PONTYPRIDD TOWN

Pontypridd is the market town for the valleys of Mid Glamorgan. The town came into being as a result of the industrialisation of the area in the 19^th century. Although it is not an old town it has an interesting history and many amenities, which are valued, by residents and visitors alike.

Until the beginning of the 19^th century this was a thinly-populated rural area. It is still only a short distance from the town on the valley floor up onto the unspoilt hills. Many of the old farms survive, as do the medieval churches, which were the focal points of the farming community.

The first sign of change was the building of a stone bridge over the river Taff in 1756. This was to become the town’s landmark, and the frustrating story of its construction became famous. Its builder William Edwards, non-conformist minister and self-taught stonemason, first constructed a three arch bridge of conventional design. This was swept away by one of the winter floods of which the river Taff is still capable. Edwards then decided to bridge the river with a single span, but only succeeded after two further disasters. His bridge became famous as the longest single span bridge in Europe for the next century, and it still stands at the northern end of the town, and in 1997 was extensively repaired and restored.

At the western end of the bridge is the Museum, based in the former Tabernacl Welsh Baptist Chapel. The Centre contains an exhibition on the history of the town and runs a varied programme of temporary exhibitions. It is the meeting place for a number of the town’s societies, and has a Tourist Information Centre.

The real development of the town began as a result of the opening of the Glamorganshire Canal from Merthyr down to Cardiff in 1794. Merthyr made the best iron in the world, and Pontypridd offered easy access to good coal. These factors brought the first major industry, the Chainworks, which opened in 1818, and Pontypridd became the unlikely centre of manufacture of chain cable and anchors for warships and merchant vessels. The last chain cable made here was for the QE2. The works have recently closed.

In the first half of the 19^th century, the town’s industry expanded to include a rail-mill, foundries and one of the largest tinplate works in Britain. These were mostly at Treforest, only a mile down the valley but still with its own quite distinct identity.

From about 1850 and for a hundred years thereafter the main industry of the area was coal-mining. Most of the outlying areas of the town were built as pit villages – Cilfynydd around the Albion Colliery, Maesycoed around the Maritime Colliery, and Hopkinstown around the Ty Mawr Colliery.

Almost all material evidence of this important period of history has now gone, except at the Lewis Merthyr Colliery, two miles from the town centre, which is now the Rhondda Heritage Park. The old School of Mines at Treforest has become the nucleus of the new University of Glamorgan, the largest educational establishment in the valleys. Half a mile downriver from the old buildings of the Tinplate Works is the Treforest Industrial Estate, where over 100 companies make a variety of products from fabrics to electronics.

The legacy of a short but eventful history is that Pontypridd occupies the interesting position of a market town serving its hinterland of industrial villages, and a community within which there is a shifting cultural frontier. The rapid expansion of the town’s population at the beginning of the 20th century brought thousands from England, Ireland and even further afield. For a while it seemed that Pontypridd was not a Welsh town at all; but today a quarter of its primary school children go to Welsh Language Schools, and a re-emergence of a bi-lingual community is a possibility.

The cultural history of this mixed community is significant and diverse. In 1856 Evan and James James, father and son, poet and harpist, recent arrivals in a new town, composed the words and music of "Mae Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau" which was soon adopted as the Welsh National Anthem. For most of the following century the main forms of musical expression were choral singing and opera. Sir Geraint Evans and Stuart Burrows were born in the same street in the mining village of Cilfynydd and the musical tradition which formed them is continued today in the town’s choirs and amateur dramatic companies. In contrast though not in conflict, Pontypridd’s best-known musical artist in recent years, Tom Jones, has made obsolete the old stereotyped image of Welsh music.

SHOPPING IN PONTYPRIDD

With an excellent bus service linking the town to many others in the area, and a good train service to Cardiff and the Mid Glamorgan Valleys, Pontypridd has a thriving shopping centre, attracting many people from outside the town, especially to its markets.

The main shopping street is Taff Street, and Market Street is now a conservation area because of its ornate shop fronts. It has the only Marks and Spencer in the Valleys, and other branches of national chains can also be found, WH Smith, Woolworth, B & Q, Halfords, Autopart and H Samuels amongst others. There area also many specialist shops, including the well known shop owned by John Hughes – The Grogg Shop on the Broadway at Treforest.

THE MARKETS

A market has been held on the same site since 1805. The present Market was built in the 1880s following the incorporation of the Pontypridd Markets Company.

In spite of the savage economic decline experienced by Pontypridd and the valleys in the 1920s and 1930s, the market has survived in very much its original form. The Market Company is proud to have resisted the temptation for wholesale redevelopment, opting instead for the gradual refurbishment of the original buildings, thereby retaining both Indoor and Outdoor Markets in their traditional style.

Since 1985, the Market has undergone considerable change. Colourful coster barrows are now a feature. The Lesser Town Hall (now known as the Clothes Market) was refurbished and opened as a Market Hall in 1988, and the Outdoor Market was extended onto a site adjoining Church Street and St Catherine’s Street.

THE TOWN CENTRE

The main buildings around the Market were constructed during the period of confident expansion in the second half of the 19^th Century. They are mainly made of locally quarried blue Pennant stone, and frequently show fine decorative detail. St Catherine’s Church with its elegant spire was completed in 1868. The Town Hall and Market Buildings in 1885, the Public Library in 1890, and both the Municipal Buildings and Muni Theatre (formerly a Wesleyan Chapel) in 1905.

YNYSANGHARAD WAR MEMORIAL PARK

One of the town’s treasures lies to the east side of the River Taff – Ynysangharad Park. It was opened in 1923 as a War Memorial for the town and purchased by public subscription. It is an area of extensive and beautiful parkland with avenues of mature trees and colourful flower gardens as well as many amenities. These include miniature golf, tennis courts, a children’s play area, bowling greens, a bandstand and an open air paddling pool. Fairs and even circuses visiting the town use the park. There are two gates into the park, one in Taff Street at the side of Marks and Spencer and the main entrance at Bridge Street.

THE JAMES MEMORIAL

Overlooking the bandstand in Ynysangharad Park stands an elegant memorial to Evan and James James by Sir W Goscombe John. RA., representing Poetry and Music. It was unveiled in 1930 and the grave of Evan James was moved to the foot of the Memorial in 1975. The site of the James family cloth mill is marked by a plaque in Mill Street.

THE COMMON

Pontypridd Common from which there are fine views over the town is a natural open space on which can be seen many glacial boulders remaining from the Ice Age. One boulder, known as the Rocking Stone, is the central point for the Gorsedd Circle of smaller stones which was constructed in the 19^th century by Evan Davies ("Myfyr Morganwg"). It has often been used for Bardic gatherings, and as a focal point for the other public occasions.

Above the Common, towards Glyntaff, are the white Round Houses erected by Dr William Price who, with his colourful dress, long hair and cap of a whole fox’s skin, was one of the great characters of 19^th century Pontypridd. He is best remembered for the outrage caused when he cremated the body of his 5-month-old son in 1884. He was brought to trial at the Glamorgan Assizes, and the case established the legality of cremation. The first Crematorium to be opened in Wales is the one in Glyntaff, established in 1924.

LEISURE AND RECREATION

Ynysangharad War Memorial Park has a children’s area, paddling pool, golf, bowling, tennis and cricket. Entrances from Bridge Street and Taff Street. For details of events etc. Telephone: 01443 404699.

Pontypridd Golf Club has its 18 hole course above Tygwyn, The Common. Telephone: 01443 402359.

Pontypridd RFC’S home ground is at Sardis Road. The club side is one of the best in Wales winning the Welsh Club Championship three times.

The Town has an all weather playing area at the Maritime Recreation Ground, Maesycoed which is available for hire for a range of activities. Telephone: 01443 403786.

Barry Sidings Country Park can be found just off the A4058 in Hopkinstown about 1½ miles north west of the town centre. There is a visitor centre and café, a scenic lake, forestry walks and picnic areas, cycle tracks and a children’s adventure playground. Telephone: 01443 493087.

Indoor Bowls Club is situated next to the car park behind Morgan Street Bus Station.

Hawthorn Leisure and Recreation Centre is available for other indoor sports. This is situated at Fairfield Lane, Rhydyfelin, just south of Pontypridd. Telephone: 01443 842873.

Sports Centres can also be found nearby at: -

• Llantwit Fardre, Telephone: 01443 201721
• Llantrisant, Telephone: 01443 224616

Hawthorn Swimming Pool, Comprehensive School, School Lane, Hawthorn, Telephone: 01443 841231.

Tonyrefail also has a swimming pool, Telephone: 01443 670578.

Municipal Hall is the main venue in Pontypridd for Cinema, dances, concerts and social functions. It has recently been refurbished and its auditorium has a seating capacity of 400. For details Telephone: 01443 485934.

Pontypridd Museum, Bridge Street is open Monday – Saturday 10.00am – 5.00pm plus various evenings for local groups and societies. For further information Telephone: 01443 490748.

www.pontypriddmuseum.org.uk