Pontypridd

**Pontypridd**  is baith a commonty an a principal toun o Rhondda Cynon Taf, Wales an is situatit 12 mile/19&nbsp;km north o the Welsh caipital ceety o Cardiff. Pontypridd is aften abbreviatit "Ponty" bi local residents.

## Geografie
Pontypridd comprises the electoral wairds o Cilfynydd, Glyncoch, Graig, Graigwen, Hawthorn, Pontypridd Town, 'Rhondda', Rhydyfelin Central/Ilan (Rhydfelen), Trallwng (Trallwn) an Treforest (Trefforest).

The toun sits at the junction o the Rhondda an Taff / Cynon glens, whaur the River Rhondda flows intae the Taff immediately sooth o the toun at Ynysangharad War Memorial Park. Pontypridd commonty haed a population o 29,781 accordin tae census figurs gathered in 2001. while Pontypridd toun itsel wis recordit as haein a population o 2,919 an aw as o 2001.

The toun lees alangside the dual carriagewey north-sooth A470, atween Cairdiff an Merthyr Tydfil. The A4054, runnin north an sooth o the toun, wis the umwhile main road, an lik the A470, follaes the Taff Valley. Sooth o the toun is the A473, for Llantrisant an Pencoed. Tae the wast is the A4058, which follaes the River Rhondda tae Porth an the Rhondda ayont.

## History
The name *Pontypridd* is frae "Pont-y-tŷ-pridd" the Welsh for "brig bi the yirden hoose", a reference tae a succession o firthen brigs that umwhile spanned the River Taff at this pynt.

### Old Bridge
Pontypridd is notit for its Old Bridge, a stane construction athort the River Taff biggit in 1756 bi William Edwards. This wis Edward's third attempt an at the time o construction wis the langest single-span stane airch brig in the warld. Risin  abuin the level o the river, the brig forms a perfect segment o a circle, the chord o which is . Notable featurs are the three holes o differin diameters throu each end o the brig, the purpose o which is tae reduce wicht. On completion, questions wur suin raised as tae the utility o the brig, the steepness o the design makkin it difficult tae get horse an cairts athort. As a result a new brig, the Victoria Bridge paid for bi public subscription, wis biggit adjacent tae the ald ane in 1857.  Pontypridd wis kent as Newbridge frae shortly efter the construction o the Old Bridge till the 1860s.

### Coal
The history o Pontypridd is closely tee'd tae the coal an airn industries, prior tae the developments o thir Pontypridd wis lairgely a landwart  comprisin a few fermsteids, wi Treforest initially becomin the main urban dounset in the aurie.  Sited as it is at the junction o the three glens, it became an important location for the transportation o coal frae the Rhondda an airn frae Merthyr Tydfil, first via the Glamorganshire Canal an later via the Taff Vale Railway, tae the ports at Cairdiff, Barry an tae Newport.  Acause o its role in transportin coal cargo, its railwey platform is thocht tae hae ance been the langest in the warld durin its heyday.  Pontypridd wis in the seicont hauf o the 19t century a hive o industrie, an wis ance elk-namit the ‘Wild West’.  Thare wur several collieries athin the Pontypridd aurie itsel, includin:

* 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 the deep mined collieries thare wur mony coal levels an trial shafts dug intae the hill sides owerleukin the toun frae Cilfynydd, Graig, Graigwen an Hafod. The Albion Colliery in the veelage o Cilfynydd in 1894 wis the steid o ane o the wirst explosions athin the Sooth Wales coalfield, wi the daith o 290 colliers (see Keir Hardie).

### Airn an Steel
Ither instrumental industries in Pontypridd wur the - Brown Lenox/Newbridge Chain & Anchor Works sooth east o the toun, an Crawshay’s Forest Iron, Steel & Tin Plate Works an the Taff Vale Iron Works, baith in Treforest near the nou Varsity o Sooth Wales.

### Biggins
The toun is hame tae a lairge hospital, Dewi Sant Hospital.

## Pontypridd commonty

Pontypridd commonty is made up o the toun o Pontypridd an its immediate suburbs, dounsets an veelages.

## Transport links
Pontypridd came intae bein acause o transport, as it wis on the drovers route frae the sooth Wales coast an the Bristol Channel, tae Merthyr an onwairds intae the hills o Brecon. Awtho initial expansion in the glens occurred at Treforest due tae the slower speed o the River Taff at that pynt, the establishment o better brig biggin meant a naitural flow o pouer tae Pontypridd.

### Railwey

The establishment o Pontypridd ower Treforest wis feenally confirmed wi the biggin o the Glamorganshire Canal tae serve the coal mines o the Rhondda glen. Housomeivver, the volumes o coal extraction suin brocht aboot the construction o the Taff Vale Railway, which, at its peak, resultit in twa trains cawin at Pontypridd railwey station ivery minute. The station is a lang single island, at ane pynt the warld's langest platform, a reflection o baith the narrae available geografie o the steep glen side, as well as the need tae accommodate mony convergin railweys lines on wha became the nineteent-century hub o the glens.
Due tae the restrictive geografie, anerly parcels an mail wur handled at Pontypridd, while hivy fricht wis handled at . The station the day, as operatit bi Arriva Trains Wales, reflects the reducit coal minin activity, wi ane up an ane doun platform, an anerly ane passin loop.

### Trams/Trolleybuses/Buses
A tram service began on 6 Mairch 1905, runnin frae Cilfynydd, throu Pontypridd, tae Treforest. It wis replacit on 18 September 1930 bi trolleybuses, which on 31 Januar 1957 wur replacit bi buses which replicatit a amaist exact route.  The day, bus services are principally providit bi Veolia Transport Cymru (on the local toun services an langer distance routes tae Cairdiff, Beddau an Talbot Green) an Stagecoach South Wales (on lang distance routes tae Cairdiff, Rhondda, Cynon Valley, Merthyr Tydfil, Caerphilly etc.).

## Eddication

* Pontypridd Coonty Intermediate an Technical Schuil wis biggit in 1895, later becomin Pontypridd Coonty Grammar School for Boys on *Tyfica Road*. It later became the Coedylan Comprehensive School, an is nou the Pontypridd High School in Cilfynydd on the wast side o the A4054.
* Hawthorn High School is near the A4054 in Hawthorn (sooth-east o the toun)
* Pontypridd Grammar School for Girls wis on *The Common* in Glyntaff.
* Bryn Celynnog Comprehensive School is on *Penycoedcae Road* in Beddau
* Cardinal Newman RC School is on *Dynea Road* in Rhydyfelin
* Ysgol Gyfun Garth Olwg is on the A473 in Church Village (sooth o the toun)
* The University o South Wales is in Treforest (sooth o the toun), next tae the A473

## Enterteenment an social history

### Sport & Recreation

* Ynysangharad War Memorial Park wis opened bi Field Mairshal Viscoont Allenby on 6 August 1923. It featurs a bandstand, pitch-an-putt gowf course, a paddlin puil, tennis courts, lawn bowls greens, a fitbaa pitch, a cricket pitch, an memorials tae the war deid o Pontypridd an tae the componers o the Welsh naitional anthem. It haes hostit festivals an muisic concerts, includin the annual Ponty's Big Weekend festival.
* Pontypridd is hame tae Pontypridd Rugby Football Club, ane o Wales' maist notable rugby union clubs, wi a successfu junior rugby an Age-grade sections that frequently contributes players tae the naitional team. Formed in 1876, Pontypridd RFC play in the Principality Premiership, SWALEC Cup an the British and Irish Cup.  Pontypridd RFC play thair hame gemmes at Sardis Road, wi thair junior section playin at Taff Vale Park an Pontypridd High School Fields, Cilfynydd.
* Pontypridd Town A.F.C. is a Welsh fitbaa club which haes achievit some success in the Welsh fitbaa league.
* Speedwey racin wis stagit at Taff Vale Park in the toun's Broadway aurie in 1929/1930.
* Pontypridd Bowls Club play in the tap diveesion in the Cynon Valley, Mid Glamorgan an the Cardiff League haein been promotit in aw 3 diveesions follaein the 2009 saison. Thay play thair hame gemes at Ynysanghard Pairk.

### Media
* Pontypridd haes its vera awn commonty radio station GTFM, which is in pairtnership wi the Varsity o Sooth Wales. It haes local news, information an muisic frae the last fower decades, an is run bi a voluntar management committee.
* The *Pontypridd and Llantrisant Observer*http://icwales.icnetwork.co.uk/2000localinfo/pontypriddobserver/ is the local newspaper for the toun.

### Cultur

* The Welsh naitional anthem ‘Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau’ (Laund o ma Faithers) wis componit in Pontypridd bi local poets/muisickers Evan James an James James. 
* Pontypridd wis hame tae the eccentric Dr. William Price who performed the first modren cremation.
* Pontypridd hostit the National Eisteddfod in 1893.
* Tom Jones, born on 7 Juin 1940 at 57, Kingsland Terrace, Treforest an the Warld-famous son o Pontypridd frequently references his hametoun in interviews. A 65th birthday concert wis held at the toun's Ynysangharad Park at which he headlined.
* Pontypridd wis hame tae umwhile rock baund, Lostprophets.

### Cultural references
* The name o the feectional toun o Pontypandy, in which childer's televeesion programme Fireman Sam is situatit, is a portmanteau o Pontypridd an Tonypandy.
* The Welsh TV shaw *Belonging* wis shot in Pontypridd
* The BBC hit sci-fi shows Doctor Who an Torchwood hae filmit at various location aroond Pontypridd an nearbi, such as at the Market Tavern pub in Market Street an the Lido in Ynysangharad Park.  Ither locations include at - Treforest, Hawthorn, Graigwen, Upper Boat, Trallwng, Ynysybwl an ithers.

### Twinnin
**Pontypridd is twinned wi [[Nürtingen]], [[Esslingen (destrict)|Esslingen]], sooth Germany**

Initial contact atween the twa commonties occurred in 1965 wi a veesit bi Côr Meibion Pontypridd Welsh male vyce Choir tae veesit a choir cried "Liederkranz" based in the Oberensingen aurie o Nürtingen. The Liederkranz returned the veesit tae Pontypridd ane year later. On the occasion o the next veesit o Côr Meibion tae Nürtingen the pairtnership atween the twa commonties wis formally established - on 26 Julie 1968. Syne then reciprocal visits atween the twa choirs haes taken place on a regular basis.  It wis as a result o this successfu pairtnership that Pontypridd Urban Destrict Council decidit tae hae a formal Twinning link at a ceevic level an tae join in pairtnership wi Nürtingen. In Julie 1968 a greement wis signed bi John Cheesman J.P., mayor o Pontypridd an Karl Gonser mayor o Nürtingen. This resultit in the first twinnin link in Rhondda Cynon Taf an the langest established twinnin links wi Nürtingen.

**Pontypridd is twinned wi [[Mbale]], [[Uganda]] an aw**

Pontypridd toun cooncil held a offeecial twinnin ceremony in 2005, tae consolidate links wi Mbale, Uganda, awready established bi local kirks an healcare wirkers, unner the auspices o charity PONT, the Partnerships Overseas Networking Trust.

## Notable fowk
:*See [[:Category:Fowk frae Pontypridd]]*

## Bibliografie
* 

## See an aw
* Pontypridd (UK Pairlament constituency)
* Pontypridd (Assembly constituency)

## References

## Freemit airtins
* Pontypridd Toun Cooncil : offeecial wabsteid o Pontypridd Town Council
* Ponty.net: Pontypridd Rugby Football Club's offeecial wabsteid
* Pontypridd Male Voice Choir: Côr Meibion Pontypridd
* British strike - extra fodder for pit ponies, Pontypridd Photo frae the Library o Congress's George Grantham Bain Collection
* Aerial photograph o Pontypridd
* The history of Pontypridd 
* Pontypridd Trolleybus  Pontypridd trolleybus durin Warld War II