Pontypridd ( , ),

colloquially Colloquialism (also called ''colloquial language'', ''colloquial speech'', ''everyday language'', or ''general parlance'') is the linguistic style used for casual and informal communication. It is the most common form of speech in conversation am ...

referred to as ''Ponty'', is a town and a

community A community is a social unit (a group of people) with a shared socially-significant characteristic, such as place, set of norms, culture, religion, values, customs, or identity. Communities may share a sense of place situated in a given g ...

Rhondda Cynon Taf Rhondda Cynon Taf (; RCT; also spelt as Rhondda Cynon Taff) is a Principal areas of Wales, county borough in the South East Wales, south-east of Wales. It consists of five valleys: the Rhondda Fawr, Rhondda Fach, Cynon, Taff () and Ely valleys, ...

South Wales South Wales ( ) is a Regions of Wales, loosely defined region of Wales bordered by England to the east and mid Wales to the north. Generally considered to include the Historic counties of Wales, historic counties of Glamorgan and Monmouthshire ( ...

, approximately 10 miles north west of

Cardiff Cardiff (; ) is the capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of Wales. Cardiff had a population of in and forms a Principal areas of Wales, principal area officially known as the City and County of Ca ...

city centre.

Geography

Pontypridd comprises the electoral wards of

Cilfynydd Cilfynydd is a village in the county borough of Rhondda Cynon Taf, Wales, a mile from the South Wales Valleys town of Pontypridd, and 13 miles north of the capital city, Cardiff. Cilfynydd is also an electoral ward for the county council and Po ...

Glyncoch Glyncoch is a village to the north of Pontypridd in Rhondda Cynon Taf, Wales. It is also the name of an electoral ward. History The name Glyncoch is Welsh language for 'Red glen' (''glyn'' "glen, small valley" + ''coch'' "red"). How the name or ...

, Graig, Hawthorn, Pontypridd Town, 'Rhondda',

Rhydyfelin Rhydyfelin () is a large village (originally known as Rhydfelen) and part of the community of Pontypridd Town, about to its south east of Pontypridd, in the county borough of Rhondda Cynon Taf. It is on the eastern bank of the River Taff, close ...

Central/Ilan, Trallwng (

Trallwn Trallwn is a district, and as Trallwng, an electoral ward, within the town of Pontypridd, Rhondda Cynon Taf, South Wales, sited along the banks of the River Taff (Afon Taf) and falling within the historic parish of Eglwysilan. Trallwn comprises ...

) and

Treforest Treforest () is a village in the south-east of Pontypridd, in the county borough of Rhondda Cynon Taf, Wales. It is situated in the Treforest electoral ward, along with the village of Glyntaff (or Glyn-Taf). It is part of the Pontypridd Town ...

. The town mainly falls within the

Senedd The Senedd ( ; ), officially known as the Welsh Parliament in English and () in Welsh, is the devolved, unicameral legislature of Wales. A democratically elected body, Its role is to scrutinise the Welsh Government and legislate on devolve ...

and UK parliamentary constituency by the same name, although the Cilfynydd and Glyncoch wards fall within the Cynon Valley Senedd constituency and the Cynon Valley UK parliamentary constituency. This change was effective for the 2007 Welsh Assembly election, and for the

2010 UK General Election The 2010 United Kingdom general election was held on Thursday 6 May 2010, to elect 650 Members of Parliament (or MPs) to the House of Commons. The first to be held after the minimum age for candidates was reduced from 21 to 18, it resulted in ...

. The town sits at the junction of the

Rhondda Rhondda , or the Rhondda Valley ( ), is a former coalmining area in South Wales, historically in the county of Glamorgan. It takes its name from the River Rhondda, and embraces two valleys – the larger Rhondda Fawr valley (, 'large') and t ...

and Taff valleys, where the

River Rhondda The River Rhondda () is a river in South Wales with two major tributaries, ''Rhondda Fawr'' (meaning ''big Rhondda'') and ''Rhondda Fach'' (meaning ''little Rhondda''). Description The river has two major Tributary, tributaries, the ''Rhondd ...

flows into the Taff just south of the town at Ynysangharad War Memorial Park. Pontypridd community recorded a population of about 32,700 in the 2011 census figures. while Pontypridd Town ward itself was recorded as having a population of 2,919 also as of 2011. The town lies alongside the north–south dual carriageway

A470 The A470 (also named the Cardiff to Glan Conwy Trunk Road) is a trunk road in Wales. It is the country's longest road at and links the capital Cardiff on the south coast to Llandudno on the north coast. While previously one had to navigate th ...

between Cardiff and Merthyr Tydfil. The A4054, running north and south of the town, was the former main road, and like the A470, follows the

Taff Valley Taff may refer to: * River Taff, a large river in Wales * ''Taff'' (TV series), a German tabloid news programme * Trans-Atlantic Fan Fund, an organisation for science fiction fandom People * a demonym for anyone from south Wales * Jerry Taff ( ...

. South of the town is the A473 for

Llantrisant Llantrisant (; "Parish of the Three Saints") is a town and community in the county borough of Rhondda Cynon Taf, Wales. It lies within the historic county boundaries of Glamorgan, on the River Ely and the Afon Clun. The three saints of the t ...

and

Pencoed Pencoed (also Pen-coed); ) is a town and community in the county borough of Bridgend, Wales. It straddles the M4 motorway north east of Bridgend and is situated on the Ewenny River. At the 2011 census it had a population of around 9,166. Etymo ...

. To the west is the A4058, which follows the

Porth Porth () is a town and community in the county borough of Rhondda Cynon Taf, within the historic county boundaries of Glamorgan, Wales. Lying in the Rhondda Valley, it is regarded as the gateway connecting the Rhondda Fawr and Rhondda Fach va ...

and the

Rhondda Valley Rhondda , or the Rhondda Valley ( ), is a former coal mining, coalmining area in South Wales, historically in the county of Glamorgan. It takes its name from the River Rhondda, and embraces two valleys – the larger Rhondda Fawr valley (, 'la ...

beyond.

History

Etymology

The name Pontypridd derives from the name ,

Welsh Welsh may refer to: Related to Wales * Welsh, of or about Wales * Welsh language, spoken in Wales * Welsh people, an ethnic group native to Wales Places * Welsh, Arkansas, U.S. * Welsh, Louisiana, U.S. * Welsh, Ohio, U.S. * Welsh Basin, during t ...

for "bridge by the earthen house", referring singly to successive wooden bridges that once spanned the

River Taff The River Taff () is a river in Wales. It rises in the Brecon Beacons as two rivers, the Taf Fechan ("little Taff") and the Taf Fawr ("great Taff") before becoming one just north of Merthyr Tydfil. At Cardiff, it empties into the Bristol Chan ...

at this point.

Old Bridge

Pontypridd is noted for its Old Bridge, a stone construction across the

built in 1756 by

William Edwards William Edwards may refer to: Arts and entertainment *William Edwards (architect) (1719–1789), Welsh architect of the Pontypridd bridge in south Wales * William Camden Edwards (1777–1855), Welsh engraver *William Augustus Edwards (1866–1939), ...

. This was Edwards's fourth attempt, and at the time of construction, was the longest single-span stone

arch bridge An arch bridge is a bridge with abutments at each end shaped as a curved arch. Arch bridges work by transferring the weight of the bridge and its structural load, loads partially into a horizontal thrust restrained by the abutments at either si ...

in the world. Rising above the level of the river, the bridge forms a perfect segment of a circle, the chord of which is . Notable features are the three holes of differing diameters through each end of the bridge, the purpose of which is to reduce weight. On completion, questions were soon raised as to the utility of the bridge, with the steepness of the design making it difficult to get horses and carts across. As a result, a new bridge, the Victoria Bridge, paid for by public subscription, was built adjacent to the old one in 1857. Pontypridd was known as Newbridge from shortly after the construction of the Old Bridge until the 1860s.

Coal

The history of Pontypridd is tied to the

coal Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock, formed as rock strata called coal seams. Coal is mostly carbon with variable amounts of other Chemical element, elements, chiefly hydrogen, sulfur, oxygen, and nitrogen. Coal i ...

and

iron Iron is a chemical element; it has symbol Fe () and atomic number 26. It is a metal that belongs to the first transition series and group 8 of the periodic table. It is, by mass, the most common element on Earth, forming much of Earth's o ...

industries; before their development Pontypridd was a hamlet of a few farmsteads, with

initially becoming the main urban settlement in the area. Sited at the junction of three valleys, it became an important location for transporting coal from the Rhondda and iron from

Merthyr Tydfil Merthyr Tydfil () is the main town in Merthyr Tydfil County Borough, Wales, administered by Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council. It is about north of Cardiff. Often called just Merthyr, it is said to be named after Tydfil, daughter of K ...

, first by the

Glamorganshire Canal The Glamorganshire Canal () in South Wales, UK, was begun in 1790. It ran along the valley of the River Taff from Merthyr Tydfil to the Bristol Channel at Cardiff. The final section of canal was closed in 1951. History Construction started ...

, and later by the

Taff Vale Railway The Taff Vale Railway (TVR) was a standard gauge railway in South Wales, built by the Taff Vale Railway Company to serve the iron and coal industries around Merthyr Tydfil and to connect them with docks in Cardiff. It was opened in stage ...

, to the ports at

Barry Barry may refer to: People and fictional characters * Barry (name), including lists of people with the given name, nickname or surname, as well as fictional characters with the given name * Dancing Barry, stage name of Barry Richards (born c. 195 ...

and Newport. Its role in coal transport lengthened its railway platform, which is thought to have once been the longest in the world in its heyday. Pontypridd in the second half of the 19th century was a hive of industry, once nicknamed the "

Wild West The American frontier, also known as the Old West, and popularly known as the Wild West, encompasses the geography, history, folklore, and culture associated with the forward wave of American expansion in mainland North America that bega ...

". There were several collieries within the Pontypridd area itself, including: Pontypridd Railway Station 1910s

* Albion Colliery, Cilfynydd *Bodwenarth Colliery, Pontsionnorton *Daren Ddu Colliery, Graigwen & Glyncoch *Dynea Colliery, Rhydyfelen *Gelli-whion Colliery, Graig *Great Western/Gyfeillion Colliery, Hopkinstown *Lan Colliery, Hopkinstown *Newbridge Colliery, Graig *Pen-y-rhiw Colliery, Graig *Pontypridd/Maritime Collieries, Graig & Maesycoed *Pwllgwaun Colliery/'Dan's Muck Hole', Pwllgwaun *Red Ash Colliery, Cilfynydd *Ty-Mawr Colliery, Hopkinstown & Pantygraigwen *Typica Colliery, Hopkinstown & Pantygraigwen, and *Victoria Colliery, Maesycoed As well as deep-mined collieries, there were many coal levels and trial shafts dug into the hillsides overlooking the town from Cilfynydd, Graig, Graigwen and Hafod. The Albion Colliery in the village of Cilfynydd in 1894 underwent one of the worst explosions in the South Wales coalfield, with the death of 290 colliers (see

Keir Hardie James Keir Hardie (15 August 185626 September 1915) was a Scottish trade unionist and politician. He was a founder of the Labour Party (UK), Labour Party, and was its first Leader of the Labour Party (UK), parliamentary leader from 1906 to 1908. ...

Iron and steel

Other instrumental industries in Pontypridd were the Brown Lenox/Newbridge Chain & Anchor Works south-east of the town, and Crawshay's Forest Iron, Steel & Tin Plate Works and the Taff Vale Iron Works, both in Treforest near the now

University of South Wales The University of South Wales (USW) () is a public university in Wales, with campuses in Cardiff, Newport and Pontypridd. It was formed on 11 April 2013 from the merger of the University of Glamorgan and the University of Wales, Newport. The ...

Buildings

The town has a hospital,

Dewi Sant Hospital Dewi Sant Hospital () is a small hospital on Albert Road, in Pontypridd, Rhondda Cynon Taf, Wales. It is managed by the Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Health Board. History The hospital has its origins in the Pontypridd Union Workhouse which was c ...

and acts as the

headquarters Headquarters (often referred to as HQ) notes the location where most or all of the important functions of an organization are coordinated. The term is used in a wide variety of situations, including private sector corporations, non-profits, mil ...

Transport for Wales Rail Transport for Wales Rail Limited, branded as Transport for Wales and TfW Rail ( and ), is a Welsh State-owned enterprises of the United Kingdom, publicly owned train operating company, a subsidiary of Transport for Wales (TfW), a Welsh Governme ...

at Llys Cadwyn.

Government

Pontypridd Urban District Council operated from 1894 to 1974, when it was incorporated into Taff Ely Borough Council. That in turn came under the unitary

Council in 1996. Pontypridd Town Council functions as a community council. Labour is the dominant political force and has been since the First World War. The community elects 23 town councillors from 11 community wards:

, Glyncoch, Graig, Hawthorn, Ilan, Pontypridd,

, Rhydfelen Central, Rhydfelen Lower, Trallwng and Treforest.

Pontypridd Municipal Buildings The Municipal Buildings () is a municipal building located on Gelliwastad Road, Pontypridd in Rhondda Cynon Taf in Wales. The structure, which is currently used as a register office, is a Grade II* listed building. History Following significa ...

was completed in 1904.

Pontypridd community

Pontypridd community comprises the town centre itself, with the following key villages/settlements: *

* Coedpenmaen (Coed-Pen-Maen) *

Glyntaff Glyntaff () is a small village to the south-east of Pontypridd, in the County Borough of Rhondda Cynon Taf, Wales situated in the Treforest ward along with the village of Trefforest. Education Glyntaff is the location of the University of South ...

* Graig *

Graigwen Graigwen (English translation = White-Rock) is the name of the large hill (Graigwen Hill) and the village or district located thereon, sited to the north of Pontypridd town centre and south of Glyncoch and Ynysybwl in the county borough of Rho ...

& Pantygraigwen * Hawthorn *

Hopkinstown Hopkinstown () is a small village to the west of Pontypridd in the county borough of Rhondda Cynon Taf, Wales, alongside the River Rhondda. Hopkinstown is a former coalmining and industrial community, now a district in the town of Pontypridd wit ...

Maesycoed is a settlement to the south and west of Pontypridd town centre in the county borough of Rhondda Cynon Taf, Wales. Maesycoed is a district in the town of Pontypridd within the Rhondda electoral ward and is bounded by Graig to the south, Pwll ...

* Pen-y-coedcae * Pontsionnorton (Pont Sion Norton) *

Pwllgwaun Pwllgwaun (or Pwll-Gwaun) is a village and small suburb of Pontypridd within the 'Rhondda' electoral ward, bordered by Hopkinstown and Graigwen hill to the north and east, the hillsides of Maesycoed above, and is located along the banks of the ...

(Trallwng) *

Upper Boat Upper Boat () is a village on the southernmost outskirts of the town of Pontypridd, within the electoral ward of Hawthorn, Rhondda Cynon Taf, Wales, and comprises part of the Treforest Industrial Estate. Historically part of Glamorgan, it fell wi ...

Pontypridd serves as the postal town for the community of

Llantwit Fardre Llantwit Fardre () is a large village and community (and electoral ward) situated on the A473, Pontypridd to Bridgend, road near the Welsh towns of Pontypridd and Llantrisant. Llantwit Fardre is also the name of the old parish and the community ...

under the CF38 postcode district, although the area is not considered part of Pontypridd.

Transport links

Pontypridd came into being because of transport, as it was on the drovers' route from the south Wales coast and the

Bristol Channel The Bristol Channel (, literal translation: "Severn Sea") is a major inlet in the island of Great Britain, separating South Wales (from Pembrokeshire to the Vale of Glamorgan) and South West England (from Devon to North Somerset). It extends ...

, to Merthyr, and onwards into the hills of

Brecon Brecon (; ; ), archaically known as Brecknock, is a market town in Powys, mid Wales. In 1841, it had a population of 5,701. The population in 2001 was 7,901, increasing to 8,250 at the 2011 census. Historically it was the county town of Breck ...

. Although initial expansion in the valleys occurred at Treforest due to the slower speed of the River Taff at that point, the establishment of better bridge building meant a natural flow of power to Pontypridd.

Railway

The establishment of Pontypridd over Treforest was finally confirmed with the building of the

to serve the coalmines of the Rhondda Valley. However, the volumes of coal extraction soon led to construction of the

, which at its peak meant a train passed through

Pontypridd railway station Pontypridd railway station serves the town of Pontypridd in Rhondda Cynon Taf, Wales. It is located at the junction of the Merthyr line and the Rhondda line and has for many years been the only station serving the town. Until the 1930s, Pontyp ...

(including the freight lines immediately to its west) every two or three minutes. The station was originally built as a long single island, at one point the world's longest platform, a reflection of both the narrow available geography of the steep valley side and the need to accommodate many converging railways lines at what became the 19th-century hub of the valleys. Due to the restrictive geography, only parcels and mail were handled at Pontypridd. Heavy freight went to . The station today is operated by

Transport for Wales Transport for Wales (TfW; ; ) is a not-for-profit company owned by the Welsh Government and managed at arms length by its appointed board. TfW oversees the Transport for Wales Group (TfW Group) consisting of itself and its subsidiaries: Trans ...

, which is headquartered in the town. It reflects the fewer destinations served since the Beeching and earlier cuts, with one up (valley) platform, one down (through) platform, a down bay platform (opened in December 2014), and one passing loop.

Trams, trolleybuses, and buses

tram A tram (also known as a streetcar or trolley in Canada and the United States) is an urban rail transit in which Rolling stock, vehicles, whether individual railcars or multiple-unit trains, run on tramway tracks on urban public streets; some ...

service began on 6 March 1905 from

through Pontypridd to Treforest. It gave way on 18 September 1930 to

trolleybuses A trolleybus (also known as trolley bus, trolley coach, trackless trolley, trackless tramin the 1910s and 1920sJoyce, J.; King, J. S.; and Newman, A. G. (1986). ''British Trolleybus Systems'', pp. 9, 12. London: Ian Allan Publishing. .or troll ...

, which on 31 January 1957 were replaced by buses following the same route.

Education

*Pontypridd County Intermediate and Technical School was built in 1895 as a co-educational school in Tyfica Road, later becoming Pontypridd County Grammar School for Boys. In 1973, it became the Coedylan Comprehensive School, and is now the

Pontypridd High School Pontypridd High School () (formerly known as Coedylan Comprehensive) is an English-medium comprehensive school in the village of Cilfynydd near Pontypridd, in the county borough of Rhondda Cynon Taf, Wales. Admissions It is for ages 11–18. It ...

on the west side of the A4054. *

Hawthorn High School Hawthorn High School () was an English-medium comprehensive school in the village of Hawthorn near Pontypridd, in the county borough of Rhondda Cynon Taf, Wales. It was featured in the CBBC CBBC is a British free-to-air Public service broadc ...

is near the A4054 in Hawthorn (south-east of the town) *Pontypridd Grammar School for Girls was on Glyntaff Road in

. *

Bryn Celynnog Comprehensive School Bryn Celynnog Comprehensive School is an 11–18 mixed, English-medium, community secondary school and sixth form in Beddau, Rhondda Cynon Taf, Wales. As of March 2023, it had 1319 on roll which included 185 in the sixth form.'A Report on Brynce ...

is on Penycoedcae Road in

Beddau ; ) is a large former mining village (and electoral ward) situated within the South Wales Valleys Davies (2008), page 507. around from Llantrisant and from the larger town of Pontypridd in the county borough of Rhondda Cynon Taf, South Wales. ...

. * Cardinal Newman RC School is on Dynea Road in

. *

Ysgol Garth Olwg Ysgol Garth Olwg (previously named Ysgol Gyfun Rhydfelen and Ysgol Gyfun Garth Olwg), English Garth Olwg School is a Welsh-medium comprehensive school in the village of Church Village near Pontypridd, in the county borough of Rhondda Cynon T ...

is on the A473 in

Church Village Church Village () is a large village in the historic parish and community of Llantwit Fardre, located within the Taff Ely district of the County Borough of Rhondda Cynon Taf in Wales. The village is centrally located being around from the lo ...

(south of the town). *The

is in

(south of the town), next to the

A473 The A473 is a main road linking Pontypridd with Bridgend in Wales. The route begins in Upper Boat just south of Pontypridd, at the junction with the A470 and A4054 roads. It crosses the bridge in an easterly direction and continues along the ...

Entertainment and social history

Sport and recreation

* Ynysangharad War Memorial Park, opened by Field Marshal Viscount Allenby on 6 August 1923, features a

bandstand A bandstand (sometimes music kiosk) is a circular, semicircular or polygonal structure set in a park, garden, pier, or indoor space, designed to accommodate musical bands performing concerts. A simple construction, it both creates an ornamen ...

basketball courts In basketball, the basketball court is the playing surface, consisting of a rectangular floor, with baskets at each end. Indoor basketball courts are almost always made of polished wood, usually maple, with -high rims on each basket. Outdoor su ...

, a dog exercise area, a lido swimming pool (dubbed the National Lido of Wales),

tennis courts A tennis court is the venue where the sport of tennis is played. It is a firm rectangular surface with a low net stretched across the centre. The same surface can be used to play both doubles and singles matches. A variety of surfaces can be u ...

lawn bowls Bowls, also known as lawn bowls or lawn bowling, is a sport in which players try to roll their ball (called a bowl) closest to a smaller ball (known as a "jack" or sometimes a "kitty"). The bowls are shaped (biased), so that they follow a curve ...

greens, a

football pitch A football pitch or soccer field is the playing surface for the game of association football. Its dimensions and markings are defined by Law 1 of the Laws of the Game (association football), Laws of the Game, "The Field of Play". The pitch is ty ...

, a

cricket pitch A cricket pitch is the rectangular central strip of a cricket field between the two wickets, where most of the action takes place. It is long (1 Chain (unit), chain) and wide. The surface is flat and is normally covered with extremely sh ...

, and memorials to the war dead of Pontypridd and to the composers of the Welsh national anthem. It has also hosted festivals and music concerts, including the annual Ponty's Big Weekend festival. *Pontypridd hosts Pontypridd Rugby Football Club, one of Wales's notable

rugby union Rugby union football, commonly known simply as rugby union in English-speaking countries and rugby 15/XV in non-English-speaking world, Anglophone Europe, or often just rugby, is a Contact sport#Terminology, close-contact team sport that orig ...

clubs, with a successful junior rugby and age-grade sections. It frequently contribute players to the national team. Formed in 1876, Pontypridd RFC play in the

Principality Premiership The Welsh Premier Division, () known for sponsorship reasons as the Admiral Premiership, (''Uwch Gynghrair grŵp indigo'') is a rugby union league in Wales first implemented by the Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) for the 1990–91 season. 2025–26 se ...

SWALEC Cup The WRU Challenge Cup (currently known as the WRU Premiership Cup, formally called the Welsh Rugby Union Challenge Cup, is Wales' premier Single-elimination tournament, knockout rugby union competition and is organised by the Welsh Rugby Union. A ...

and the

British and Irish Cup The British and Irish Cup was an annual rugby union competition for second tier, semi-professional clubs and the reserves or developing teams from professional clubs from Great Britain and Ireland. It took place for the first time in the 2009� ...

. Pontypridd RFC plays home games at

Sardis Road Sardis Road () is a rugby union stadium situated in Pontypridd, Wales. It is home to the Indigo Group Premiership team, Pontypridd RFC and previously the Celtic Warriors, the now defunct regional rugby union team. It is commonly known as the " ...

, with its junior section playing at

Taff Vale Park Taff Vale Park is a rugby union ground and former greyhound racing track in Treforest, Pontypridd, Rhondda Cynon Taf, Wales. Taff Vale Park is situated on the River Taff at the end of Nile Street in Treforest. It was originally fields adjacent ...

and Pontypridd High School Fields, Cilfynydd. *

Pontypridd United F.C. Pontypridd United FC (formerly Pontypridd Town AFC) is a Welsh football club, based in Pontypridd. The club play at USW Sports Park on Treforest Industrial Estate. The club plays in the . History 1990s The club was formed in 1992 after Pont ...

is a Welsh

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...

club which currently plays in the

Cymru South The Cymru South is a regional association football, football league in Wales, covering the southern half of the country. It initially had clubs with semi-professional status. Together with the Cymru North, it forms the second tier of the Welsh fo ...

, the second tier of the

Welsh football league system The Welsh football league system (or League system, pyramid) is a series of association football, football leagues with regular promotion and relegation between them. It consists of four main tiers, as well as lower local leagues. While most W ...

. *

Speedway Speedway may refer to: Racing Race tracks *Daytona International Speedway, a race track in Daytona Beach, Florida. *Edmonton International Speedway, also known as Speedway Park, a former motor raceway in Edmonton, Alberta. *Indianapolis Motor Spe ...

racing was staged at

in the town's Broadway area in 1929/1930. *Pontypridd Bowls Club plays in the top division in the Cynon Valley, Mid Glamorgan and the Cardiff League, having been promoted in all three divisions after the 2009 season. Home games are played at Ynysangharad Park.

Media

GTFM GTFM is a community radio station serving Rhondda Cynon Taf in south Wales. The station broadcasts locally on 107.9FM in the Pontypridd, Taf Ely and lower Rhondda areas, 95.7fm in Tonyrefail, 107.1FM in Aberdare and 100.7FM in Mountain Ash. The st ...

is the local

community radio station Community radio is a radio service offering a third model of radio broadcasting in addition to commercial and public broadcasting. Community stations serve geographic communities and communities of interest. They broadcast content that is popul ...

based in Pontypridd and broadcasts on 107.9FM to the town and the surrounding areas of Rhondda Cynon Taf. Its studios are based in Rhydyfelin, near Cardinal Newman School. *Pontypridd is also served by several

Independent Local Radio Independent Local Radio is the collective name given to commercial radio stations in the United Kingdom. As a result of the buyouts and mergers permitted by the Broadcasting Act 1990, and deregulation resulting from the Communications Act 2 ...

stations:

Capital South Wales Capital South Wales is a regional radio station owned by Communicorp UK and operated by Global Media & Entertainment, Global as part of the Capital (radio network), Capital network. It broadcasts to Cardiff and Newport, Wales, Newport and the ...

Heart South Wales Heart South Wales is a regional radio station that broadcasts to South and West Wales from studios in Cardiff Bay. The station is owned and operated by Global Radio and forms part of the expanded Heart radio network of stations. Background Real ...

and

Nation Radio Wales Nation Radio Wales is a regional radio station, broadcasting to south and west Wales on FM and across Wales on DAB. It is owned and operated by Nation Broadcasting and broadcasts from studios near the St Hilary transmitter on the outskirts of ...

. *The ''Pontypridd and Llantrisant Observer'' is the local weekly newspaper.

Culture

JamesJamesEvanJamesMemorialPontypriddPark

*The Welsh

national anthem A national anthem is a patriotic musical composition symbolizing and evoking eulogies of the history and traditions of a country or nation. The majority of national anthems are marches or hymns in style. American, Central Asian, and European ...

Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau "" () is the unofficial national anthem of Wales. The title, taken from the first words of the song, means "The Old Land of My Fathers" in Welsh, usually rendered in English as simply "Land of My Fathers". The words were written by Evan Ja ...

('The Land of my Fathers') was composed in Pontypridd by local poets/musicians Evan James and

James James James James (also known by the bardic name ''Iago ap Ieuan'') (1832–1902) was a Welsh harpist and musician from Hollybush, Blackwood, Wales. He composed the tune of the Welsh national anthem ''Hen Wlad fy Nhadau'' (also known as ''Land of m ...

. *Pontypridd was home to the eccentric Dr William Price who performed the first modern cremation in the United Kingdom. *Pontypridd hosted the

National Eisteddfod The National Eisteddfod of Wales ( Welsh: ') is the largest of several eisteddfodau that are held annually, mostly in Wales. Its eight days of competitions and performances are considered the largest music and poetry festival in Europe. Competito ...

in 1893 and also hosted the 2024 Eisteddfod. *

Côr Meibion Pontypridd Côr Meibion Pontypridd (; "Pontypridd Male Voice Choir", literally "Choir of the Sons of Pontypridd") is a male voice choir from the Pontypridd area of the Rhondda Cynon Taf, Wales. It was formed in 1949 as a traditional Welsh singing choir and ...

(Pontypridd Male Voice Choir) *Pontypridd holds the

Welsh Poetry Competition The International Welsh Poetry Competition is an annual English language poetry award and the largest of its kind in Wales. The contest was founded in 2007 by Welsh writer, poet and photographer Dave Lewis. It was launched on St David's Day 2007 ...

, the biggest of its kind in Wales. *The singer

Tom Jones Tom Jones may refer to: Arts and entertainment *Tom Jones (singer) (born 1940), Welsh singer *Tom Jones (writer) (1928–2023), American librettist and lyricist *''The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling'', a novel by Henry Fielding published in 1 ...

was born in Treforest and often mentions his home town in interviews. He headlined in a 65th birthday concert at the town's Ynysangharad Park. *The

Pontypridd Market and Town Hall Pontypridd Market and Town Hall () is a historic building located on Market Street, Pontypridd in Rhondda Cynon Taf in Wales. The structure, which contains a large auditorium which is currently derelict, was built in two parts both of which are ...

contained an auditorium, latterly known as the Town Hall Theatre, which closed in 1982.

In popular culture

*The name of the fictional Welsh town of Pontypandy, where children's television programme ''Fireman Sam'' is set, is a portmanteau of Pontypridd and Tonypandy. *The Welsh TV show ''Belonging (TV series), Belonging'' was shot in Pontypridd. *The BBC's ''Doctor Who'' and ''Torchwood'' have been filmed at locations in and around Pontypridd, such as at the ''Market Tavern'', a pub in Market Street, and the Lido in Ysangharad War Memorial, Ynysangharad Park. Other locations include Treforest, Hawthorn, Graigwen, Upper Boat, Trallwng, and Ynysybwl.

Twinning

Pontypridd is Sister city, twinned with Nürtingen, Baden-Württemberg, Germany. Initial contact was made between them in 1965, with a visit by

Welsh male voice Choir to a choir called ("Coronet of Songs") based in the Oberensingen area of Nürtingen. The visit was returned a year later. Reciprocal choir visits have continued and the partnership prompted Pontypridd Urban District Council to join with Nürtingen in formal twinning relations, under an agreement signed in July 1968 by John Cheesman, Chairman of Pontypridd UDC, and Karl Gonser, Mayor of Nürtingen. Pontypridd is twinned with Mbale, Uganda, since an official twinning ceremony in 2005, following links by local churches and health-care workers under the charitable Partnerships Overseas Networking Trust.

Notable people

:''See :People from Pontypridd'' *Robert Bye (1889–1962), recipient of the Victoria Cross in World War I *Stuart Burrows (born 1933), opera singer, born in

*Phil Campbell (musician), Phil Campbell (born 1961) of Motörhead *Climbing Trees, indie-folk band, formed in Pontypridd in 2011. *Catrin Collier (born 1948), novelist, had the Tŷ Catrin adult education centre in Pontypridd named in her honour in 2002. *Joyce Daniel opened one of the country's first birth control clinics in Pontypridd in 1930. *Geraint Evans (1922–1992), opera singer, born in

. *Beverley Humphreys (born 1947), operatic and concert singer and broadcaster. * Evan James (1809–1878) and

(1832–1902), writers of

, the national anthem of Wales *Alan Wayne Jones (born 1945), forensic toxicologist *David Lloyd Jones (judge), David Lloyd Jones (born 1952), High Court judge (England and Wales), Judge of the High Court (QBD), Lord Justice of Appeal, and first Justice of the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom to come from Wales was educated at Pontypridd High School, Pontypridd Boys' Grammar School. *

(born 1940), singer, was born at 57 Kingsland Terrace in village of

. *David Kelly (weapons expert), David Kelly (1944–2003), specialist in biological warfare, attended Pontypridd High School, Pontypridd Boys' Grammar School. *Lostprophets, alternative metal band formed in 1997 *Elaine Morgan (1920–2013), scriptwriter and anthropologist *Kimberley Nixon (born 1985), actress *Morfydd Llwyn Owen (1891-1918), composer, pianist and mezzo-soprano *William Price (doctor), William Price (1800–1893) carried out the first cremation in the UK in modern times on

Common. *Merlyn Rees (born 1920), Labour Party politician *Chris Slade (born 1946), drummer for AC/DC and Asia (band), Asia *Stephen Volk (born 1954), screenwriter and novelist *Tasker Watkins (1918–2007), Victoria Cross, VC, Lord Justice of Appeal, deputy Lord Chief Justice, and President of the Welsh Rugby Union, was educated at Pontypridd High School, Pontypridd Boys' Grammar School *Naunton Wayne (1901–1970), actor, born in Llanwonno *Gareth Wood (composer), Gareth Wood (1950-2023), composer

Sports people

*Danny Canning (1926–2014), association footballer *Keith Cooper (football referee) (born 1948), former Premier League referee *Steve Cooper (football manager), Steve Cooper (born 1979), professional association football manager *Glyn Davies (rugby union) (1927-1976), Welsh international rugby player *Jamie Donaldson (born 1975), professional golfer *Colin Gale (1932–2008), association footballer *Harri Greville (born 1990), rugby league footballer *John Gwilliam (1923–2016) Welsh international rugby player *Richard Haig (born 1970), association footballer *Cory Hill (born 1992) Welsh international rugby player *Ceri Hughes (born 1971), association footballer *Jenny James (swimmer), Jenny James (1927–2014), first Welsh person to swim the English Channel (in 1951) *Neil Jenkins (born 1971) Welsh international rugby player *Sheila Laxon the first female horse trainer to win the Australian "cups double": the Caulfield Cup and Melbourne Cup *Ella Lloyd (born 2005) Welsh racing driver *Pat Mountain (born 1976), association footballer *Kevin Morgan (rugby union), Kevin Morgan (born 1977) Welsh international rugby player *Michael Owen (rugby union), Michael Owen (born 1980) Welsh international rugby player *Richard Parks (born 1977) Welsh international rugby player *Jason Price (born 1977) , association footballer *Russell Robins (1932–2019) Welsh international rugby player *Ceri Sweeney (born 1980) Welsh international rugby player *Peter Turnbull (cricketer), Peter Turnbull (born 1989), first-class cricketer *Owain Warlow (born 1987), association footballer *Freddie Welsh (1886–1927), world champion boxer *Martyn Williams (born 1975) Welsh international rugby player *Gareth Wyatt (born 1977) Welsh international rugby player

Bibliography

References

External links

Pontypridd Town Council
official website of Pontypridd Town Council
Pontypridd Town website & forum
Official Pontypridd Town website
British strike – extra fodder for pit ponies, Pontypridd
Photo from the Library of Congress's George Grantham Bain Collection
Aerial photograph of PontypriddThe history of PontypriddPontypridd Trolleybus
Pontypridd trolleybus during World War II
International Welsh Poetry Competition
International Welsh Poetry Competition based in Pontypridd
International Poetry Book Awards
International Poetry Book Awards based in Pontypridd {{Authority control Pontypridd, Towns in Rhondda Cynon Taf