufacturing industry which also flourished here alongside heavy industry was Japan or lacquer
Lacquer
In a general sense, lacquer is a somewhat imprecise term for a clear or coloured varnish that dries by solvent evaporation and often a curing process as well that produces a hard, durable finish, in any sheen level from ultra matte to high gloss and that can be further polished as required...
ware.
History
Jasper Tudor, the Lord of AbergavennyAbergavenny
Abergavenny , meaning Mouth of the River Gavenny, is a market town in Monmouthshire, Wales. It is located 15 miles west of Monmouth on the A40 and A465 roads, 6 miles from the English border. Originally the site of a Roman fort, Gobannium, it became a medieval walled town within the Welsh Marches...
and uncle of King Henry VII, on 10 October 1490, made a grant of land to one John ap David, and in the conveyance fixes one boundary as "the highway leading from the church of Trevethin
Trevethin
Trevethin is a community of Pontypool in Torfaen, Wales.-History and amenities:It is a modern suburb, built around a small village in the 1960s and '70s and is all but merged with nearby Penygarn. In 2005 it was announced that the district's local school, Trevethin Community School, was to close....
towards the bridge called Pont poell." It would seem therefore that the town gains its name from the bridge placed near the swampy pool which almost certainly would be greater than the forge pond that exists today.
The coming of industry
Pontypool grew principally from the manufacture of ironIron
Iron is a chemical element with the symbol Fe and atomic number 26. It is a metal in the first transition series. It is the most common element forming the planet Earth as a whole, forming much of Earth's outer and inner core. It is the fourth most common element in the Earth's crust...
. Although iron was made from 1425 in Pontymoile
Pontymoile
Pontymoile is a large community of the town of Pontypool in Torfaen, south east Wales, within the historic boundaries of Monmouthshire....
, now a suburb of Pontypool, Pontypool grew only when Richard Hanbury bought land locally during the Elizabethan period in 1588 and constructed an ironworks
Ironworks
An ironworks or iron works is a building or site where iron is smelted and where heavy iron and/or steel products are made. The term is both singular and plural, i.e...
. The Hanburys pioneered the production of iron Pontypool japan
Pontypool japan
Pontypool japan is a name given to the process of japanning with the use of an oil varnish and heat which is credited to Thomas Allgood of Pontypool. In the late 17th century, during his search for a corrosion-resistant coating for iron, he developed a recipe that included asphaltum, linseed oil...
-ware with its decorated, lacquered style.
The Hanbury family lived in what was to become Pontypool Park
Pontypool Park
Pontypool Park is a park containing predominantly mature trees with some open meadowland located in Pontypool, south Wales. The park was formerly the grounds of Pontypool House and was laid out in the closing years of the 17th century for Major John Hanbury, the local ironmaster, who is closely...
, and around this the town grew. Much of the town's history comes from this family of industrial pioneers. The Napoleonic Wars
Napoleonic Wars
The Napoleonic Wars were a series of wars declared against Napoleon's French Empire by opposing coalitions that ran from 1803 to 1815. As a continuation of the wars sparked by the French Revolution of 1789, they revolutionised European armies and played out on an unprecedented scale, mainly due to...
were kind to the Hanburys, with increased prosperity due to the demand for munitions and armanents. With this increased wealth, Capel Hanbury Leigh extended Pontypool Park House between 1779 and 1840. Highly elaborate, wrought iron
Wrought iron
thumb|The [[Eiffel tower]] is constructed from [[puddle iron]], a form of wrought ironWrought iron is an iron alloy with a very low carbon...
gates can be seen at the entrance to the park. These were made in the 1720s and remodelled in 1835 by Thomas Deakin. They were a gift to Major John Hanbury (1664–1734) by the Duchess of Marlborough
Duchess of Marlborough
Duchess of Marlborough may refer to:* Sarah Churchill, Duchess of Marlborough , wife of John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough* Henrietta Godolphin, 2nd Duchess of Marlborough , daughter and heiress of the 1st Duke of Marlborough...
.
Recent developments
Between 1996 and 1998 a new bypassBypass (road)
A bypass is a road or highway that avoids or "bypasses" a built-up area, town, or village, to let through traffic flow without interference from local traffic, to reduce congestion in the built-up area, and to improve road safety....
completely diverted traffic away from the town centre. This added to the decline of many years and much of the old town centre was increasingly abandoned by both visitors and businesses. In 2003 plans were drawn up to regenerate the town centre and today the town has experienced a redevelopment of Crane Street, one of the principal shopping streets.
Crane Street had been the location of the town's central railway station, on the Newport
Newport
Newport is a city and unitary authority area in Wales. Standing on the banks of the River Usk, it is located about east of Cardiff and is the largest urban area within the historic county boundaries of Monmouthshire and the preserved county of Gwent...
- Blaenavon
Blaenavon
Blaenavon is a town and World Heritage Site in south eastern Wales, lying at the source of the Afon Lwyd north of Pontypool, within the historic boundaries of Monmouthshire. The town lies high on a hillside and has a population of 6,349 people...
branch line but it was closed to passengers in April 1962 and freight in 1967. Contrary to what is often remembered locally, the passenger service to Crane Street had already been closed for more than a year before the publication of the notorious Beeching Report. In financial terms the line was doing no worse than any of the other lines in the South Wales valleys but the closure of the railway line was linked to the opening of the new Llanwern steelworks
Llanwern steelworks
Llanwern Steelworks is located in Llanwern, east of the City of Newport, South Wales.Built by Richard Thomas & Baldwin Ltd, the works was originally referred to locally as "The RTB", before being called Spencer Works and later Llanwern...
on the outskirts of Newport
Newport
Newport is a city and unitary authority area in Wales. Standing on the banks of the River Usk, it is located about east of Cardiff and is the largest urban area within the historic county boundaries of Monmouthshire and the preserved county of Gwent...
. The amount of freight traffic the new plant generated was causing severe rail congestion in the Newport area and in an era when passenger rail transport was in decline a number of local services in Monmouthshire were withdrawn by the British Transport Commission as an operational measure.
Pontypool still has a passenger rail link, but as the main Cardiff
Cardiff
Cardiff is the capital, largest city and most populous county of Wales and the 10th largest city in the United Kingdom. The city is Wales' chief commercial centre, the base for most national cultural and sporting institutions, the Welsh national media, and the seat of the National Assembly for...
- Crewe
Crewe
Crewe is a railway town within the unitary authority area of Cheshire East and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. According to the 2001 census the urban area had a population of 67,683...
line skirts the town it is well over a mile from the town centre. Pontypool Road as it was originally known, became a major and important junction, engine shed and marshalling yard, but the decline of the railways after the war, combined with the run-down of the mining industry, hit the area badly and all the local passenger and coal lines have been closed and the tracks removed. Passenger services to Usk
Usk
Usk is a small town in Monmouthshire, Wales, situated 10 miles northeast of Newport.The River Usk flows through the town and is spanned by an ancient, arched stone bridge at the western entrance to the town. A castle above the town overlooks the ancient Anglo-Welsh border crossing - the river can...
and Monmouth
Monmouth
Monmouth is a town in southeast Wales and traditional county town of the historic county of Monmouthshire. It is situated close to the border with England, where the River Monnow meets the River Wye with bridges over both....
ended in 1955, and the line to Neath
Neath
Neath is a town and community situated in the principal area of Neath Port Talbot, Wales, UK with a population of approximately 45,898 in 2001...
and Swansea
Swansea
Swansea is a coastal city and county in Wales. Swansea is in the historic county boundaries of Glamorgan. Situated on the sandy South West Wales coast, the county area includes the Gower Peninsula and the Lliw uplands...
(which also stopped at a station called Pontypool Clarence Street on the edge of the town centre) closed in 1964 - the latter being the only rail service in the area which actually did fall victim to Dr Beeching. In 1972 the station was renamed to just "Pontypool" and again in 1994 to "Pontypool and New Inn", to reflect its actually location in the suburb to the south-east of the town, but it is now an unmanned station with few amenities, and only approximately half of the passenger trains on the line stop there, the rest going straight through.
The once famous Clarence Hotel was redeveloped in 2004-05 http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/258748 and converted into flats and offices http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/357794. In April 2006 a new Wetherspoons
Wetherspoons
J D Wetherspoon plc is a British pub chain based in Watford. Founded as a single pub in 1979 by Tim Martin, the company now owns 815 outlets. The chain champions cask ale, low prices, long opening hours, and no music. The company also operates the Lloyds No...
pub was opened on Osborne Road and named in honour of John Capel Hanbury, former owner of Pontypool Park House (now St. Alban's R.C. High School
St. Alban's R.C. High School
St. Alban's Roman Catholic High School is a selective and Roman Catholic secondary school in Pontypool, Torfaen, Wales. It provides education for 11 to 18-year-olds in a religious environment. Most pupils come from Roman Catholic families though a significant minority comes from other Christian...
).
In March 2011 the local council reported the winning of bids to various bodies including the lottery heritage fund for further works of regeneration in the town centre. The Pontypool regeneration fund is worth aprox £13m and will fund restoration works to key buildings, including the market hall, and will allow property owners access to 80% grants for works.
Education
The town is home to three comprehensive schoolComprehensive school
A comprehensive school is a state school that does not select its intake on the basis of academic achievement or aptitude. This is in contrast to the selective school system, where admission is restricted on the basis of a selection criteria. The term is commonly used in relation to the United...
s: 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...
, (formerly Jones' West Monmouth Grammar School
Grammar school
A grammar school is one of several different types of school in the history of education in the United Kingdom and some other English-speaking countries, originally a school teaching classical languages but more recently an academically-oriented secondary school.The original purpose of mediaeval...
for Boys) and Abersychan Comprehensive School
Abersychan Comprehensive School
Abersychan Comprehensive School is a state-funded and non-selective comprehensive school in the Pontypool suburb of Abersychan, Wales.-Admissions:Abersychan School has over 930 pupils on roll...
(formerly Abersychan Grammar). Trevethin Community School
Trevethin Community School
Trevethin Community School was a non-selective state secondary school in the Pontypool suburb of Penygarn, Wales.The school—established in 1982 as Trevethin Comprehensive School—was originally housed on two sites, the former Pontypool Girls' Grammar School building and the former Trevethin...
has been closed. This was formerly Pontypool Grammar School for Girls (also known as 'The County'), although at one time the sole campus was where the Welsh medium school, Ysgol Gyfun Gwynllyw
Ysgol Gyfun Gwynllyw
' is a Welsh-medium comprehensive school located in Trevethin, Pontypool in Torfaen, Wales and named for Saint Gwynllyw.- History :The school was founded in 1988 as the first Welsh-medium school in the former Gwent LEA area and is housed in accommodation previously used for Trevethin Comprehensive...
now stands. In addition there is a church school
Church school
A church school is a place of education, the precise nature of which varies from one national jurisdiction to another.The State of Alabama defines a church school as follows:...
, St. Alban's R.C. High School
St. Alban's R.C. High School
St. Alban's Roman Catholic High School is a selective and Roman Catholic secondary school in Pontypool, Torfaen, Wales. It provides education for 11 to 18-year-olds in a religious environment. Most pupils come from Roman Catholic families though a significant minority comes from other Christian...
. There is also a 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...
campus located in the town, formerly known as Pontypool College.
Sport and leisure
Pontypool Leisure Centre in Pontypool ParkPontypool Park
Pontypool Park is a park containing predominantly mature trees with some open meadowland located in Pontypool, south Wales. The park was formerly the grounds of Pontypool House and was laid out in the closing years of the 17th century for Major John Hanbury, the local ironmaster, who is closely...
is a leisure centre
Leisure centre
A leisure centre in the UK and Canada is a purpose built building or site, usually owned and operated by the city, borough council or municipal district council, where people go to keep fit or relax through using the facilities.- Typical Facilities :...
with the only swimming venue in Pontypool. It has a 25 metre Swimming Pool for competitive swimming galas and viewing for up to 200 spectators. It also has a separate teaching pool and two hydroslides.Pontypool Park
Pontypool Park
Pontypool Park is a park containing predominantly mature trees with some open meadowland located in Pontypool, south Wales. The park was formerly the grounds of Pontypool House and was laid out in the closing years of the 17th century for Major John Hanbury, the local ironmaster, who is closely...
is also home to Wales oldest and longest artificial Ski slope. Built in 1974 and at 230m long it is used for leisure and by the Welsh Ski Squad for training . It is currently closed for part of the year due to local council funding cutbacks.
Rugby
Pontypool Rugby Football ClubPontypool RFC
Pontypool Rugby Football Club is a Welsh rugby union team based in the town of Pontypool. Pontypool RFC has a long history within Welsh rugby and is one of the most notable clubs, being present at the formation of the Welsh Rugby Union in 1881, but disbanding before the turn of the 19th century...
is one of the town's cornerstones. Founded in the 1870s, the club became a founder member of the Welsh Rugby Union
Welsh Rugby Union
The Welsh Rugby Union is the governing body of rugby union in Wales, recognised by the International Rugby Board.The union's patron is Queen Elizabeth II, and her grandson Prince William of Wales became the Vice Royal Patron of the Welsh Rugby Union as of February 2007.-History:The roots of the...
in 1881. Under the captaincy of Terry Cobner
Terry Cobner
Terence "Terry" John Cobner is a former Welsh international rugby union player and British Lion. He was born in Blaenavon, Monmouthshire and currently lives in Pontypool.- Welsh international and British Lion :...
the intervening years saw 'Poola' become one of the great teams of Welsh rugby. The legendary 'Pontypool Front Row' in the 1970s, of Bobby Windsor
Bobby Windsor
Robert William Windsor , known as Bobby and nicknamed "The Duke", is a former rugby union player who gained 28 rugby union caps for Wales as a hooker between 1973 and 1979...
, Charlie Faulkner
Charlie Faulkner
Anthony George "Charlie" Faulkner was a rugby union player of the 1970s and later a rugby coach.He was born Anthony George Faulkner in Newport, Monmouthshire in February 1941.- Wales caps :...
and Graham Price
Graham Price
Graham Price MBE is a former Welsh rugby union player who won 41 caps for as a prop forward.- Education :...
was immortalised in song by Max Boyce
Max Boyce
Maxwell Boyce MBE is a Welsh comedian, singer and former coal miner. He rose to fame during the mid-1970s with an act that combined musical comedy with his passion for rugby union and his origins in the mining communities of South Wales...
. Whilst the team's contribution to Wales was seen again in 1983, when Pontypool's "forward factory" produced five of the Welsh pack in the Five Nations Championship. Other rugby union
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
clubs based in or near the town are Pontypool United RFC
Pontypool United RFC
Pontypool United Rugby Football Club are a Welsh rugby union club based in Pontypool South Wales. The club is a member of the Welsh Rugby Union and is a feeder club for the Newport Gwent Dragons, currently playing in the Welsh Rugby Union Division 3 East and Challenge Cup.Pontypool United are a...
, Garndiffaith RFC
Garndiffaith RFC
Garndiffaith Rugby Football Club are a Welsh rugby union club based in Garndiffaith in South Wales. The club is a member of the Welsh Rugby Union and is a feeder club for the Newport Gwent Dragons....
, Talywain RFC
Talywain RFC
Talywain Rugby Football Club are a Welsh rugby union club based in Talywain near the town of Pontypool, Wales. The club is a member of the Welsh Rugby Union and is a feeder club for the Newport Gwent Dragons....
and Blaenavon RFC
Blaenavon RFC
Blaenavon Rugby Football Club are a Welsh rugby union club based in the town of Blaenavon, South Wales. Blaenavon RFC is a member of the Welsh Rugby Union and is a feeder club for the Newport Gwent Dragons....
. Pontypool's rugby league
Rugby league
Rugby league football, usually called rugby league, is a full contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular grass field. One of the two codes of rugby football, it originated in England in 1895 by a split from Rugby Football Union over paying players...
club are called the Torfaen Tigers
Torfaen Tigers
Torfaen Tigers are a rugby league team based in Pontypool, Monmouthshire. They play in the Welsh Premier division of the Rugby League Conference.-History:...
and play in the Rugby League Conference Welsh Premier
Rugby League Conference Welsh Premier
The Rugby League Conference Wales is the higher of two Welsh domestic leagues for the sport of rugby league. It forms a Premier division of the Rugby League Conference competition which covers all of Great Britain.-History:...
.
Notable people
- See also :Category:People from Pontypool
- The British experimental film-maker, writer and poet Jane ArdenJane Arden (director)Jane Arden was a Welsh-born film director, actor, screenwriter, playwright, songwriter, and poet.-Early career:...
(née Norah Patricia Morris) was born in Twmpath Road, Pontypool in 1927. - Members of the influential band, Manic Street PreachersManic Street PreachersManic Street Preachers are a Welsh alternative rock band, formed in 1986. They are James Dean Bradfield, Nicky Wire, Richey Edwards and Sean Moore. The band are part of the Cardiff music scene, and were at their most prominent during the 1990s...
Richey James EdwardsRichey James EdwardsRichard James Edwards was a Welsh musician who was rhythm guitarist and lyricist of the alternative rock band Manic Street Preachers. He was known for his politicized and intellectual songwriting which, combined with an enigmatic and eloquent character, has assured him cult status...
, James Dean BradfieldJames Dean BradfieldJames Dean Bradfield is the lead guitarist and vocalist for the Welsh rock band Manic Street Preachers.- Early life :...
and Sean MooreSean Moore (musician)Sean Anthony Moore is the writer, drummer/percussionist and sometime trumpet player of the Welsh rock band Manic Street Preachers.-Early years:...
were also born there. - Poet Myfanwy HaycockMyfanwy HaycockMyfanwy Haycock , born Blodwen Myfanwy Haycock in Pontnewynydd near Pontypool in the traditional county of Monmouthshire, was a poet, artist and broadcaster....
and opera singer Dame Gwyneth Jones were also born in the Pontypool area. - Actor Anthony HopkinsAnthony HopkinsSir Philip Anthony Hopkins, KBE , best known as Anthony Hopkins, is a Welsh actor of film, stage and television...
attended West Monmouth SchoolWest Monmouth SchoolWest 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...
as a boarder for a brief time. - Politicians Joan RuddockJoan RuddockJoan Mary Ruddock is a British Labour Party politician who has been the Member of Parliament for Lewisham Deptford since 1987. She is a feminist and is the wife of Frank Doran, the Labour MP for Aberdeen North...
and Roy JenkinsRoy JenkinsRoy Harris Jenkins, Baron Jenkins of Hillhead OM, PC was a British politician.The son of a Welsh coal miner who later became a union official and Labour MP, Roy Jenkins served with distinction in World War II. Elected to Parliament as a Labour member in 1948, he served in several major posts in...
were born and educated in the area. - Screenwriter Keri CollinsKeri CollinsKeri Collins is an award winning screenwriter and director. He is currently one of the 25 selected participants of the 2008 Guiding Lights film mentoring scheme and is mentored by actor/director Kenneth Branagh.-External links:...
- Actress Jennifer DanielJennifer DanielJennifer Daniel is a Welsh actress. Among her film and TV appearances are the Hammer horror films The Kiss of the Vampire and The Reptile .She was married to actor Dinsdale Landen from 1959 until his death in 2003....
- Footballers Marcus EbdonMarcus EbdonMarcus Ebdon is a professional Welsh footballer, who most recently played for Southern Football League Division One Midlands side Atherstone Town, where he played as a midfielder.-Playing career:...
and Tony Villars - Model and presenter Annabel GilesAnnabel GilesAnnabel Giles has been a model, a television and radio presenter, an actress, a comedienne and a novellist during her career .-Career:...
- Author David LlewellynDavid Llewellyn (author)David Llewellyn , is a Welsh novelist. He grew up in Pontypool and graduated from Dartington College of Arts in 2000. His first novel, Eleven, was published by Seren Press in 2006. His second novel, Trace Memory, a spin-off of the BBC drama series Torchwood was published in March 2008. Everything...
- Lee DaintonLee DaintonLee Dainton is a professional skateboarder, daredevil and one quarter of the Dirty Sanchez crew.-Dirty Sanchez:...
of Dirty SanchezDirty Sanchez (TV series)Dirty Sanchez: The Movie, a reality film based upon the series, was released on 22 September 2006. It is in the format of a world tour and incorporates stunts related to the Seven Deadly Sins. Stunts are on a larger scale and more extreme than stunts shown in the TV show.The film also features the...
. - Experimental musician Steve ParrySteve Parry (musician)Steve Parry, , Pontypool, South Wales Valleys is a Welsh guitarist, musician, composer who was a founder member of the experimental rock band Hwyl Nofio.He founded and played with Neu Electrikk...
of the band Hwyl NofioHwyl NofioHwyl Nofio is an experimental music group whose only permanent member is Steve Parry. Steve Parry was Hwyl Nofio (from Welsh meaning ‘emotional swimmers’) is an experimental music group whose only permanent member is Steve Parry. Steve Parry was Hwyl Nofio (from Welsh meaning ‘emotional swimmers’)...
was born in New InnNew InnNew 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 :...
. - Rugby star of the Newport Dragons and the Welsh National Team Toby FaletauToby FaletauTangaki Taulupe "Toby" Faletau is a Wales international rugby union player. A flank forward, Faletau played for Cross Keys RFC before joining the Newport Gwent Dragons....
grew up in Pontypool. - Welsh Revival Evangelists Seth JoshuaSeth JoshuaSeth Joshua , was a Welsh Presbyterian minister and Evangelist who was noted for his influence before during and after the 1904-1905 Welsh Revival as well as for being a direct influence on the ministry of Evan Roberts, one of the leading figures of that revival...
and Frank Joshua were born in Tŷ Capel