Cwmbran
Encyclopedia
Cwmbrân is a new town
in Wales
. Today forming part of the county borough
of Torfaen
and lying within the historic boundaries of Monmouthshire
, Cwmbrân was established in 1949 to provide new employment opportunities in the south eastern portion of the South Wales Coalfield
. Cwmbrân means Crow Valley and refers to a local stream named Y Brân (The Crow). Cwmbrân is twinned
with Bruchsal
in Germany
and Carbonne
in France
.
Based around the villages of Old Cwmbrân
, Pontnewydd
, Upper Cwmbrân
, Croesyceiliog
, Llantarnam
and Llanyrafon
, its population had grown to 47,254 by 2001. This makes it the sixth largest urban area in Wales.
established in 1949 to provide new employment opportunities in the south eastern portion of the South Wales Coalfield
; though there is evidence that Neolithic
and Bronze Age
people used the area, with the Iron Age
Silures
tribe also occupying the region before being subdued by the Roman legion
s based at nearby Usk
and Caerleon
.
Around 1179, Hywel, Lord of Caerleon gave a gift of money and land to found the Cistercian Abbey
at Llantarnam
in Cwmbrân. After the dissolution of the monasteries
by Henry VIII the Abbey was closed and was bought by a succession of wealthy landowners. By the 18th century the Abbey had passed into the ownership of the Blewitt family, who were to become key figures in the early industrialisation of Cwmbrân. Brickmaking, lime kilns, iron ore mining, quarrying and coal mining
were established during this period along with a canal
to transport goods to the docks at Newport
. In 1833 the Ordnance Survey
map of Monmouthshire shows Cwmbrân as a farm situated in the area now known as Upper Cwmbrân, in the valley named Cwm Brân. Cwmbrân now covers approximately 3000 acres (12.1 km²) and has a population
of around 50,000.
Following some investigation by local residents Richard Davies and Mike Price, the Ancient Cwmbran & The Cistercian project was created and a £48,000 grant has been provided by the Heritage Lottery Fund
to explore some previously unrecorded sites of interest in the Greenmeadow
and Thornhill, Cwmbran areas.
The Cistercian Way
also passes through Llantarnam
, Old Cwmbrân, Greenmeadow
and Thornhill, Cwmbran before reaching the ancient chapel of Llanderfel on Mynydd Maen, and then onwards to Twmbarlwm
.
Whether or not the iron company cared, or 1940s British typewriters and typesetters were capable of easily producing the necessary character, Brân was, and is, the name of the stream running through the valley, and Cwmbrân the name of the community which arose there. It is a convention in Welsh toponymy
that when the reference is to a natural feature the words are written separately (e.g. Cwm Brân : valley of the Brân); when they refer to a settlement named after that feature the words are joined up (Cwmbrân). Another example: Pont ar Dawe ("bridge on the Tawe": the bridge itself) / Pontardawe (the village that grew up by the bridge).
, it has a hilly aspect to its western and northern edges, with the surrounding hills climbing to over 1000 feet (304.8 m). The Afon Llwyd
forms the major river valley, although the most significant water course is probably the remains of the Monmouthshire & Brecon Canal
. To the east of Cwmbran the land is less hilly, forming part of the Usk valley
.
Built in the late 1950s the New Town Centre hosts a main bus station, supermarkets, small commercial units and a cinema. Over a period of 30 years the shopping centre was extended and refurbished several times. In spring 2000, a new development was brought forward in the north-west corner of the shopping centre. A supermarket, two-storey car park, a health clinic, and another small commercial unit was built. Another re-development of the old Asda building in 2006 supplied more shops in the new vicinity called "Llewelyn Walk".
On 31 October 2008, Leisure @ Cwmbran, a 10000 sq ft (929 m²) complex, opened on Glyndŵr Road - formerly a disused multi-story car park in the north-east of the town centre. It hosts a Vue 8-screen cinema with a Bowlplex
20-lane bowling alley, a Frankie and Benny's New York Italian Restaurant, a Tiffins Indian Restaurant, a Gravy Train restaurant and a children's crèche.
On 9 July 2011, the much anticipated 'Delilahs' cocktail & music bar opened at Leisure @ Cwmbran. This is the first 'nightclub' in Cwmbrân town centre since 'The Pleasure Dome', which before being closed and demolished in September 2004, was situated only a few hundred feet south of the current nightclub on Glyndŵr Road.
biscuits. As of 2005, the Cwmbrân plant produces over 400 million Wagon Wheels a year.
in Upper Cwmbrân that opened in 1996 as Cottage Spring Brewery. The name was changed to Cwmbrân in 2002 in order to avoid conflict with the Cottage Brewery of Somerset
. The owners are brewer Martin Lewis and business partner and former drayman
Keith Gullick.
, Llantarnam School
and Fairwater High School
. There are numerous primary and nursery schools as well as the Welsh medium school, Ysgol Gymraeg Cwmbrân. The town centre also boasts a "Learn-IT" centre (part of Coleg Gwent
).
, home to international athletics events in the 1970s and 1980s. British athletics coach Malcolm Arnold used to train some of his athletes at Cwmbrân in the 80s and early 90s while he was the Welsh National Coach. Athletes who trained there regularly under Malcolm include former World 110m Hurdle Champion and World Record Holder, Colin Jackson
; Commonwealth 110m Hurdle medallist, Paul Gray; and Nigel Walker
who had two sporting careers, first as an Olympic hurdler and then later as a Welsh rugby union international player. The 1999 World Indoor 400m Champion Jamie Baulch
also used the stadium as a regular training track under a different coach. The stadium is also the home of the football
teams, Cwmbrân Town and Cwmbrân Celtic as well as Cwmbrân Men's Hockey Club and Cwmbrân Ladies' Hockey Club (which are independent clubs).
The three main football teams in Cwmbran are Cwmbrân Town, Cwmbrân Celtic
and Croesyceilog
who all compete in the Welsh Football League
.
Separate grounds at Pontnewydd
and Croesyceiliog
house the town's two senior rugby
teams, Cwmbran RFC
and Croesyceiliog RFC
, although many more of the town's residents support the rugby teams of the older, adjacent town of Pontypool
, the city of Newport
and the Newport Gwent Dragons
regional team.
The town has three athletics clubs: Cwmbran Harriers, Fairwater Runners, and Griffithstown Harriers.
Cwmbrân also has several martial art clubs including a Shotokan Karate club (affiliated to the KUGB), which is part of the Wales based Tekki Karate Academy. Junior karate is also available throughout Cwmbrân via the Junior Karate Club.
is served by trains on the Welsh Marches Line
., with through trains south to Newport
and Cardiff
. Northbound local trains serve Pontypool
and Abergavenny
, with longer distance services running to Hereford
, Shrewsbury
, Crewe
, Holyhead
and Manchester
. The station was not opened until 1986, as one of the last acts of the Cwmbran New Town Development Board. Prior to this, Cwmbrân had been without a train service for 24 years, its original station having been on the Newport-Blaenavon branch line which ran to the west of the town centre. Along with a number of other passenger train services in Monmouthshire, this line closed in April 1962 and was therefore not (as is often wrongly remembered locally) a casualty of the Beeching Axe
, having closed eighteen months before the Beeching proposals were announced.
The town has a comprehensive local bus service.
New town
A new town is a specific type of a planned community, or planned city, that was carefully planned from its inception and is typically constructed in a previously undeveloped area. This contrasts with settlements that evolve in a more ad hoc fashion. Land use conflicts are uncommon in new...
in Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
. Today forming part of the county borough
County borough
County borough is a term introduced in 1889 in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland , to refer to a borough or a city independent of county council control. They were abolished by the Local Government Act 1972 in England and Wales, but continue in use for lieutenancy and shrievalty in...
of Torfaen
Torfaen
Torfaen is a county borough in Wales within the historic boundaries of Monmouthshire. It was originally formed in 1974 as a district of the county of Gwent and in 1996 it was reconstituted as a unitary authority.-Education:...
and lying within the historic boundaries of Monmouthshire
Monmouthshire (historic)
Monmouthshire , also known as the County of Monmouth , is one of thirteen ancient counties of Wales and a former administrative county....
, Cwmbrân was established in 1949 to provide new employment opportunities in the south eastern portion of the South Wales Coalfield
South Wales Coalfield
The South Wales Coalfield is a large region of south Wales that is rich with coal deposits, especially the South Wales Valleys.-The coalfield area:...
. Cwmbrân means Crow Valley and refers to a local stream named Y Brân (The Crow). Cwmbrân is twinned
Town twinning
Twin towns and sister cities are two of many terms used to describe the cooperative agreements between towns, cities, and even counties in geographically and politically distinct areas to promote cultural and commercial ties.- Terminology :...
with Bruchsal
Bruchsal
Bruchsal is a city at the western edge of the Kraichgau, approximately 20 km northeast of Karlsruhe in the state of Baden-Württemberg, Germany...
in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
and Carbonne
Carbonne
Carbonne is a commune in the Haute-Garonne department in southwestern France.-Geography:The A64 autoroute passes near the village, and there is a train station of the railway Toulouse - Bayonne....
in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
.
Based around the villages of Old Cwmbrân
Old Cwmbran
Old Cwmbrân is an area of Cwmbrân, Torfaen in Wales, within the historic boundaries of Monmouthshire.-Original village:As its name would suggest, Old Cwmbrân was the 'original' village that the 1950s New Town of Cwmbrân grew out of...
, Pontnewydd
Pontnewydd
Pontnewydd is a suburb of Cwmbran in the county borough of Torfaen, south-east Wales.Beginning in the late 19th/early 20th century, as a small village in the locality of Llanfrechfa Upper, Pontnewydd has grown rapidly since the start of the Cwmbran New Town development in 1949. Locally, it is...
, Upper Cwmbrân
Upper Cwmbran
Upper Cwmbran is a suburb of Cwmbran, Torfaen in Wales. It lies in between the suburbs of Pontnewydd and Thornhill.- History & Amenities :The area is mainly made up of 1950s and 1960s houses with occasional older Victorian properties. There are two pubs, The Queen Inn and The Bush Inn, along with...
, Croesyceiliog
Croesyceiliog
Croesyceiliog is a suburb of Cwmbran in the county borough of Torfaen, south Wales, United Kingdom.- Housing :Croesyceiliog is primarily a residential district and contains a wide variety of housing from Victorian terraces and even older Welsh cottages to property built between 1930 and 1970 and...
, Llantarnam
Llantarnam
Llantarnam is a community and suburb of Cwmbran in the county borough of Torfaen in southeast Wales.Llantarnam Abbey is a Cistercian abbey founded in 1179 as a daughter house of Strata Florida Abbey...
and Llanyrafon
Llanyrafon
Llanyrafon , formerly spelled Llanyravon, is a community and suburb of Cwmbran in the county borough of Torfaen within the historic boundaries of Monmouthshire, South Wales...
, its population had grown to 47,254 by 2001. This makes it the sixth largest urban area in Wales.
History
Cwmbrân is a new townNew town
A new town is a specific type of a planned community, or planned city, that was carefully planned from its inception and is typically constructed in a previously undeveloped area. This contrasts with settlements that evolve in a more ad hoc fashion. Land use conflicts are uncommon in new...
established in 1949 to provide new employment opportunities in the south eastern portion of the South Wales Coalfield
South Wales Coalfield
The South Wales Coalfield is a large region of south Wales that is rich with coal deposits, especially the South Wales Valleys.-The coalfield area:...
; though there is evidence that Neolithic
Neolithic
The Neolithic Age, Era, or Period, or New Stone Age, was a period in the development of human technology, beginning about 9500 BC in some parts of the Middle East, and later in other parts of the world. It is traditionally considered as the last part of the Stone Age...
and Bronze Age
Bronze Age
The Bronze Age is a period characterized by the use of copper and its alloy bronze as the chief hard materials in the manufacture of some implements and weapons. Chronologically, it stands between the Stone Age and Iron Age...
people used the area, with the Iron Age
Iron Age
The Iron Age is the archaeological period generally occurring after the Bronze Age, marked by the prevalent use of iron. The early period of the age is characterized by the widespread use of iron or steel. The adoption of such material coincided with other changes in society, including differing...
Silures
Silures
The Silures were a powerful and warlike tribe of ancient Britain, occupying approximately the counties of Monmouthshire, Breconshire and Glamorganshire of present day South Wales; and possibly Gloucestershire and Herefordshire of present day England...
tribe also occupying the region before being subdued by the Roman legion
Roman legion
A Roman legion normally indicates the basic ancient Roman army unit recruited specifically from Roman citizens. The organization of legions varied greatly over time but they were typically composed of perhaps 5,000 soldiers, divided into maniples and later into "cohorts"...
s based at nearby Usk
Usk
Usk is a small town in Monmouthshire, Wales, situated 10 miles northeast of Newport.The River Usk flows through the town and is spanned by an ancient, arched stone bridge at the western entrance to the town. A castle above the town overlooks the ancient Anglo-Welsh border crossing - the river can...
and Caerleon
Caerleon
Caerleon is a suburban village and community, situated on the River Usk in the northern outskirts of the city of Newport, South Wales. Caerleon is a site of archaeological importance, being the site of a notable Roman legionary fortress, Isca Augusta, and an Iron Age hill fort...
.
Around 1179, Hywel, Lord of Caerleon gave a gift of money and land to found the Cistercian Abbey
Abbey
An abbey is a Catholic monastery or convent, under the authority of an Abbot or an Abbess, who serves as the spiritual father or mother of the community.The term can also refer to an establishment which has long ceased to function as an abbey,...
at Llantarnam
Llantarnam
Llantarnam is a community and suburb of Cwmbran in the county borough of Torfaen in southeast Wales.Llantarnam Abbey is a Cistercian abbey founded in 1179 as a daughter house of Strata Florida Abbey...
in Cwmbrân. After the dissolution of the monasteries
Dissolution of the Monasteries
The Dissolution of the Monasteries, sometimes referred to as the Suppression of the Monasteries, was the set of administrative and legal processes between 1536 and 1541 by which Henry VIII disbanded monasteries, priories, convents and friaries in England, Wales and Ireland; appropriated their...
by Henry VIII the Abbey was closed and was bought by a succession of wealthy landowners. By the 18th century the Abbey had passed into the ownership of the Blewitt family, who were to become key figures in the early industrialisation of Cwmbrân. Brickmaking, lime kilns, iron ore mining, quarrying and coal mining
Coal mining
The goal of coal mining is to obtain coal from the ground. Coal is valued for its energy content, and since the 1880s has been widely used to generate electricity. Steel and cement industries use coal as a fuel for extraction of iron from iron ore and for cement production. In the United States,...
were established during this period along with a canal
Canal
Canals are man-made channels for water. There are two types of canal:#Waterways: navigable transportation canals used for carrying ships and boats shipping goods and conveying people, further subdivided into two kinds:...
to transport goods to the docks at Newport
Newport
Newport is a city and unitary authority area in Wales. Standing on the banks of the River Usk, it is located about east of Cardiff and is the largest urban area within the historic county boundaries of Monmouthshire and the preserved county of Gwent...
. In 1833 the Ordnance Survey
Ordnance Survey
Ordnance Survey , an executive agency and non-ministerial government department of the Government of the United Kingdom, is the national mapping agency for Great Britain, producing maps of Great Britain , and one of the world's largest producers of maps.The name reflects its creation together with...
map of Monmouthshire shows Cwmbrân as a farm situated in the area now known as Upper Cwmbrân, in the valley named Cwm Brân. Cwmbrân now covers approximately 3000 acres (12.1 km²) and has a population
Population
A population is all the organisms that both belong to the same group or species and live in the same geographical area. The area that is used to define a sexual population is such that inter-breeding is possible between any pair within the area and more probable than cross-breeding with individuals...
of around 50,000.
Following some investigation by local residents Richard Davies and Mike Price, the Ancient Cwmbran & The Cistercian project was created and a £48,000 grant has been provided by the Heritage Lottery Fund
Heritage Lottery Fund
The Heritage Lottery Fund is a fund established in the United Kingdom under the National Lottery etc. Act 1993. The Fund opened for applications in 1994. It uses money raised through the National Lottery to transform and sustain the UK’s heritage...
to explore some previously unrecorded sites of interest in the Greenmeadow
Greenmeadow
Greenmeadow is a suburb of Cwmbran in the county borough of Torfaen, within the historic county boundaries of Monmouthshire, southern Wales, United Kingdom....
and Thornhill, Cwmbran areas.
The Cistercian Way
Cistercian Way (Wales)
The Cistercian Way is a waymarked, circular, long distance footpath, which circumnavigates Wales linking the Cistercian historic sites of the Principality. The whole route is in total some long....
also passes through Llantarnam
Llantarnam
Llantarnam is a community and suburb of Cwmbran in the county borough of Torfaen in southeast Wales.Llantarnam Abbey is a Cistercian abbey founded in 1179 as a daughter house of Strata Florida Abbey...
, Old Cwmbrân, Greenmeadow
Greenmeadow
Greenmeadow is a suburb of Cwmbran in the county borough of Torfaen, within the historic county boundaries of Monmouthshire, southern Wales, United Kingdom....
and Thornhill, Cwmbran before reaching the ancient chapel of Llanderfel on Mynydd Maen, and then onwards to Twmbarlwm
Twmbarlwm
Twmbarlwm also known as Twm Barlwm, Twyn Barlwm, or locally known as "The tump" in relation to the mound that lies on its summit, is a mountain situated 2 km to the northeast of Risca in South Wales. It is high and is a well known sight throughout the region...
.
Etymology
Unlike other areas of Wales that have Anglicised versions of place names, such as Caerdydd to Cardiff, Cwmbrân (meaning Crow Valley in English) is the official name in both Welsh and English; it has simply been common practice to ignore diacritics in written English. It remains true, nevertheless, that this new town created in 1949 was given a Welsh name, Cwmbrân; the correct spelling of which is now, with advances in typography, probably the form most frequently to be seen in official usage. Following the passing of the 1946 New Towns' Act, ministries and county councils were asked to nominate sites. For Wales, the Ministry of Housing and Local Government proposed Church Village and Cwmbrân. The Church Village proposal was vetoed by the Ministry of Power as new housing there would have interfered with plans for the expansion of coalmining in the area; however, "Cwmbrân" was passed in 1949. The BBC notes, "Cwmbrân (valley of the river Brân) was the name given to a new town created in 1949 under the New Towns Act 1946. It took the name of the older village located in the valley Cwm Brân which had developed around tinplate works and forges of the Cwmbran Iron Co."Whether or not the iron company cared, or 1940s British typewriters and typesetters were capable of easily producing the necessary character, Brân was, and is, the name of the stream running through the valley, and Cwmbrân the name of the community which arose there. It is a convention in Welsh toponymy
Toponymy
Toponymy is the scientific study of place names , their origins, meanings, use and typology. The word "toponymy" is derived from the Greek words tópos and ónoma . Toponymy is itself a branch of onomastics, the study of names of all kinds...
that when the reference is to a natural feature the words are written separately (e.g. Cwm Brân : valley of the Brân); when they refer to a settlement named after that feature the words are joined up (Cwmbrân). Another example: Pont ar Dawe ("bridge on the Tawe": the bridge itself) / Pontardawe (the village that grew up by the bridge).
Geography
Sitting as it does at the corner of the South Wales CoalfieldSouth Wales Coalfield
The South Wales Coalfield is a large region of south Wales that is rich with coal deposits, especially the South Wales Valleys.-The coalfield area:...
, it has a hilly aspect to its western and northern edges, with the surrounding hills climbing to over 1000 feet (304.8 m). The Afon Llwyd
Afon Llwyd
The Afon Lwyd is a small river in south Wales which flows from its source north of Blaenavon, through Abersychan, Pontypool and Cwmbran before flowing into the River Usk at Caerleon, which subsequently flows into the Bristol Channel in Newport. The name is Welsh, meaning "Grey River".Historically...
forms the major river valley, although the most significant water course is probably the remains of the Monmouthshire & Brecon Canal
Monmouthshire & Brecon Canal
The Monmouthshire and Brecon Canal is a small network of canals in South Wales. For most of its length it runs through the Brecon Beacons National Park, and its present rural character and tranquillity belies its original purpose as an industrial corridor for coal and iron, which were brought to...
. To the east of Cwmbran the land is less hilly, forming part of the Usk valley
River Usk
The River Usk rises on the northern slopes of the Black Mountain of mid-Wales, in the easternmost part of the Brecon Beacons National Park. Initially it flows north into Usk Reservoir, then east by Sennybridge to Brecon before turning southeast to flow by Talybont-on-Usk, Crickhowell and...
.
Cwmbran Shopping Centre
Built in the late 1950s the New Town Centre hosts a main bus station, supermarkets, small commercial units and a cinema. Over a period of 30 years the shopping centre was extended and refurbished several times. In spring 2000, a new development was brought forward in the north-west corner of the shopping centre. A supermarket, two-storey car park, a health clinic, and another small commercial unit was built. Another re-development of the old Asda building in 2006 supplied more shops in the new vicinity called "Llewelyn Walk".
On 31 October 2008, Leisure @ Cwmbran, a 10000 sq ft (929 m²) complex, opened on Glyndŵr Road - formerly a disused multi-story car park in the north-east of the town centre. It hosts a Vue 8-screen cinema with a Bowlplex
Bowlplex
Bowlplex plc is a bowling and leisure corporation that own and operate 18 "total entertainment centres" across England, Wales and Scotland.Bowlplex was formed in 1976 to acquire the Branksome Bowl, although it was not until 1984 that current Managing Director, Tracy Standish became involved with...
20-lane bowling alley, a Frankie and Benny's New York Italian Restaurant, a Tiffins Indian Restaurant, a Gravy Train restaurant and a children's crèche.
On 9 July 2011, the much anticipated 'Delilahs' cocktail & music bar opened at Leisure @ Cwmbran. This is the first 'nightclub' in Cwmbrân town centre since 'The Pleasure Dome', which before being closed and demolished in September 2004, was situated only a few hundred feet south of the current nightclub on Glyndŵr Road.
Burton's Foods
The biscuit maker Burton's Foods Ltd employs 1000 people at a factory in Cwmbrân to make its Jammy Dodgers and Wagon WheelsWagon Wheels
Wagon Wheels are a snack food sold in Australia, Canada, Iran, United Kingdom, Russia, Malta and the Republic of Ireland. They are biscuits topped with marshmallow and covered in a chocolate flavoured coating. The biscuit itself is round to represent the wheel of a wagon .Wagon Wheels were created...
biscuits. As of 2005, the Cwmbrân plant produces over 400 million Wagon Wheels a year.
Cwmbrân Brewery
Cwmbrân Brewery is a small, independent breweryBrewery
A brewery is a dedicated building for the making of beer, though beer can be made at home, and has been for much of beer's history. A company which makes beer is called either a brewery or a brewing company....
in Upper Cwmbrân that opened in 1996 as Cottage Spring Brewery. The name was changed to Cwmbrân in 2002 in order to avoid conflict with the Cottage Brewery of Somerset
Somerset
The ceremonial and non-metropolitan county of Somerset in South West England borders Bristol and Gloucestershire to the north, Wiltshire to the east, Dorset to the south-east, and Devon to the south-west. It is partly bounded to the north and west by the Bristol Channel and the estuary of the...
. The owners are brewer Martin Lewis and business partner and former drayman
Drayman
A drayman was historically the driver of a dray, a low, flat-bed wagon without sides, pulled generally by horses or mules that were used for transport of all kinds of goods. Now the term is really only used for brewery delivery men, even though routine horse-drawn deliveries are almost entirely...
Keith Gullick.
Education
The town is home to three secondary education schools: Croesyceiliog SchoolCroesyceiliog School
Croesyceiliog School is a state-funded secondary school and campus in the Croesyceiliog district of Cwmbran, Torfaen in Wales. The school is widely referred to as Croesy Comp in the locality.-Setting:...
, Llantarnam School
Llantarnam School
Llantarnam School is a state-funded and non-selective comprehensive school in the Cwmbran suburb of Llantarnam, Torfaen in Wales. It provides education for approximately 1,500 students between the ages of 11 and 19.-Layout of the site:...
and Fairwater High School
Fairwater High School
Fairwater High School is a state-funded and non-selective comprehensive school located on Ty Gwyn Road in the Fairwater district of Cwmbran, Wales....
. There are numerous primary and nursery schools as well as the Welsh medium school, Ysgol Gymraeg Cwmbrân. The town centre also boasts a "Learn-IT" centre (part of Coleg Gwent
Coleg Gwent
Coleg Gwent is Wales' largest further education college.It has more than 35,000 students ranging from secondary school leavers to mature students...
).
Sport
The town is perhaps most widely known for its international sports stadiumCwmbran Stadium
Cwmbran Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium and state of the art sports complex in Cwmbran Wales. The stadium holds 10,500 people and the main outdoor arena consists of an international standard athletics track and field surrounding a grass football pitch...
, home to international athletics events in the 1970s and 1980s. British athletics coach Malcolm Arnold used to train some of his athletes at Cwmbrân in the 80s and early 90s while he was the Welsh National Coach. Athletes who trained there regularly under Malcolm include former World 110m Hurdle Champion and World Record Holder, Colin Jackson
Colin Jackson
Colin Ray Jackson CBE is a British former sprint and hurdling athlete who specialised in the 110 metres hurdles. Over his career representing Great Britain and Wales he won an Olympic silver medal, became world champion three times, went undefeated at the European Championships for 12 years and...
; Commonwealth 110m Hurdle medallist, Paul Gray; and Nigel Walker
Nigel Walker
Nigel Walker is a former Welsh athlete and Wales international rugby union player. He is currently National Director at the . He was born in Cardiff....
who had two sporting careers, first as an Olympic hurdler and then later as a Welsh rugby union international player. The 1999 World Indoor 400m Champion Jamie Baulch
Jamie Baulch
James Steven Baulch , but raised by foster parents in Risca, near Newport, is a British sprint athlete and television presenter. He won the 400 metres gold medal at the 1999 World Indoor Championships. As a member of British 4 x 400 metres relay teams, he won a gold medal at the 1997 World...
also used the stadium as a regular training track under a different coach. The stadium is also the home of the football
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
teams, Cwmbrân Town and Cwmbrân Celtic as well as Cwmbrân Men's Hockey Club and Cwmbrân Ladies' Hockey Club (which are independent clubs).
The three main football teams in Cwmbran are Cwmbrân Town, Cwmbrân Celtic
Cwmbran Celtic F.C.
Cwmbran Celtic F.C. is a football club based in Cwmbran, Torfaen, South Wales. They currently play in the Welsh Football League Division One.They are one of the largest football clubs in Wales in terms of the number of teams they run...
and Croesyceilog
Croesyceiliog A.F.C.
Croesyceiliog A.F.C. is a football club playing in Croesyceiliog, Cwmbran, Wales. They joined the Welsh Football League in 2003, and finished as runners-up in Division Three and Division Two in each of their first two seasons in the league, gaining promotion each time...
who all compete in the Welsh Football League
Welsh Football League
The Welsh Football League is a club football league in Wales. Division One of the Welsh Football League is at Level 2 of the Welsh football league system, immediately below the national Welsh Premier League.The Welsh Football League's history stretches back to 1904 when the competition was first...
.
Separate grounds at Pontnewydd
Pontnewydd
Pontnewydd is a suburb of Cwmbran in the county borough of Torfaen, south-east Wales.Beginning in the late 19th/early 20th century, as a small village in the locality of Llanfrechfa Upper, Pontnewydd has grown rapidly since the start of the Cwmbran New Town development in 1949. Locally, it is...
and Croesyceiliog
Croesyceiliog
Croesyceiliog is a suburb of Cwmbran in the county borough of Torfaen, south Wales, United Kingdom.- Housing :Croesyceiliog is primarily a residential district and contains a wide variety of housing from Victorian terraces and even older Welsh cottages to property built between 1930 and 1970 and...
house the town's two senior rugby
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
teams, Cwmbran RFC
Cwmbran RFC
Cwmbran Rugby Football Club is a rugby union team from the town of Cwmbran in South Wales. Cwmbran RFC presently play in the Welsh Rugby Union Division Four East League and is a feeder club for the Newport Gwent Dragons....
and Croesyceiliog RFC
Croesyceiliog RFC
Croesyceiliog Rugby Football Club is a Welsh rugby union team based in Croesyceiliog. Today, Croesyceiliog RFC plays in the Welsh Rugby Union Division Three East league and are a feeder club for Newport Gwent Dragons.-History:...
, although many more of the town's residents support the rugby teams of the older, adjacent town of Pontypool
Pontypool
Pontypool is a town of approximately 36,000 people in the county borough of Torfaen, within the historic boundaries of Monmouthshire in South Wales....
, the city of Newport
Newport
Newport is a city and unitary authority area in Wales. Standing on the banks of the River Usk, it is located about east of Cardiff and is the largest urban area within the historic county boundaries of Monmouthshire and the preserved county of Gwent...
and the Newport Gwent Dragons
Newport Gwent Dragons
Newport Gwent Dragons are one of the four professional Rugby Union regional teams in Wales. They are jointly owned by Newport RFC and the Welsh Rugby Union and play all their home games at Rodney Parade, Newport. They play in the RaboDirect Pro12, the Anglo-Welsh Cup and the Heineken Cup...
regional team.
The town has three athletics clubs: Cwmbran Harriers, Fairwater Runners, and Griffithstown Harriers.
Cwmbrân also has several martial art clubs including a Shotokan Karate club (affiliated to the KUGB), which is part of the Wales based Tekki Karate Academy. Junior karate is also available throughout Cwmbrân via the Junior Karate Club.
Transport
Cwmbrân railway stationCwmbran railway station
Cwmbran railway station is situated in the northeast of Cwmbran town centre within five minutes walking distance. It is part of the British railway system owned by Network Rail and is operated by Arriva Trains Wales. It lies on the Welsh Marches Line line from Newport to Hereford...
is served by trains on the Welsh Marches Line
Welsh Marches Line
The Welsh Marches Line , known historically as the North and West Route, is the railway line running from Newport in south-east Wales to Shrewsbury in the West Midlands region of England by way of Abergavenny, Hereford and Craven Arms, and thence to Crewe via Whitchurch...
., with through trains south to Newport
Newport
Newport is a city and unitary authority area in Wales. Standing on the banks of the River Usk, it is located about east of Cardiff and is the largest urban area within the historic county boundaries of Monmouthshire and the preserved county of Gwent...
and Cardiff
Cardiff
Cardiff is the capital, largest city and most populous county of Wales and the 10th largest city in the United Kingdom. The city is Wales' chief commercial centre, the base for most national cultural and sporting institutions, the Welsh national media, and the seat of the National Assembly for...
. Northbound local trains serve Pontypool
Pontypool
Pontypool is a town of approximately 36,000 people in the county borough of Torfaen, within the historic boundaries of Monmouthshire in South Wales....
and Abergavenny
Abergavenny
Abergavenny , meaning Mouth of the River Gavenny, is a market town in Monmouthshire, Wales. It is located 15 miles west of Monmouth on the A40 and A465 roads, 6 miles from the English border. Originally the site of a Roman fort, Gobannium, it became a medieval walled town within the Welsh Marches...
, with longer distance services running to Hereford
Hereford
Hereford is a cathedral city, civil parish and county town of Herefordshire, England. It lies on the River Wye, approximately east of the border with Wales, southwest of Worcester, and northwest of Gloucester...
, Shrewsbury
Shrewsbury
Shrewsbury is the county town of Shropshire, in the West Midlands region of England. Lying on the River Severn, it is a civil parish home to some 70,000 inhabitants, and is the primary settlement and headquarters of Shropshire Council...
, Crewe
Crewe
Crewe is a railway town within the unitary authority area of Cheshire East and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. According to the 2001 census the urban area had a population of 67,683...
, Holyhead
Holyhead
Holyhead is the largest town in the county of Anglesey in the North Wales. It is also a major port adjacent to the Irish Sea serving Ireland....
and Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
. The station was not opened until 1986, as one of the last acts of the Cwmbran New Town Development Board. Prior to this, Cwmbrân had been without a train service for 24 years, its original station having been on the Newport-Blaenavon branch line which ran to the west of the town centre. Along with a number of other passenger train services in Monmouthshire, this line closed in April 1962 and was therefore not (as is often wrongly remembered locally) a casualty of the Beeching Axe
Beeching Axe
The Beeching Axe or the Beeching Cuts are informal names for the British Government's attempt in the 1960s to reduce the cost of running British Railways, the nationalised railway system in the United Kingdom. The name is that of the main author of The Reshaping of British Railways, Dr Richard...
, having closed eighteen months before the Beeching proposals were announced.
The town has a comprehensive local bus service.
Notable people
- See also :Category:People from Cwmbran
- Helen AdamsHelen AdamsHelen Adams rose to fame in the UK when she was chosen to be a contestant on the second series of the reality television show Big Brother, in 2001.-Big Brother:...
, Big Brother Contestant/TV presenter/Hairdresser. - Rachel RiceRachel RiceRachel Rice is a Welsh actress and model. She is most well known for competing in and later winning the television series Big Brother 9 in the United Kingdom. She has a degree in English and Drama, and is now a fully qualified teacher....
, Big Brother winner - Ivor Bulmer-ThomasIvor Bulmer-ThomasIvor Bulmer-Thomas CBE FSA, originally Ivor Thomas was a British journalist and author who served eight years as a Member of Parliament...
, sometime Member of ParliamentMember of ParliamentA Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
and campaigner for the preservation of Churches. - Gary LockettGary LockettGary Lockett is a retired professional boxer from Cwmbran, Wales, who fought in the middleweight division.-Professional career:...
, World title challenging boxer and TV/Radio analyst. - Daniel GabbidonDaniel GabbidonDaniel Leon "Danny" Gabbidon is a Welsh footballer who plays for Queens Park Rangers and the Wales national football team.-West Bromwich Albion:...
, professional footballer for West Ham United and WalesWalesWales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
. - John Williams (VC)John Williams (VC)John Williams VC , was a Welsh recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces....
, real name John Fielding - Zulu War and Rorke's DriftRorke's DriftThe Battle of Rorke's Drift, also known as the Defence of Rorke's Drift, was a battle in the Anglo-Zulu War. The defence of the mission station of Rorke's Drift, under the command of Lieutenant John Chard of the Royal Engineers, immediately followed the British Army's defeat at the Battle of...
veteran, born in AbergavennyAbergavennyAbergavenny , meaning Mouth of the River Gavenny, is a market town in Monmouthshire, Wales. It is located 15 miles west of Monmouth on the A40 and A465 roads, 6 miles from the English border. Originally the site of a Roman fort, Gobannium, it became a medieval walled town within the Welsh Marches...
, buried in LlantarnamLlantarnamLlantarnam is a community and suburb of Cwmbran in the county borough of Torfaen in southeast Wales.Llantarnam Abbey is a Cistercian abbey founded in 1179 as a daughter house of Strata Florida Abbey...
. - Jamie ArthurJamie ArthurJamie Arthur is a boxer from Cwmbran, Wales, who won the gold medal in the men's lightweight division at the 2002 Commonwealth Games in Manchester, United Kingdom. Arthur turned professional in 2003, and since then has had some limited success, winning the Welsh super featherweight title in 2008...
, Commonwealth GamesCommonwealth GamesThe Commonwealth Games is an international, multi-sport event involving athletes from the Commonwealth of Nations. The event was first held in 1930 and takes place every four years....
medal winning boxer. - Green GartsideGreen GartsideGreen Gartside , is a British musician, and the frontman of the band Scritti Politti....
, born in CardiffCardiffCardiff is the capital, largest city and most populous county of Wales and the 10th largest city in the United Kingdom. The city is Wales' chief commercial centre, the base for most national cultural and sporting institutions, the Welsh national media, and the seat of the National Assembly for...
, singer with Scritti PolittiScritti PolittiScritti Politti are a British band, originally formed in 1977 in Leeds, Yorkshire, England. Although there have been various changes to the line-up, Cardiff-born singer-songwriter Green Gartside was the founding member of the band and the only member to have remained throughout the group's... - Dame Gwyneth Jones International Opera Singer, Bayreuth, Covent Garden, ENO and others.
- Margaret PriceMargaret PriceDame Margaret Berenice Price, DBE was a Welsh soprano.-Early years:Price was born in Blackwood, Wales. Born with deformed legs, she was operated on at age four and suffered pain in her legs the rest of her life. She often looked after her younger brother John who was born with a mental handicap...
, International Opera Singer, Covent Garden, ENO, ON and Australian Opera.
- Helen Adams