Pontypool is situated on the Afon Llwyd river in the county borough of Torfaen

Located on the edge of the South Wales coalfields, Pontypool is regarded as an industrial town with former industries including iron and steel production, coal mining and the growth of the railways.

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Pontypool town centre has a range of high street shops, a great indoor market and an historic park right in the middle of town! Pontypool Park is home to a dry ski slope, the beautiful shell grotto and the Folly Tower. There are plenty of activities and places to explore. Find out more in Tourism and Leisure.

The major access route is the A4042, with the junction located between Abergavenny and Newport. The nearest railway station, Pontypool & New Inn Station, is 2 miles away and has a recently expanded car park. There are also bus services to the surrounding areas. For further information visit Traveline.Cymru.

Pontypool has a great

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The emphasis is now on promoting and marketing the town as a vibrant place to visit and shop with the new nestling alongside the old in the shape of the Victorian Market and other features within the town.

Pontypool History

Pontypool is situated at the surprising altitude of 450 feet above sea level and it appears wedged into the bottom of a steep valley. Its history goes back much further than Blaenavon (World heritage site) for in Norman times it was known as Le Pool and no doubt takes its existing name from a bridge that was built in early times over the Afon.

Pontypool has a great history. Most notably, iron-making was first carried out here on a small scale in 1525 but the town became an important industrial centre in the 16th Century when Richard Hanbury came here from Worcestershire to exploit the mineral wealth of the area. The Hanbury family were the first major iron-masters in South Wales and they played a very important part in the history and development of this town. Capel Hanbury built Pontypool Park House in 1690 – 1720 and it was extended in 1779-1861. (The house is now a Comprehensive School).

Major John Hanbury (1664 – 1734) was the pioneer of the tin-plating industry and the rolling mill was invested by his agent Thomas Cooke who came from Stourbridge. This was an important development which replaced the labour intensive process of manually hammering out wrought iron bars into sheets. Thomas Allgood a Northampton man, who was employed as a manager of the Pontymoel works discovered a durable and inexpensive method of applying lacquer to tin-plate. The process was later developed by his son Edward who set up a business in Trosnant to produce Pontypool Japanware in 1732.

Snuff boxes and trays decorated in gold formed the main part of the early production and it was not long before Pontypool became famous for its Japanware.

The 158 acre park that surrounds Pontypool Park house was given to the town after the birth of Capel Hanbury’ son and it now boasts beautiful woodland and recreational facilities including a leisure centre and a dry ski slope. There are also walks to local curiosities such as the Folly Tower and the Shell Grotto where extensive views may be obtained.

Pontypool historically has seen a shift from the old manufacturing industries of coal and iron to high technology and service industries. Following a period of decline in the economy of Pontypool as a town, it is now beginning to benefit from the resurgence of the industrial heritage and its proximity to the world heritage site at Blaenavon. It has also undergone massive investment and regeneration which has brought multiple chain stores to the town. The emphasis is now on promoting and marketing the town as a vibrant place to visit and shop with the new nestling alongside the old in the shape of the Victorian Market and other features within the town.

The Elegy of Pontypool Park: A Tale Woven in Welsh Green

Yr Alaw I Parc Pont-y-pŵl: Chwedl Wedi’I Gweu yn Gwyrdd Cymreig

by Anwen Idris

In Pontypool, where hills embrace the vast celestial sea,

A park reclines, an ode to man’s enduring alchemy.

John Hanbury, of iron and ore, your legacy imbues

Each tree, each blade, each edifice, with history’s varied hues.

Oh, Pontymoile Gates, you are the threshold of my soul,

A passage through which countless feet have sought a distant goal.

Your iron stands, a sentinel to eras long since past,

A tribute to ambitions that were clearly meant to last.

Within your verdant arms, oh Folly Tower, you reside—

A monument to human will, where dreams and earth collide.

You overlook Monmouthshire, as if to claim your due,

A vantage point from which to watch both olden times and new.

Ah, Shell Grotto, sanctuary adorned in ocean’s gems,

Your walls recount forgotten tales like long-lost, treasured hymns.

From chambered nautilus to conch, your artistry gives voice

To all the silent yearnings that make wanderers rejoice.

The aged chestnut, wise and deep, its years four centuries,

Does whisper secrets kept by time, shared only with the breeze.

The Italian Gardens, poised and fair, like Dylan in repose,

Bring cultured charm and flair to Wales’ native prose.

Nearby, the Nant-y-Gollen Ponds reflect the sky above,

And mirror all the tangled tales of unrequited love.

The sporting fields and courts declare a modern life’s demand,

Yet still they live in harmony with history’s layered land.

From rugby’s roar to quiet chess, pursuits both old and grand,

Each has a home in Pontypool, in this storied, wondrous strand.

Dear Pontypool, your saga’s writ in every twig and stone,

In every soul who walks your paths, your legend has been sown.

You are the book that never ends, a narrative so free—

A tale of beauty, change, and time, set in Welsh elegy

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