Pontypool Park

Please feel free to have a picnic, play games or even hug a tree!

Dogs should be kept under control and responsible owners are welcome, but please clear up after your dog and dispose of the waste in the bins provided.

Please use the litter bins – it helps to keep the Park looking good.

Sorry, no cycling allowed.

Sorry, no horses allowed.

Sorry, no motorised vehicles allowed.

Sorry, no fishing unless you have purchased the appropriate licence.

Pontypool Park covers some 64 hectares and was originally laid out around 1703 as a private estate.

An old ‘map’ shows avenues of sweet chestnuts and beech following the contours of the valleys up towards the Folly Tower.

Many of the veteran sweet chestnuts are still visible, surrounding the Nant-y-Gollen Ponds and close to the Gorsedd Stone Circle, and are reputedly the largest specimens this far north. They were originally planted to produce charcoal for the iron forges along the Afon Lwyd river.

During the next 100 years, new plantings of chestnuts, oak, beech and yew were introduced obscuring the formal avenues and creating the wooded areas along the river and main path to Pontymoile. The Park still retained its open character and views to the beech ridge, Shell Grotto and the town itself were clearly visible.

At the beginning of the 20th century, the Park passed into public ownership for the benefit of the community of Pontypool.

Conifer plantations were introduced during the 1950-60’s and left unmanaged and this combined with the growth of many of the original plantings, has altered the landscape to a predominantly mature wooded park with some open meadowland.

The Park contains a number of historic areas including the Italian Gardens, Tramway Tunnel, Ice Houses and Shell Grotto. The Shell Grotto was built around 1829 by Molly Mackworth as a summerhouse, some 220m above the surrounding area and enjoys stunning views across open countryside and the Severn Estuary.

The Afon Lwyd river, meaning ‘grey river’ enters the park adjacent to the Italian Gardens and exits by Pontymoile. The Afon Lwyd river has reputedly the second highest rise and fall of the European rivers and in periods of heavy rainfall, the river quickly reaches its maximum and within a short timescale, becomes a raging torrent.

The weir and sluice gate mechanism were installed in the river to ensure that a forceful stream of water was constantly available to turn the water wheels, which powered the forges located nearby. Early iron making forges such as these, set up in the days before steam, were always sited close to fast flowing rivers to harness this natural power source.

It can be seen that the weir was originally constructed of hardwearing cobbles which, over a period of time have been undermined and have now slipped. The original slab still remains in the river and it is anticipated that there may be an opportunity to renovate this area in future years.

The park management is continuing to work with the Keep Wales Tidy Group and other voluntary organisations to undertake a number of river cleanups throughout the year. It is hoped that with the installation of a fish leap at Pontymoile weir the river will once again be a valuable habitat for trout and other fish.

The Gorsedd Stone Circle was erected in 1923 prior to the National Eisteddfod that was held in the Park in 1924. The Eisteddfod is a celebration of Welsh literature, art, culture and music and is rooted in the old bardic tradition. During the ceremony the Bard is appointed and prizes are given for outstanding contributions to Welsh culture.

The stone circle is known as the Circle of Sacred Refuge and the stones themselves are called sacred stones and stones of testimony. The centre stone is known as the Stone of Presidency or the Altar of Gorsedd or the Perfection Stone. The layout of the stone circle is specified within a set of rules governing the ceremony.

A number of bards are appointed throughout the celebration and each bard has a distinctive colour suitable to his own order. For example, a poet will wear a robe of sky blue colour, a druid’s robe is white, an ovate’s robe which signifies the growth and increase of learning and science is green. In addition, there are various other regalia including swords and standards which are a part of the overall ceremony.

Pontypool Park was successful in obtaining grant aid from the Heritage Lottery Fund to restore specific historical areas and features of the Park.

The project areas include:

• Replacement of lighting along main routes with a 'robust' but sympathetic style
• Improvement and upgrading of paths with a gravel type finish to 'lose' the urban feel of black tarmac
• Full survey of the veteran trees and associated remedial works
• Refurbishment of the Pontymoile Gates and outer area
• Restoration of the double icehouses
• Restoration of the Italian Gardens
• Rebuilding of the stone boundary walls
• Installation of notice boards and finger posts
• Refurbishment of the fencing around the Shell Grotto
• Grassland management and ecology
• Refurbishment and relocation of the School Gates

The ice houses for Pontypool Park are of great significance. They are unique within Britain as there is no other record of a double chamber ice house. The fact that they are a double chamber but constructed as one building marks them out as being of particular interest. Ice houses were usually one chamber only and were built individually rather than as a pair. Their location so close to the Hanbury family home is also unusual. (Park House now houses St Albans School).

There are a number of reports that the ice houses have been subject to a landslip at the rear of the building which has covered up the access door. Investigations have shown that this is not the case and access to the ice houses was and always has been through the top opening. It is also likely that the structure had a roof which may have been thatched to ensure as much insulation as possible.

Ice to fill the houses would have been taken from the Nant-y-Gollen Ponds and the nearby Monmouth and Brecon Canal. In 1864 the Free Press noted that “ice had been very plentiful and large quantities were secured for the Park ice house”.

During this time ice was contaminated and was not used in food preparation although in later years with the advent of the railway, clean ice was able to be purchased which could be used as an ingredient in food.

The icehouses have now been fully restored with funding from Cadw, the Heritage Lottery Fund and Torfaen County Borough Council.

The Italian Gardens are reputed to have been constructed around 1849/50. They are based on the Isola Bella Gardens in Lake Maggiore where Capel Hanbury Leigh went for his second honeymoon. Plants from this area were brought back to Pontypool, as was the custom at that time. The gardens are noted as Italian Gardens on the 1918 ordnance survey map but they are not mentioned on the 1881 map. However, an area of similar description is marked but not named, on this earlier map.

The Italian Gardens appear to have taken on greater significance when Mrs Tenison, the daughter of John Hanbury gave the gardens to the people of Pontypool to commemorate her coming of age in 1920. The white wall along Hanbury Road, which had hidden the gardens from public view, was removed and a new entrance to the Park was built which subsequently became the memorial for those who fell in the 1st World War.

Planting in this area focuses on specimens considered fashionable from 1900 onwards. Other features to note are the tramway tunnel and riverside walk taking in the weir towards Pontymoile.

The Nant-y-Gollen Ponds were originally one large millpond which was the power source for the forge further down the stream. The stream used to flow into the pond at the top edge and then exit at the bottom edge, but in later years a stream was created to run alongside the ponds.

The sweet chestnuts surrounding the ponds are approximately 400 years old and were used as a source of charcoal for the forges downstream. The trees are very adaptable and sprout vigorously after being cut back thus creating more timber which can be used for charcoal.

During the 1920's Johnny Weismuller, the original Tarzan, used the ponds for a swimming event and in later years it is reputed that the ponds were the home for the local water polo team.

The ponds were re-designed in the early 1990’s and two ponds were created with the intention that they should be used as model boating lakes. Unfortunately, the ponds now leak, hence the problems that are associated with the lack of water and the difficulty with sediment in the base.

The Pontymoile entrance was the original entrance to Pontypool Park house owned by the Hanbury family. There was a small lodge adjacent to the river which was demolished in the late 1950’s.

The gates themselves are Grade II* listed by CADW and are affectionately known as the Sally gates. Sally was the Duchess of Marlborough and local legend has it that they were a present to the Hanbury family for their help with the execution of her late husbands will.

Research has shown that the columns and gates are likely to have been made around 1850, but were altered in later years, as seen by the additional dog bars. This was probably done to allow larger carriages and then motorised vehicles into the Park.

A report in the December 1933 edition of the Pontypool Free Press states that Mr T E Deakin produced the specification for the gates in July 1835 and this was found amongst papers belonging to Mr Stanley Tudor Roderick, the well-known Pontypool musician and band master. (The bandstand in the Park is erected in memory of Mr Roderick and the musical contribution he made to the town.)

The gates have been restored using traditional techniques with funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund, Cadw and Torfaen County Borough Council.

The tramway was part of a wider, local system which included tinplate works and forges which produced the Pontypool Japanware. This became famous as a new technique for applying decorative panels onto a variety of everyday items including trays and teapots.

The tunnel was originally constructed around 1825 to link the Pontymoile tinworks to the Park and Osborne forges and probably supplied them with their iron.

The tram road continued to run alongside the river, now a footpath and further downstream there is evidence of a weir and sluice gates which would have been used to control water into the forges.

The tunnel is now blocked up but it is rumoured that it originally exited close to the Town Bridge.

The tunnel came back into use as an air raid shelter during World War II and there are some local residents who remember sheltering there during bombing raids.

Today the tunnel is unused but remains as a poignant reminder of the industrial past of Pontypool and its association with Japanware.