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Pontypridd
Walestown
Pontypridd
Total population
30,457
Demographic figures from UK Office for National Statistics. Overview below cites Wikipedia and may reference a different year.
City facts
Overview
Pontypridd is a town and a community in Rhondda Cynon Taf, South Wales, approximately 10 miles (16 km) north west of Cardiff city centre.
Read more on WikipediaHistory & geography
History
The name Pontypridd derives from the name , Welsh for "bridge by the earthen house", referring singly to successive wooden bridges that once spanned the River Taff at this point. Pontypridd is noted for its Old Bridge, a stone construction across the River Taff 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 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. The history of Pontypridd is tied to the coal and iron industries; before their development Pontypridd was a hamlet of a few farmsteads, with Treforest 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, first by the Glamorganshire Canal, and later by the Taff Vale Railway, to the ports at Cardiff, Barry 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". There were several collieries…
Geography
Pontypridd comprises the electoral wards of Cilfynydd, Glyncoch, Graig, Hawthorn, Pontypridd Town, 'Rhondda', Rhydyfelin Central/Ilan, Trallwng (Trallwn) and Treforest. The town mainly falls within the Senedd 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 town sits at the junction of the Rhondda and Taff valleys, where the River Rhondda 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 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 Llantrisant and Pencoed. To the west is the A4058, which follows the River Rhondda to Porth and the Rhondda Valley beyond.
Excerpted from the corresponding Wikipedia article (CC BY-SA).
Geography
Coordinates & boundaries from the US Census TIGER/Line shapefiles.
Climate
Air quality
Walkability
Amenities nearby
Wildlife & biodiversity
Earthquake history
Photos
Sights & places nearby
Notable people from here
People born within ~10 km, from Wikidata (CC0). Click any name for their Wikipedia article.
Nearby places in Wales
- Porth2.9 mi away · pop. 14,648
- Treharris4.8 mi away · pop. 12,352
- Wyndham8.6 mi away
- Llandough11.5 mi away
- Llandough12.3 mi away
- Dinas Powys12.8 mi away
- Pontneddfechan15.2 mi away
- Southerndown15.3 mi away · pop. 280
- Glynneath15.5 mi away
- Llanfrechfa15.5 mi away · pop. 120
- Cwmgwrach15.9 mi away
- Pentreclwydau16.5 mi away
Geography & sun
Elevation, sunrise/sunset and daylight from Open-Meteo. Solar climatology from NASA POWER.
Nearby airports
Public attention
Pageview totals from the Wikimedia Pageviews API.
Books about Pontypridd
![[Report 1965]](https://covers.openlibrary.org/b/id/11792006-M.jpg)
![[Report 1941]](https://covers.openlibrary.org/b/id/7951087-M.jpg)
![[Report 1937]](https://covers.openlibrary.org/b/id/7933902-M.jpg)
![[Report 1939]](https://covers.openlibrary.org/b/id/7975649-M.jpg)
![[Report 1940]](https://covers.openlibrary.org/b/id/7963255-M.jpg)
Search results from Open Library.
Recent natural events nearby
Ground air-quality sensors
Recently spotted species
Events
Notable, recurring, and historical events associated with Pontypridd, sourced from Wikidata.
- Jan 1, 1973
Source: Wikidata (CC0).
Gallery
Official Identifiers
ONS — UK Office for National Statistics
- ONS code
- osgb4000000074557909
- Local type
- Town
- Region
- Wales
api.postcodes.io / OS Open Names
Sources
- • Wikipedia
- • Wikidata
- • Open-Meteo / sunrise-sunset.org
- • Wikipedia Pageviews API
- • Open Library
- • Wikidata SPARQL (CC0) — population, area, elevation, inception, head of government, Commons image
- • ONS / OS Open Names — UK official place gazetteer, via api.postcodes.io (OS code, local type, county/unitary, district/borough, region)
- • ONS — UK Office for National Statistics — api.postcodes.io / OS Open Names