Torfaen

**Torfaen** is a coonty burgh in Wales athin the historic bundaries o Monmouthshire. It wis oreeginally formit in 1974 as a destrict o the coonty o Gwent an in 1996 it wis reconstitutit as a unitary authority.

## Education
Seicontary schuils in the aurie are: 
*St Albans RC High School, Pontypool
*West Monmouth School, Pontypool
*Croesyceiliog School, Cwmbran
*Ysgol Gyfun Gwynllyw, Pontypool (Welsh-leid)
*Abersychan Comprehensive School, Pontypool
*Fairwater High School, Cwmbran
*Llantarnam School, Cwmbran

Further education, vocational trainin an some heicher education is providit at the Ponytpool Campus o Coleg Gwent, umwhile Pontypool College.

## Etymology
The meanin o *Torfaen* in Welsh is *brak-stein*, an the name refers tae the river that flowes throu the coonty burgh frae its soorce in Blaenavon. The river in quaisten is nou kent as the Afon Lwyd ("gray river").

## Location
Torfaen borders the ceety o Newport tae the sooth, the coonty o Monmouthshire tae the east an the coonty burghs o Caerphilly an Blaenau Gwent tae the wast an north-wast.

## Aurie characteristics
The aurie haes a population o aroond 91,000. Hintle o the soothren pairts o the coonty burgh are nou urbanisit aroond the Cwmbran new toun conurbation. The north o the coonty burgh is greener an retains vast acres o kintraside, especially on the route tae Blaenavon.

The admeenistrative centre is Pontypool in the centre o the coonty burgh. Maist o the admeenistration o Torfaen County Borough Council is conductit frae the Civic Centre here, awtho facilities at the Coonty Haw in Cwmbran are shared wi Monmouthshire County Council.

## Local landmarks
Torfaen, awtho a relatively sma aurie, haes a nummer o notable laundmerks:

### Pontypool Park

*Pontypool Pairk is the name gien tae the umwhile principal residence o Pontypool (nou a seicontary schuil) an the  pairk that surroonds it. The pairk contains Pontypool Leisure Centre an sports facilities an is the hame o Pontypool RFC. The pairk includes a folly, shell grotto an ornamental ponds. Hintle o the aurie is gien tae firthland but thare is extensive open grassland. The American Gardens wur open tae the public in 2008, efter bein closed tae visitors for mony years, an a restoration project is unnerway. Torfaen County Borough Council is currently mappin aw the trees frae the pairk tae remuive an then replant the dyin an diseased trees.

### Cwmbran Shopping Centre

*Cwmbran Shopping Centre is advertisit as the seicont lairgest unner-cover shopping centre in Wales. The centre includes mony familiar heich-street stores.

### Blaenavon Booktown

*The umwhile minin toun o Blaenavon in the northren pairt o the county borough is nou a recognised UNESCO Warld Heritage Steid.

## Politics
Torfaen is historically a safe Labour Pairty seat. At present the MP is Paul Murphy. Constituents in Croesyceiliog North, Croesyceiliog South, Llanyrafon North an Llanyrafon South wairds are servit bi the Monmouth MP, Conservative David Davies. Torfaen is a Welsh Assembly Govrenment constituency an aw, presidit ower bi Labour AM, Lynne Neagle.

In local elections on 1 Mey 2008, the Labour majority o Torfaen County Borough Council failed tae win 16 o its 34 seats an lost owerall control. Housomeivver, a greement wis reached wi Plaid Cymru an twa independent members tae maintain a stable regime wi Labour control.

## References

## Freemit airtins
*
*Torfaen County Borough Council