Pontypridd

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Top Places to Visit

Muni Arts Centre

Gelliwastad Road, Pontypridd, Rhondda, Cynon, Taff, CF37 2DP, Wales

The Muni Arts Centre – a converted church situated in the heart of Pontypridd. Renown for its gigs featuring new Rhondda bands, this intimate venue’s varied ... more

Conference Centre

Rhondda Heritage Park, Lewis Merthyr Colliery, Pontypridd, Rhondda, Cy...

Rhondda Heritage Park is truly a conference venue with a difference. Based at the former Lewis Merthyr Colliery, the Park is ideally placed, dircetly accessed ... more

The Grogg Shop & Museum

Broadway, Treforest, Pontypridd, Rhondda, Cynon, Taff, CF37 1BH, Wales

World Of Groggs is a unique, family run craft shop, encompassing hand sculpted and painted figurines, based on personalities from the Worlds of sport, rock and ... more

Model House Craft And Design Centre

Craft & Design Centre, Bull Ring, Pontypridd, Rhondda, Cynon, Taff, CF...

Model House Craft and Design Centre's Victorian exterior belies the wealth of beautiful objects you will find inside. The Crafts Council listed gallery on the ... more

Cor Meibion Pontypridd

Tabor Hall, Vaughan Street, Pontypridd, Rhondda, Cynon, Taff, CF37 1HR...

The old market town of Pontypridd was the birthplace of the Welsh National Anthem and boasts a continuing tradition of amateur music-making. The choir was ... more

Rhondda Heritage Park

Lewis Merthyr Colliery, Coed Cae Road, Pontypridd, Rhondda, Cynon, Taf...

Explore the underground workings and experience the sights, sounds and smells of a 1950's pit on the subterranean tour. Your tour guide will answer any ... more

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Top Activity Places

Pontypridd Golf Club

Pontypridd Golf Club Ty-Gwyn Rd, Pontypridd, Mid Glamorgan CF37 4DJ
Phone: 01443 409904

Over 100 years old, Pontypridd Golf course lies between the Bristol Channel at Cardiff and the foot of the Rhondda Valleys in a beautiful part of Celtic Wales ... more

$ 89 average cost

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About Pontypridd

Once described as the ' Wild West ', Pontypridd has had a turbulent past. A small, dirty, market town, run down after years of under funding and mismanagement by the local and regional councils, situated 12 miles north of Cardiff along the A470, 'Ponty' is the gateway to the famous south Wales valleys and has a rich cultural and historic past: The Welsh National Anthem, Tom Jones, the Lost Prophets, the Old Bridge, Brown Lennox, Sir Geraint Evans, Neil Jenkins, William Price and Stuart Burrows all hail from Ponty or close by. The name may come from a contraction of Pont-y-ty-pridd, bridge of the earthen house in Welsh, or the Welsh for 'bridge of earth', since in earlier centuries, people took advantage of the shallowness of the River Taff here to cross it. Pontypridd marks the confluence of the rivers Taff and Rhondda and at the junction of the Cardiff to Rhondda and Merthyr railway lines and thus has a fascinating historical and cultural background. The development of Treforest and Pontypridd as commercial centres began with the opening in 1795 of the 25 mile long Glamorganshire canal , between Cardiff docks and Merthyr. At the same time, William Crawshay opened a new forge and nail works and coal was discovered by Dr. Richard Griffiths in Gyfeillion in 1790.

Another new industry which thrived with the excellent transport now available was the original Newbridge Chain Cable and Anchor Works founded in 1818 - later to become Brown Lenox. Later, collieries were opened in the areas of Graig, Hopkinstown, Trehafod and Cilfynydd. Treforest, with Francis Crawshay's tin works and Roland Fothergill's railworks became important. Francis Crawshay lived in Forest House now part of the site of the new University of Glamorgan and Roland Fothergill in Hensol Castle.Rhydyfelin and Upper Boat both grew because of the connection with the canal. Evan James and his son James James lived in Ty'r Factory, next to their cloth factory - and they composed the words and music of the Welsh National Anthem 'Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau'. A commemorative plaque marks the site of the factory and statues, representing Poetry and Music designed by the architect Sir Goscombe John were unveiled in 1930 in Ynysangharad Park.

Mill Street derived its name from various mills in the vicinity, such as the Rhondda Flour Mill. An important landmark in Mill Street is the stone railway viaduct, the work of Isambard Kingdom Brunel for the Taff Vale Railway. Nearby St. Catherine's Church with its fine spire was built in 1868, the Town Hall and Market Buildings in 1885, the Public Library and the Town Hall Theatre in 1890, and in 1905 the Municipal Building with its fine Council Chamber.What is Ponty like today and what are we going to leave for our children As we approach 2014 things are certainly very different to Victorian Pontypridd. The traffic situation in Pontypridd is still diabolical. Millions of pounds of tax-payers money have been wasted on a new road system that has only made matters worse! A slip road to Glyntaf, Treforest, Rhydyfelin and Hawthorn has been closed but no-one knows why Although a new short-cut cycle route now exists on the northbound section which is useful in avoiding Yummy Kitchen, drunken students and the 'rickety bridge'.

Pontypridd

Share your experience regarding what not to miss or to avoid

Top Places to Visit

Muni Arts Centre

Conference Centre

The Grogg Shop & Museum

Model House Craft And Design Centre

Cor Meibion Pontypridd

Rhondda Heritage Park

Top Activity Places

Pontypridd Golf Club

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