View source for Torfaen

{{short description|County borough in Wales}}
{{Other uses}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2024}}
{{Use British English|date=August 2024}}
{{Infobox settlement
| name                    = Torfaen County Borough
| native_name             = {{native name|cy|Bwrdeistref Sirol Torfaen}}
| settlement_type         = [[Principal areas of Wales|County borough]]
| image_skyline           = {{multiple image |border=infobox |perrow=1/2 |total_width=270
 | image1 = The winding house at Big Pit - geograph.org.uk - 1987857.jpg
 | image2 = Severn Early Autumn.jpg
 | image3 = Ffug-dwr Pontypwl - Pontypool Folly - geograph.org.uk - 3742707.jpg
 }}
| imagesize               = 
| image_alt               = 
| image_caption           = {{ubl|Left to Right:|[[Big Pit National Coal Museum|Big Pit Museum]] at [[Blaenavon Industrial Landscape|Blaenavon WHS]]|Overlooking west [[Cwmbran]] from Blaen-Bran|[[Folly Tower, Pontypool]]}}
| image_flag              = 
| flag_alt                = 
| image_shield            = Arms of Torfaen County Borough Council.svg
| shield_alt              = 
| shield_link             = 
| image_blank_emblem      = 
| blank_emblem_size       = 
| blank_emblem_type       = 
| blank_emblem_link       = 
| etymology               = 
| nickname                = 
| motto                   = United We Serve
| image_map               = <div class="center">{{Image label begin|image=Torfaen UK location map.svg|width=250|float=none}}
{{Image label small|x=0.45|y=0.50|scale=250|text =<big>[[Pontypool]]</big>}}
{{Image label small|x=0.30|y=0.15|scale=250|text=<big>[[Blaenavon]]</big>}}
{{Image label small|x=0.49|y=0.80|scale=250|text= <big>[[Cwmbran]]</big>}}
{{Image label end}}</div>
| map_alt                 = 
| map_caption             = Torfaen shown within [[Wales]]
| coordinates             = {{coord|51|43|N|3|03|W|region:GB_type:adm2nd|display=inline,title}}
| subdivision_type        = [[Sovereign state]]
| subdivision_name        = [[United Kingdom]]
| subdivision_type1       = [[Countries of the United Kingdom|Country]]
| subdivision_name1       = [[Wales]]
| subdivision_type2       = [[Regions of Wales|Region]]
| subdivision_name2       = 
| subdivision_type3       = [[Preserved counties of Wales|Preserved county]]
| subdivision_name3       = [[Gwent (county)|Gwent]]
| subdivision_type4       = 
| subdivision_name4       = 
| established_title       = Incorporated
| established_date        = [[Local Government Act 1972|1 April 1974]]
| established_title1      = Unitary authority
| established_date1       = [[Local Government (Wales) Act 1994|1 April 1996]]
| named_for               = 
| seat_type               = Administrative{{nbsp}}HQ
| seat                    = [[Pontypool]]
| parts_type              = 
| parts                   = 
<!-- Government -->
| government_footnotes    = <ref name="Council leadership">{{cite web |url=https://www.torfaen.gov.uk/en/AboutTheCouncil/AboutTheCouncil.aspx |title=About the Council |website=Torfaen County Borough Council |access-date=6 August 2024}}</ref>
| government_type         = [[Local government in Wales#Principal councils|Principal council]]
| governing_body          = [[Torfaen County Borough Council]]
| leader_title            = 
| leader_name             = 
| leader_title1           = [[Political make-up of local councils in the United Kingdom|Control]]
| leader_name1            = {{UK council control|GSS=W06000020}}
| leader_title2           = 
| leader_name2            = 
| leader_title3           = [[Member of Parliament (United Kingdom)|MPs]]
| leader_name3            = [[Nick Thomas-Symonds]] ([[Labour Party (UK)|L]])
| leader_title4           = [[Member of the Senedd|MSs]]
| leader_name4            = {{unbulleted list
 |[[Peter Fox (Welsh politician)|Peter Fox]] ([[Welsh Conservatives|C]])
 |[[Lynne Neagle]] ([[Welsh Labour|L]])
 |+4 [[South Wales East (Senedd electoral region)|regional members]]
 }}
<!-- Area -->
<!-- ALL fields with measurements have automatic unit conversion -->
| area_footnotes          = <ref name="popstats">{{UK subdivision statistics citation}}</ref>
| area_total_km2          = {{UK subdivision area|GSS=W06000020}}
| area_land_km2           = 
| area_water_km2          = 
| area_rank               = [[List of Welsh principal areas|{{Welsh council area rank|GSS=W06000020}}]]
<!-- Population -->
| population_footnotes    = <ref name="popstats" />
| population_as_of        = {{UK subdivision statistics year}}
| population_total        = {{UK subdivision population|GSS=W06000020}}
| population_rank         = [[List of Welsh principal areas|{{Welsh council population rank|GSS=W06000020}}]]
| population_density_km2  = {{UK subdivision density|GSS=W06000020}}
| population_demonym      = 
<!-- demographics (section 1) -->
| demographics_type1      = 
| demographics1_footnotes = 
| demographics1_title1    = 
| demographics1_info1     = 
<!-- demographics (section 2) -->
| demographics_type2      = [[Welsh language]] <span style="font-weight:normal;">([[2021 United Kingdom census|2021]])</span>
| demographics2_footnotes = <ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.ons.gov.uk/visualisations/censusareachanges/W06000020/ |title=How life has changed in Torfaen: Census 2021 |date=19 January 2023 |website=Office for National Statistics |access-date=6 August 2024 }}</ref>
| demographics2_title1    = Speakers
| demographics2_info1     = 8.2%
| demographics2_title2    = Rank
| demographics2_info2     = [[List of Welsh principal areas by percentage Welsh language|19th]]
| timezone1               = [[Greenwich Mean Time|GMT]]
| utc_offset1             = +0
| timezone1_DST           = [[British Summer Time|BST]]
| utc_offset1_DST         = +1
<!-- Codes -->
| postal_code_type        = [[Postcodes in the United Kingdom|Postcode areas]]
| postal_code             = 
| area_code_type          = [[Telephone numbers in the United Kingdom|Dialling codes]]
| area_code               = 
| iso_code                = [[ISO 3166-2:GB|GB-TOF]]
| blank1_name             = [[GSS coding system|GSS code]]
| blank1_info             = W06000020
| website                 = {{URL|www.torfaen.gov.uk}}
}}
'''Torfaen''' ({{IPAc-en|t|ɔr|ˈ|v|aɪ|n}}; {{IPA|cy|tɔrˈvaɪn|}}) is a [[Principal areas of Wales|county borough]] in the [[South East Wales|south-east]] of [[Wales]]. Torfaen is bordered by the county of [[Monmouthshire]] to the east, the [[City status in the United Kingdom|city]] of [[Newport, Wales|Newport]] to the south, and the county boroughs of [[Caerphilly (county borough)|Caerphilly]] and [[Blaenau Gwent]] to the south-west and north-west. It is within the [[Historic counties of Wales|boundaries]] of the [[Monmouthshire (historic)|historic county of Monmouthshire]], and between 1974 and 1996 was a district of [[Gwent (county)|Gwent]], until it was reconstituted as a [[Local government in Wales|principal area]] in 1996.

==Toponymy==
Torfaen (meaning "breaker of stones") is an old name for the river – today called [[Afon Lwyd]] ("grey river") – which flows through the [[county borough]] from its source north of [[Blaenavon]] southward through [[Abersychan]], [[Pontypool]], and [[Cwmbran]]. The last three towns mentioned are a [[Geographic contiguity|contiguous]] [[urban area]].

==History==
The borough was formed in 1974 as a local government [[Districts of Wales|district]] of [[Gwent (county)|Gwent]]. It covered the whole area of three former districts and two parishes from another two districts, which were all abolished at the same time:
*[[Blaenavon]] [[Urban district (Great Britain and Ireland)|Urban District]]
*[[Cwmbran]] Urban District
*[[Henllys, Torfaen|Henllys]] parish from [[Magor and St Mellons Rural District]]
*[[Llanfrechfa Lower]] parish from [[Pontypool]] Rural District
*[[Pontypool]] Urban District
All the constituent parts of Torfaen had previously been in the [[administrative county]] of [[Monmouthshire (historic)|Monmouthshire]] prior to the reforms. [[Gwent County Council]] provided county-level services to the new borough.<ref>{{cite legislation UK|type=act|act=Local Government Act 1972|year=1972|chapter=70|accessdate=6 October 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite legislation UK|type=si|si=The Districts in Wales (Names) Order 1973|year=1973|number=34|accessdate=4 October 2022}}</ref>

Torfaen was reconstituted in 1996 as a [[county borough]], taking over the county-level functions from the abolished Gwent County Council. The area is now governed by [[Torfaen County Borough Council]], which is a [[principal council]].<ref>{{cite legislation UK|type=act|act=Local Government (Wales) Act 1994|year=1994|chapter=19|accessdate=9 October 2022}}</ref>

Torfaen has its own museum [[Torfaen Museum]], in [[Pontypool Park]], [[Pontypool]].

==Area characteristics==
The area has a population of around 91,000. Much of the southern part of the county borough around [[Cwmbran]] is extensively urban. The north of the county borough is greener and retains extensive areas of countryside, especially on the route to [[Blaenavon]].

The administrative centre is [[Pontypool]] in the centre of the county borough. Most of the administration of [[Torfaen County Borough Council]] is conducted from [[Pontypool Town Hall|Pontypool Civic Centre]].

==Local landmarks==
The highest point of the county is [[Coity Mountain]].

===Pontypool Indoor Market===
A market hall of 1893-4, built when the existing facility became too small and needed replacing due to the greatly increased local population. The previous Vegetable Market (1875) which stood on the same site was demolished, but the first hall built in 1730 still survives in Commercial Street. The Market was designed by Robert Williams and D J Loughor (who was probably the engineer). This building is the only physical reminder of the work of the Pontypool Local Board who were replaced by the Pontypool Urban District Council following the [[Local Government Act 1894]].

; Exterior:
A large iron framed market hall with two full elevations and three secondary entrances through other street frontages, eg. Jubilee Building, Crane Street. Built of grey narrow coursed rock faced pennant limestone with some larger stones, and with yellow Ebbw Vale brick dressings and a Welsh slate roof. Single storey street elevations with windows onto secondary aisles which surround the main aisled hall. The Market Street elevation has a central doorway with four centred Tudor arch head. This has part glazed wooden doors with pilasters rising to a corbel frieze and a date panel 1893, and a parapet over with raised battlement type features at either end. This door is flanked on either side by four three-light windows with yellow brick frames and mullions. These are all in line, but the plinth below with yellow brick coping is stepped down the street. Additional doors flank these, again with pilasters but not rising to a parapet; then another three light window at the north end but only a single light one at the south corner. The end elevation has first a single light, then a two-light with king mullion, then five three-light windows, the most northerly one with a roundel in a gable above. The roofs behind these walls can be seen stepped up in three heights over the two aisles and the main nave. The nave roof has timber gable windows and glazing along the length of the roof on both slopes.

; Crane Street entrance:
This has another Tudor doorway as above, but flanked by one over one windows in plain heads. Above the entrance is a crow-stepped gable with block at apex and a three light window with stepped head above the door. Gable has date 1894 and inscription PLB (Pontypool Local Board).

The Commercial Street entrance has another Tudor style doorway set into the ground floor of an early C19 terrace on the south west side of Commercial Street. Only the doorway and the dateplaque 1894 above it are late C19.

; Interior
The market has a central nave supported on plain iron columns, and this has aisles on either side and then a secondary aisle which surrounds most of the structure. There are additional passageways giving access to the entrances in Commercial Street and in Crane Street. The columns carry light curved iron members, and a roof structure of light iron with timber rafters and sarking. The nave roof has bands of glazing running the full length on either side of the ridge. The interior appears to be very little altered. The stalls are mostly modern.

===Pontypool Park===
{{Main|Pontypool Park}}
*Pontypool Park is the name given to the former principal residence of Pontypool (now a [[St Alban's R.C. High School, Torfaen|secondary school]]) and the {{convert|160|acre|km2|adj=on}} park that surrounds it. The park contains [[Pontypool Leisure Centre]] and sports facilities and is the home of [[Pontypool RFC]]. The park includes a [[folly]], shell grotto and ornamental ponds. Much of the area is given to [[woodland]] but there is extensive open grassland. The American Gardens were opened to the public in 2008, after being closed to visitors for many years, and a restoration project is under way. Torfaen County Borough Council is currently mapping all the trees from the park to remove and then replant those dying and diseased.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.southwalesargus.co.uk/news/3985384.Torfaen_man_s_bid_to_make_map_of_trees/|title=Torfaen man's bid to make map of trees|date=18 December 2008|publisher=[[South Wales Argus]]|access-date=19 April 2009}}</ref>

===Cwmbran Centre===
{{Main|Cwmbran Centre}}
*Cwmbran Centre is advertised as the second largest under-cover shopping centre in Wales. The centre includes many familiar high-street stores.

===Blaenavon===
{{Main|Blaenavon}}
*The former coal-mining and iron-working town of Blaenavon in the northern part of the county borough is now a recognised [[UNESCO]] World Heritage Site.
{{See also|List of Scheduled Monuments in Torfaen}}

== Media ==
Torfaen has its own community radio station, Vitalize Radio, which is run on a voluntary basis in [[Pontypool]] to serve the community.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Torfaen Vitalize Radio to air live local employment show |publisher=Torfaen County Borough Council |url=https://www.torfaen.gov.uk/en/News/2020/February/14-Torfaen-Vitalize-Radio-to-air-live-local-employment-show.aspx |access-date=2023-03-20 |website=www.torfaen.gov.uk}}</ref> Additionally, [[Cwmbran]] has its own community-focused radio station: Able Radio is a volunteer-run radio station  which supports adults with autism and learning disabilities, and claims to be "the first Radio Station run by people with Learning Disabilities and Autism in the world".<ref>{{Cite web |title=Able Radio Station|url=https://www.cwmbranlife.co.uk/business-directory/wpbdp_category/radio-stations |access-date=2023-03-20 |website=Cwmbran Life |language=en-GB}}</ref> In recent years, Able Radio station has increased the scope of their activities, including television productions and their gardening project and associated produce shop, SustainAble.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Organisation supporting people with learning disabilities opens new food shop |url=https://www.southwalesargus.co.uk/news/20208740.sustainable-local-produce-shop-opens-able-radio-cwmbran/ |access-date=2023-03-20 |website=South Wales Argus |date=15 June 2022 |language=en}}</ref> There is also the Cwmbran and District Amateur Radio Society, which focuses on [[ham radio]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=News for Wales - 19 March 2023 - Radio Society of Great Britain - Main Site : Radio Society of Great Britain – Main Site |url=https://rsgb.org/main/blog/all-regions/region-6/2023/03/17/news-for-wales-19-march-2023/ |access-date=2023-03-20 |website=rsgb.org}}</ref>

There are also various local community news services, most notably Cwmbran Life and Inside Torfaen.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Former Argus journalist wins civic award for online blog |url=https://www.southwalesargus.co.uk/news/13593304.former-argus-journalist-wins-civic-award-for-cwmbran-life-blog/ |access-date=2023-03-20 |website=South Wales Argus |date=13 August 2015 |language=en}}</ref> The [[South Wales Argus]] serves as the main newspaper.

==Politics==
Torfaen is historically a safe [[Labour Party (UK)|Labour Party]] seat and was created to replace [[Pontypool (UK Parliament constituency)|Pontypool]] for the [[1983 British general election| 1983 general election]]. Currently, the [[Member of Parliament (United Kingdom)|MP]] is [[Nick Thomas-Symonds]]. The Croesyceiliog North, Croesyceiliog South, Llanyrafon North and Llanyrafon South wards used to be part of the former [[Monmouth (UK Parliament constituency) | Monmouth]] constituency until 2024. Torfaen is also a [[Senedd]] constituency, presided over by [[Labour Party (UK)|Labour]] MS, [[Lynne Neagle]].

Torfaen Council has historically been a Labour-controlled authority, however the 2008 local elections saw Labour fail to win enough seats to hold a majority, resulting in a coalition with Plaid Cymru and Independent councillors.

In the 2022 local elections, Labour regained majority control of Torfaen County Borough Council, winning 30 out of a possible 40 seats.

The main council offices for Torfaen County Borough Council are situated in The Civic Centre, Pontypool.

Torfaen has six Community Councils, which are:

*Blaenavon Town Council.
*Croesyceiliog & Llanyrafon Community Council.
*Cwmbran Community Council.
*Henllys Community Council.
*Ponthir Community Council.
*Pontypool Community Council.

==Education==
{{See also|List of schools in Torfaen}}
Secondary schools in the area are:

*[[Abersychan Comprehensive School]], [[Pontypool]]
*[[Croesyceiliog School]], [[Cwmbran]]
*[[Fairwater High School|Cwmbran High School]], [[Cwmbran]]
*[[St Albans RC High School]], [[Pontypool]]
*[[West Monmouth School]], [[Pontypool]]
*[[Ysgol Gyfun Gwynllyw|Ysgol Gymraeg Gwynllyw]], [[Pontypool]]. (Welsh Medium Education School)

[[Further education]], vocational training and some higher education is provided at Torfaen Learning Zone of [[Coleg Gwent]] in Cwmbran centre. Before this, further education was provided at Pontypool campus, Coleg Gwent.

In 2012 Torfaen County Borough Council was criticised for keeping 2,400 laptop computers, originally intended to be used by secondary school pupils and teachers, unused for at least a year "because it couldn't figure out what to do" with the equipment, which originally cost over a million pounds.<ref>{{citation|work=[[The Register]]|title=Welsh council's unused mountain of 2,400 laptops|url=https://www.theregister.co.uk/2012/11/05/welsh_council_laptops_in_storage/|date=5 November 2012|access-date=7 December 2012|last=Parnell|first=Brid-Aine}}</ref>

==Railways==
The borough is served by the [[Welsh Marches Line]] with stations at {{stnlnk|Pontypool & New Inn}} and {{stnlnk|Cwmbran}}. Services are operated by [[Transport for Wales Rail|Transport for Wales]]. There is also the [[Pontypool and Blaenavon Railway]] in [[Blaenavon]].

==Freedom of the Borough==
The following people military units and Organisations and Groups have received the [[Freedom of the City|Freedom of the Borough]] of Torfaen.

===Military Units===
* [[Royal Welsh]]: 5 June 2010.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://cod1.co.uk/forums/topic/1701-freedom-of-the-borough/ |title=Freedom of the Borough - the War Section - FP Gaming Community |access-date=17 November 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151118145122/http://cod1.co.uk/forums/topic/1701-freedom-of-the-borough/ |archive-date=18 November 2015 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
* The [[Royal British Legion]]: 28 June 2021.<ref>{{cite web |title=Freedom of the Borough given to the Royal British Legion |url=https://www.cwmbranlife.co.uk/freedom-of-the-borough-given-to-the-royal-british-legion/ |website=Cwmbran Life |date=28 June 2021 |access-date=29 June 2021}}</ref>

===Organisations and Groups===
* [[Pontypool RFC|Pontypool Rugby Football Club]]: 27 March 2024.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.southwalesargus.co.uk/news/24217807.pontypool-rfc-earns-freedom-borough-torfaen/ |title=Pontypool RFC earns freedom of the borough in Torfaen  |last=Birt |first=Elizabeth |date=28 March 2024 |website=The South Wales Argus |access-date=7 April 2024 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Pontypool RFC honoured with Freedom of the Borough |url=https://www.torfaen.gov.uk/en/News/2024/March/27-Pontypool-RFC-honoured-with-Freedom-of-the-Borough.aspx |website=The Torfaen County Borough Council  |date=27 March 2024 |access-date=7 April 2024 |language=en}}</ref>

==See also==
*[[List of Scheduled Monuments in Torfaen]]
*[[Grade I listed buildings in Torfaen]]
*[[Grade II* listed buildings in Torfaen]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20120215112857/http://www.parksandgardens.ac.uk/index.php?option=com_parksandgardens&task=site&id=3703&Itemid=292 American Gardens, Pontypool Park]
*[https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/wales/south_east_wales Cwmbran, A Short History]
*[http://www.world-heritage-blaenavon.org.uk/ Blaenavon, World Heritage Site]
*[https://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/static/vote2001/results_constituencies/constituencies/583.stm Torfaen constituency breakdown, 2001]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20080503061037/http://www.torfaen.gov.uk/CouncilAndDemocracy/CouncillorsDemocracyAndElections/Elections/Results/Home.aspx Council and Democracy in Torfaen]
*[http://www.ngw.nl/heraldrywiki/index.php?title=Torfaen Torfaen - Coat of arms (crest) of Torfaen]

{{Torfaen}}
{{Wales Districts}}
{{Wales subdivisions}}
{{Transport in Torfaen}}

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Torfaen| ]]
[[Category:Principal areas of Wales]]
[[Category:County boroughs of Wales]]
[[Category:1974 establishments in Wales]]
[[Category:Gwent (county)]]