() (

colloquially Colloquialism (), also called colloquial language, everyday language or general parlance, is the linguistic style used for casual (informal) communication. It is the most common functional style of speech, the idiom normally employed in conversa ...

: Ponty) is a town and a

community A community is a social unit (a group of living things) with commonality such as place, norms, religion, values, customs, or identity. Communities may share a sense of place situated in a given geographical area (e.g. a country, village, tow ...

Rhondda Cynon Taf Rhondda Cynon Taf (; RCT; also spelt as Rhondda Cynon Taff) is a county borough in the south-east of Wales. It consists of five valleys: the Rhondda Fawr, Rhondda Fach, Cynon, Taff (Welsh: ''Taf'') and Ely valleys, plus a number of towns and vill ...

Wales Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the Wales–England border, east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the ...

Geography

comprises the electoral wards of ,

Hawthorn Hawthorn or Hawthorns may refer to: Plants * '' Crataegus'' (hawthorn), a large genus of shrubs and trees in the family Rosaceae * ''Rhaphiolepis'' (hawthorn), a genus of about 15 species of evergreen shrubs and small trees in the family Rosace ...

, Pontypridd Town, 'Rhondda',

Rhydyfelin Rhydyfelin (, ''Mill Ford'') is a large village (originally known as Rhydfelen) and part of the community of Pontypridd Town, about two miles to its south east of Pontypridd, in the county borough of Rhondda Cynon Taf. It is on the eastern ban ...

Central/Ilan ( Rhydfelen), Trallwng (

Trallwn Trallwn (English: Trallwng) is the name of the ward and district 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 co ...

) and

Treforest Treforest ( cy, Trefforest) 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 Pon ...

(). 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, it makes laws for Wales, agrees certain taxes and scrutinises the Welsh Gove ...

and UK parliamentary constituency by the same name, although the and 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, with 45,597,461 registered voters entitled to vote to elect members to the House of Commons. The election took place in 650 constituencies across the United Kingdom unde ...

. The town sits at the junction of the and

Taff 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 ( ...

valleys, where the River Rhondda flows into the Taff just south of the town at War Memorial Park. community recorded a population of about 32,700 in the 2011

census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses incl ...

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 navigat ...

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. South of the town is the A473 for and . To the west is the A4058, which follows the River Rhondda to and the

Rhondda Valley Rhondda , or the Rhondda Valley ( cy, Cwm Rhondda ), 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 ...

beyond.

History

Etymology

The name derives from the name ,

Welsh Welsh may refer to: Related to Wales * Welsh, referring or related to Wales * Welsh language, a Brittonic Celtic language spoken in Wales * Welsh people People * Welsh (surname) * Sometimes used as a synonym for the ancient Britons (Celtic peop ...

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

River Taff The River Taff ( cy, Afon Taf) is a river in Wales. It rises as two rivers in the Brecon Beacons; the Taf Fechan (''little Taff'') and the Taf Fawr (''great Taff'') before becoming one just north of Merthyr Tydfil. Its confluence with the R ...

at this point.

Old Bridge

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

built in 1756 by William Edwards. 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 loads partially into a horizontal thrust restrained by the abutments at either side. A viaduct ...

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. was known as Newbridge from shortly after the construction of the Old Bridge until the 1860s. Drinking fountain, Taff St, Pontypridd

Coal

The history of 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 elements, chiefly hydrogen, sulfur, oxygen, and nitrogen. Coal is formed when dea ...

and

iron Iron () is a chemical element with symbol Fe (from la, ferrum) 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, right in f ...

industries; before their development 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 and iron from

Merthyr Tydfil Merthyr Tydfil (; cy, Merthyr Tudful ) 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 Tydf ...

, 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 sea at Cardiff. The final section of canal was closed in 1951. History Construction started in 1790; being ...

, 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 stag ...

, to the ports at

Cardiff Cardiff (; cy, Caerdydd ) is the capital and largest city of Wales. It forms a principal area, officially known as the City and County of Cardiff ( cy, Dinas a Sir Caerdydd, links=no), and the city is the eleventh-largest in the United Kingd ...

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. 19 ...

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. 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 or the Wild West, encompasses the geography, history, folklore, and culture associated with the forward wave of American expansion in mainland North America that began with European colonial ...

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

* Albion Colliery, Cilfynydd *Bodwenarth Colliery, * Colliery, & * Colliery, *Gelli-whion Colliery, *Great Western/ Colliery, Hopkinstown * Colliery, Hopkinstown *Newbridge Colliery, * Colliery, */Maritime Collieries, & * Colliery/'Dan's Muck Hole', *Red Ash Colliery, * Colliery, Hopkinstown & *Typica Colliery, Hopkinstown & , and *Victoria Colliery, As well as deep-mined collieries, there were many coal levels and trial shafts dug into the hillsides overlooking the town from and . The Albion Colliery in the village of 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, and served as its first parliamentary leader from 1906 to 1908. Hardie was born in Newhouse, Lanarkshire. ...

Iron and steel

Other instrumental industries in 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 ( cy, Prifysgol De Cymru) 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 Wa ...

Buildings

The town has a hospital,

Dewi Sant Hospital Dewi Sant Hospital ( cy, Ysbyty Dewi Sant) 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 W ...

and acts as the

headquarters Headquarters (commonly referred to as HQ) denotes the location where most, if not all, of the important functions of an organization are coordinated. In the United States, the corporate headquarters represents the entity at the center or the to ...

Transport for Wales Rail Transport for Wales Rail Limited, branded as Transport for Wales and TfW Rail ( and ), is a Welsh publicly owned train operating company, a subsidiary of Transport for Wales (TfW), a Welsh Government-owned company. It commenced operations of t ...

at .

Government

Pontypridd Urban District Council Pontypridd Urban District Council was a local authority in Glamorgan, Wales. It was created in 1894 as a result of the 1894 Local Government of England and Wales Act. The Council existed until 1973 and replaced the Pontypridd Local Board of Healt ...

operated from 1894 to 1974, when it was incorporated into

Taff Ely Borough Council Taff-Ely ( cy, Taf-Elái) was a local government district with borough status in Wales from 1974 to 1996. History The borough was formed in 1974 as a local government district of Mid Glamorgan. It covered parts of five former districts which were ...

. That in turn came under the unitary Council in 1995. Town Council functions as a community council.

Labour Labour or labor may refer to: * Childbirth, the delivery of a baby * Labour (human activity), or work ** Manual labour, physical work ** Wage labour, a socioeconomic relationship between a worker and an employer ** Organized labour and the labour ...

is the dominant political force and has been since the First World War. The community elects 23 town councillors from 11 community wards: ,

, Central, Lower, and Treforest.

Pontypridd community

community comprises the town centre itself, with the following key villages/settlements: * * * * * * * Hawthorn (Y Ddraenen-Wen) * Hopkinstown (Trehopcyn) * * * * * * Trallwn (Trallwng) * Treforest (Trefforest) * Upper Boat (Glan-Bad) serves as the postal town for the community of under the CF38 postcode district, although the area is not considered part of .

Transport links

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 ( cy, Môr Hafren, literal translation: "Severn Sea") is a major inlet in the island of Great Britain, separating South Wales from Devon and Somerset in South West England. It extends from the lower estuary of the River Seve ...

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

Railway

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

to serve the coalmines of the 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 . Heavy freight went to . The station today is operated by

Transport for Wales Transport for Wales (TfW; cy, Trafnidiaeth Cymru; cy, TrC, label=none) 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) consi ...

, 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 (called a streetcar or trolley in North America) is a rail vehicle that travels on tramway tracks on public urban streets; some include segments on segregated right-of-way. The tramlines or networks operated as public transport are ...

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 trol ...

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

Education

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

Pontypridd High School Pontypridd High School ( cy, Ysgol Uwchradd Pontypridd) (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. Admiss ...

in on the west side of the A4054. *

Hawthorn High School Hawthorn High School ( cy, Ysgol Uwchradd Y Hawthorn) is an English-medium comprehensive school in the village of Hawthorn near Pontypridd, in the county borough of Rhondda Cynon Taf, Wales. It was filmed by the CBBC CBBC (initialised as Chi ...

is near the A4054 in

(south-east of the town) * Grammar School for Girls was on Road in . * Bryn Celynnog Comprehensive School is on Road in . *

Cardinal Newman RC School Cardinal Newman Roman Catholic Comprehensive School ( cy, Ysgol Uwchradd Gatholig Cardinal Newman) is an English speaking Roman Catholic comprehensive school in the village of Rhydyfelin near Pontypridd, in Rhondda Cynon Taf, Wales, United King ...

is on Dynea Road in

. * is on the A473 in Church Village (south of the town). *The

is in

(south of the town), next to the A473.

Entertainment and social history

Sport and recreation

Sardis Road Rugby Ground, Pontypridd - Geograph-3442821-by-Jaggery

Paddling pool, Ynysangharad Park, Pontypridd

* 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 orname ...

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 sur ...

, 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 the objective is to roll biased balls so that they stop close to a smaller ball called a "jack" or "kitty". It is played on a bowling green, which may be flat (for "flat-gre ...

greens, a

football pitch A football pitch (also known as 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, "The Field of Play". The pitch is typically made of natural tu ...

, a

cricket pitch In the game of cricket, the cricket pitch consists of the central strip of the cricket field between the wickets. It is long (1 chain) and wide. The surface is flat and is normally covered with extremely short grass, but can be completely d ...

, and memorials to the war dead of 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. * hosts Pontypridd Rugby Football Club, one of Wales's notable

rugby union Rugby union, commonly known simply as rugby, is a close-contact team sport that originated at Rugby School in the first half of the 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand. In its m ...

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 Indigo Group 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. Compe ...

SWALEC Cup The WRU Challenge Cup (currently known as the Specsavers Cup due to sponsorship), or its full name of the Welsh Rugby Union Challenge Cup, is Wales' premier knockout rugby union competition and is organised by the Welsh Rugby Union. On 26 Februar ...

and the British and Irish Cup. Pontypridd RFC plays home games at

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

, 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 Town A.F.C. is a Welsh

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly c ...

club which currently plays in the

Cymru Premier The Cymru Premier, known as the JD Cymru Premier for sponsorship reasons, is the national football league of Wales. It has both professional and semi-professional status clubs and is at the top of the Welsh football league system. Prior to 200 ...

, the top tier of the

Welsh football league system The Welsh football league system (or pyramid) is a series of football leagues with regular promotion and relegation between them. While most Welsh clubs play in the Welsh pyramid and most clubs in that pyramid are Welsh, five Welsh clubs play ...

. *

Speedway Speedway may refer to: Racing Race tracks *Edmonton International Speedway, also known as Speedway Park, a former motor raceway in Edmonton, Alberta *Indianapolis Motor Speedway, a motor raceway in Speedway, Indiana Types of races and race cours ...

racing was staged at

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

Media

* has a community radio station which broadcasts to the county of Rhondda Cynon Taf on 107.9FM. Its studios are in Rhydyfelin, near Cardinal Newman School. It offers local news and information and a wide variety of music, while providing volunteering and training opportunities. *The ''and'' ''Observer'' is the local newspaper. * has a digital media scene, with various companies having offices there.

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 n ...

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

James James James James (also known by the bardic name ''Iago ap Ieuan'') (1832–1902) was a 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 my Fath ...

. * was home to the eccentric Dr William Price who performed the first modern cremation in the United Kingdom. * hosted the National Eisteddfod in 1893. * Male Voice Choir) * holds the Welsh Poetry Competition, the biggest of its kind in Wales. *The singer Tom Jones was born in Treforest and often mentions his home town in interviews. He headlined in a 65th birthday concert at the town's Park.

In popular culture

*The name of the fictional Welsh town of , where children's television programme ''

Fireman Sam ''Fireman Sam'' ( Welsh: ') is a Welsh animated children's television series about a fireman named Sam, his fellow firefighters, and other residents in the fictional Welsh rural village of Pontypandy (a portmanteau of two real towns, Pontypridd ...

'' is set, is a

portmanteau A portmanteau word, or portmanteau (, ) is a blend of wordsBelonging'' was shot in . *The

BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...

...

's ''

Doctor Who ''Doctor Who'' is a British science fiction television series broadcast by the BBC since 1963. The series depicts the adventures of a Time Lord called the Doctor, an extraterrestrial being who appears to be human. The Doctor explores the u ...

'' and ''

Torchwood ''Torchwood'' is a British science fiction television programme created by Russell T Davies. A spin-off of the 2005 revival of ''Doctor Who'', it aired from 2006 to 2011. The show shifted its broadcast channel each series to reflect its growing ...

'' have been filmed at locations in and around , such as at the ''Market Tavern'', a pub in Market Street, and the Lido in Park. Other locations include Treforest, Hawthorn, , Upper Boat, , and .

Twinning

is twinned with , Germany. Initial contact was made between them in 1965, with a visit by Welsh male voice

Choir A choir ( ; also known as a chorale or chorus) is a musical ensemble of singers. Choral music, in turn, is the music written specifically for such an ensemble to perform. Choirs may perform music from the classical music repertoire, which ...

to a choir called ("Coronet of Songs") based in the area of . The visit was returned a year later. Reciprocal choir visits have continued and the partnership prompted Urban District Council to join with in formal twinning relations, under an agreement signed in July 1968 by John Cheesman, Mayor of , and Karl Gonser, Mayor of . is twinned with , 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

In alphabetical order: :''See :People from Pontypridd'' *

Robert Bye Sergeant major, Sergeant Major Robert James Bye Victoria Cross, VC (12 December 1889 − 23 August 1962) was a British Army soldier and a Wales, Welsh recipient of the Victoria Cross (VC),McGreal, Stephen, ''Boesinghe'', Battleground Europe, Pen ...

(1889–1962), recipient of the

Victoria Cross The Victoria Cross (VC) is the highest and most prestigious award of the British honours system. It is awarded for valour "in the presence of the enemy" to members of the British Armed Forces and may be awarded posthumously. It was previously ...

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

Stuart Burrows Stuart Burrows (born 7 February, 1933) is a Welsh operatic tenor. Biography The Cilfynydd-born singer was born on William Street, the same birthplace as fellow opera star Sir Geraint Evans, Welsh rugby international Glyn Davies, and polit ...

(born 1933), opera singer, born in *

Geraint Evans Sir Geraint Llewellyn Evans (16 February 1922 – 19 September 1992) was a Welsh bass-baritone noted for operatic roles including Figaro in ''Le nozze di Figaro'', Papageno in ''Die Zauberflöte'', and the title role in ''Wozzeck''. Evans was esp ...

(1922–1992), opera singer, born in . * Phil Campbell (born 1961) of Motörhead, Gareth Davies and Darran Smith ex-members of

Funeral for a Friend Funeral for a Friend are a Welsh post-hardcore band from Bridgend, formed in 2001 and currently consists of Matthew Davies-Kreye (lead vocals), Kris Coombs-Roberts (guitar, backing vocals), Gavin Burrough (guitar, backing vocals), Darran Smit ...

Climbing Trees Climbing Trees are a Welsh four-piece "Cymrucana" band based in Pontypridd, South Wales. The group currently features Matthew Frederick (piano/guitar/vocals), Colenso Jones (guitar/bass/vocals), Martin Webb (guitar/bass/vocals) and James Benn ...

, indie-folk band, formed in in 2011. *

Catrin Collier Karen Watkins (née Jones, born 1948), writing as Catrin Collier, is a Welsh novelist known for her historical works, especially those in the ''Hearts of Gold'' series, set in her home town of Pontypridd between 1930 and 1950, the first of whic ...

(born 1948), novelist, had the adult education centre in named in her honour in 2002. * Evan James (1809–1878) and

(1832–1902), writers of , the national anthem of Wales *

Alan Wayne Jones Alan Wayne Jones (born 7 October 1945) is a researcher and scholarly writer on the subject of forensic toxicology and human physiology relating to alcohol consumption. Jones was born in Pontypridd, Wales, UK, but worked for most of his career in Sw ...

(born 1945), forensic toxicologist * David Lloyd Jones (born 1952), Judge of the High Court (QBD), Lord Justice of Appeal, and first

Justice of the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom Justices of the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom are the judges of the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom other than the president and the deputy president. The Supreme Court is the highest court of the United Kingdom for civil and crimi ...

to come from Wales was educated at Pontypridd Boys' Grammar School. * Tom Jones (born 1940), singer, was born at 57 Kingsland Terrace in village of

. * David Kelly (1944–2003), specialist in biological warfare, attended Pontypridd Boys' Grammar School. *

Lostprophets Lostprophets (stylised as lostprophets) were a Welsh rock band from Pontypridd, formed in 1997 by singer and lyricist Ian Watkins and guitarist Lee Gaze. The band was founded after their former band Fleshbind broke up. They later recruited Mike ...

alternative metal Alternative metal (also known as alt-metal) is a genre of heavy metal music Heavy metal (or simply metal) is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the United Kingdom and United States. With r ...

band formed in 1997. *

Elaine Morgan Elaine Morgan OBE, FRSL (7 November 1920 – 12 July 2013), was a Welsh writer for television and the author of several books on evolutionary anthropology. She advocated the aquatic ape hypothesis, which she advocated as a corrective to what ...

(1920–2013), scriptwriter and anthropologist *

Kimberley Nixon Kimberley Nixon (born 24 September 1985) is a Welsh actor, actress. Nixon is known for her role as Sophy Hutton in the BBC One period drama ''Cranford (TV series), Cranford'', and appearances in various films such as ''Wild Child (film), Wild C ...

(born 1985), actress * William Price (1800–1893) carried out the first cremation in the UK in modern times on Common. *

Chris Slade Chris Slade (born Christopher Slade Rees; 30 October 1946) is a Welsh musician, best known for playing for the Australian rock band AC/DC. He drummed for the band from 1989 to 1994, performing on their 1990 album '' The Razors Edge'' along with ...

(born 1946), drummer for

AC/DC AC/DC (stylised as ACϟDC) are an Australian Rock music, rock band formed in Sydney in 1973 by Scottish-born brothers Malcolm Young, Malcolm and Angus Young. Their music has been variously described as hard rock, blues rock, and Heavy metal ...

and

Asia Asia (, ) is one of the world's most notable geographical regions, which is either considered a continent in its own right or a subcontinent of Eurasia, which shares the continental landmass of Afro-Eurasia with Africa. Asia covers an area ...

* Ian Watkins, convicted sex offender and former lead singer of

Tasker Watkins Sir Tasker Watkins (18 November 1918 – 9 September 2007) was a Welsh Lord Justice of Appeal and deputy Lord Chief Justice. He was President of the Welsh Rugby Union from 1993 to 2004. During the Second World War, he served in the British Ar ...

(1918–2007), VC,

Lord Justice of Appeal A Lord Justice of Appeal or Lady Justice of Appeal is a judge of the Court of Appeal of England and Wales, the court that hears appeals from the High Court of Justice, the Crown Court and other courts and tribunals. A Lord (or Lady) Justice ...

, deputy Lord Chief Justice, and President of the

Welsh Rugby Union The Welsh Rugby Union (WRU; cy, Undeb Rygbi Cymru) is the Sports governing body, governing body of rugby union in the country of Wales, recognised by the sport's international governing body, World Rugby. The WRU is responsible for the running ...

, was educated at Pontypridd Boys' Grammar School

Sports people

Danny Canning Leslie Daniel Canning (21 February 1926 – 30 June 2014) was a Welsh professional footballer. A goalkeeper, he made over 100 appearances in The Football League during spells with Cardiff City, Swansea Town and Nottingham Forest and won promot ...

(1926–2014),

Colin Gale Colin Maurice Gale (31 August 1932 – 27 October 2008) was a Welsh professional footballer who made over 200 appearances in The Football League between 1950 and 1961. Career A centre half, Gale began his career with Cardiff City in 1950 but wa ...

(1932–2008),

Richard Haig Richard Neil Haig (born 29 December 1970) is a Welsh former professional Association football, footballer, who is manager of Trebanog FC in the Rhondda and District Football League. He was also formerly manager of Welsh Football League Division O ...

(born 1970), Ceri Hughes (born 1971), Pat Mountain (born 1976),

Jason Price Jason Jeffrey Price (born 12 April 1977 in Pontypridd) is a Welsh footballer. He can play as a right sided midfielder or as a forward Club career Price had spells with Swansea City, Brentford (for whom he scored once against Reading), Tranme ...

(born 1977) and

Owain Warlow Owain James Warlow (born 25 October 1987) is a Welsh footballer who plays as a defender and midfielder for Penybont. He is also a former Wales under-21 international. He has previously played for Lincoln City, Kettering Town, Llanelli and ...

(born 1987), association footballers *

Jamie Donaldson James Ross Donaldson (born 19 October 1975) is a Welsh professional golfer who plays on the European Tour. Professional career Donaldson was born in Pontypridd. He turned professional in 2000. Having failed to come through the European Tour ...

(born 1975), professional golfer *

Harri Greville Harri Greville (born 28 November 1990) is a Welsh former professional rugby league footballer who played in the 2010s. He played at representative level for Wales, and at club level for South Wales Scorpions in the Rugby League National Champ ...

(born 1990), rugby league footballer *

John Gwilliam John Albert Gwilliam (28 February 1923 – 21 December 2016) was a Welsh rugby union player and schoolteacher. As a "Rugby union positions#8. Number Eight, No. 8" he played international rugby for Wales national rugby union team, Wales and cl ...

(1923–2016),

Neil Jenkins Neil Jenkins, (born 8 July 1971) is a Welsh former rugby union player and current coach. He played fly-half, centre, or full back for Pontypridd, Cardiff, Celtic Warriors, Wales and the British & Irish Lions. Jenkins is Wales' highest ever ...

(born 1971), Kevin Morgan (born 1977),

Michael Owen Michael James Owen (born 14 December 1979) is an English former professional footballer who played as a striker for Liverpool, Real Madrid, Newcastle United, Manchester United and Stoke City, as well as for the England national team. Since r ...

(born 1980),

Richard Parks Richard David Parks (born 14 August 1977) is a former Wales international rugby union player turned extreme endurance athlete and television presenter. In rugby he represented Newport RFC, Pontypridd RFC, Celtic Warriors, Leeds Tykes, Perp ...

(born 1977),

Russell Robins Russell John Robins (21 February 1932 – 27 September 2019) was a Welsh rugby union, and professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1940s and 1950s. He played representative level rugby union (RU) for British Lions and Wales, and a ...

(1932–2019),

Ceri Sweeney Ceri Sweeney (born 21 January 1980 in Glyncoch) is a rugby union footballer who plays at fly-half for Pontypridd RFC and Wales. Club career In 1998, Sweeney joined Pontypridd RFC from Glyncoch RFC. In 2003, with the introduction of regional ...

(born 1980),

Martyn Williams Martyn Elwyn Williams, (born 1 September 1975) is a former Wales and British & Irish Lions international rugby union player. A flanker, he was Wales' most-capped forward with 100 caps until surpassed by Gethin Jenkins on 30 November 2013. He ...

(born 1975) and

Gareth Wyatt Gareth Wyatt (born 4 March 1977 in Pontypridd) is a Welsh rugby union player who has won two caps for the Wales national rugby union team. Education A fluent Welsh speaker, Wyatt attended Ysgol Gymraeg Llantrisant (Llantrisant Welsh Primary Sc ...

(born 1977), Welsh international rugby players *

Sheila Laxon Sheila Kathleen Laxon is a New Zealand/Australian racehorse trainer. She was the first female Thoroughbred horse trainer to win the Australian cups double, the Caulfield Cup and Melbourne Cup, with her mare Ethereal in 2001. Her efforts were re ...

(living) was the first female horse trainer to win the Australian "cups double": the

Caulfield Cup The Caulfield Cup is a Melbourne Racing Club Group 1 Thoroughbred horse race held under handicap conditions, although the Melbourne Racing Club is in the process of turning the race into weight for age (WFA) conditions. This is for all horses ...

and

Melbourne Cup The Melbourne Cup is a Thoroughbred horse race held in Melbourne, Australia. It is a 3200-metre race for three-year-olds and over, conducted by the Victoria Racing Club on the Flemington Racecourse in Melbourne, Victoria as part of the Melbou ...

. * Peter Turnbull (born 1989), first-class cricketer * Freddie Welsh (1886–1927), world champion boxer * Steve Cooper (born 1979), current

Premier League The Premier League (legal name: The Football Association Premier League Limited) is the highest level of the men's English football league system. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the English Foo ...

manager for

Nottingham Forest Nottingham Forest Football Club is an association football club based in West Bridgford, Nottinghamshire, England. Nottingham Forest was founded in 1865 and have been playing their home games at the City Ground, on the banks of the River Tren ...

Bibliography

References

External links

Pontypridd Town Council
official website of Pontypridd Town Council
Pontypridd Town website & forum
Official Pontypridd Town website
Ponty.net
Pontypridd Rugby Football Club's official website
GTFM
GTFM - Local Radio & local News for the Pontypridd area
British strike – extra fodder for pit ponies, Pontypridd
Photo from the Library of Congress's George Grantham Bain Collection
Aerial photograph of PontypriddPontypridd Trolleybus
Pontypridd trolleybus during World War II
International Welsh Poetry Competition
International Welsh Poetry Competition based in Pontypridd
Definitive guide to eating well in Pontypridd
Walesonline guide to places to eat in Pontypridd
International Poetry Book Awards
International Poetry Book Awards based in Pontypridd {{Authority control Towns in Rhondda Cynon Taf