Griffithstown
Encyclopedia
Griffithstown is a large community of Pontypool
in the borough of Torfaen
, Wales
, within the historic boundaries of Monmouthshire
. It is an ecclesiastical parish
, formed in May, 1898, from Llanfrechfa Upper and Panteg, and includes Sebastopol
, but, under the provisions of the Local Government Act 1894
, became a separate civil parish
. It situated between two other Pontypool
suburbs - Pontymoile
to the north and Sebastopol to the south and is within walking distance of Pontypool
and Cwmbran
and a short commute from Newport
and Cardiff
. It is named after the ex-station master of Pontypool and New Inn railway station
(then known as Pontypool Road), Henry Griffiths. Griffiths lived in the now demolished St. Dunstan's manor house on what is now Commercial Street. Today the site is occupied by a nursing home and a modern house of the same name.
This area contains mostly Victorian
and Edwardian terraced houses http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/399077 and is located below Sunnybank Road on the east side of the town. The area includes the shopping precinct of Windsor Road; Griffithstown Infant & Junior Schools (the town's secondary school
needs are met by nearby West Monmouth School
in Pontypool); St Hilda's Church (Anglican), Griffithstown Baptist
Church; Griffithstown Congregational Chapel as well as numerous pubs and the old railway club (known colloquially as "The Oily Rag"). County Hospital
is also located here, as is Panteg Medical Centre.
and Edwardian era buildings but is mostly made up of 1960s and 1970s estate housing. The area is considered to be highly desirable and affluent with property prices here being some of the highest in the Torfaen
borough. Like most anonymous estate sprawls, there is little infrastructure in this part of Griffithstown and residents here must walk to the village for use of shops, churches and schools.
Club, Panteg Football (soccer)
Club and Pontypool Boules
team). Griffithstown Park near Sunnybank Road contains an adventure playground and basketball
courts, but is mostly grass. The Panteg Park on Cwrdy Road (known as "The Fish Pond Park" due to its famous water feature) is smaller with elaborate flower gardens, bowling green
, tennis court
s and golf putting greens. Panteg House is home to a cricket pitch and tennis courts. It also has a bowling green.
Griffithstown park has recently undergone great investement and development, with the introduction of a new enclosed basketball court and a five a side pitch.
The Monmouthshire & Brecon Canal
runs through Griffithstown on its way to Newport
via Cwmbran
.
on the South East extreme of Griffithstown. The demise of Panteg Steel Works
resulted in heavy job losses, although this hit the poorer surrounding communities more than Griffithstown itself as the residents of Griffithstown typically commute to work in larger towns such as Cwmbran
or Newport
.
It was announced in June 2006 that both Griffithstown Infant School
and Griffithstown Junior School
were to be closed and replaced with a new community school on the junior school site. The former Griffithstown Infant school
some 150 years old, on Oxford Street has become a Welsh medium primary school Ysgol Panteg.
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....
in the borough 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:...
, 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...
, 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....
. It is an ecclesiastical parish
Parish
A parish is a territorial unit historically under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of one parish priest, who might be assisted in his pastoral duties by a curate or curates - also priests but not the parish priest - from a more or less central parish church with its associated organization...
, formed in May, 1898, from Llanfrechfa Upper and Panteg, and includes Sebastopol
Sebastopol, Wales
Sebastopol is the southernmost suburb of Pontypool in the county borough of Torfaen, within the historic boundaries of Monmouthshire in South Wales. It is named in honour of the Ukrainian city Sevastopol that was taken during the Crimean War...
, but, under the provisions of the Local Government Act 1894
Local Government Act 1894
The Local Government Act 1894 was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that reformed local government in England and Wales outside the County of London. The Act followed the reforms carried out at county level under the Local Government Act 1888...
, became a separate civil parish
Civil parish
In England, a civil parish is a territorial designation and, where they are found, the lowest tier of local government below districts and counties...
. It situated between two other 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....
suburbs - Pontymoile
Pontymoile
Pontymoile is a large community of the town of Pontypool in Torfaen, south east Wales, within the historic boundaries of Monmouthshire....
to the north and Sebastopol to the south and is within walking distance 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....
and Cwmbran
Cwmbran
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...
and a short commute from 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...
. It is named after the ex-station master of Pontypool and New Inn railway station
Pontypool and New Inn railway station
Pontypool and New Inn railway station is situated to the south east of Pontypool town centre between the town and the suburb of New Inn.It is part of the British railway system owned by Network Rail and is operated by Arriva Trains Wales...
(then known as Pontypool Road), Henry Griffiths. Griffiths lived in the now demolished St. Dunstan's manor house on what is now Commercial Street. Today the site is occupied by a nursing home and a modern house of the same name.
The village
Victorian architecture
The term Victorian architecture refers collectively to several architectural styles employed predominantly during the middle and late 19th century. The period that it indicates may slightly overlap the actual reign, 20 June 1837 – 22 January 1901, of Queen Victoria. This represents the British and...
and Edwardian terraced houses http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/399077 and is located below Sunnybank Road on the east side of the town. The area includes the shopping precinct of Windsor Road; Griffithstown Infant & Junior Schools (the town's secondary school
Secondary school
Secondary school is a term used to describe an educational institution where the final stage of schooling, known as secondary education and usually compulsory up to a specified age, takes place...
needs are met by nearby West Monmouth School
West Monmouth School
West Monmouth School is a state-funded and non-selective secondary school in Pontypool, Torfaen, south Wales.-Admissions:Pupils who attend the generally live in the Pontypool area...
in Pontypool); St Hilda's Church (Anglican), Griffithstown Baptist
Baptist
Baptists comprise a group of Christian denominations and churches that subscribe to a doctrine that baptism should be performed only for professing believers , and that it must be done by immersion...
Church; Griffithstown Congregational Chapel as well as numerous pubs and the old railway club (known colloquially as "The Oily Rag"). County Hospital
County Hospital
County Hospital is the only hospital in Torfaen, Wales. It is located in the Pontypool suburb of Griffithstown....
is also located here, as is Panteg Medical Centre.
Western Griffithstown
This area above Sunnybank Road has some fine Victorian eraVictorian era
The Victorian era of British history was the period of Queen Victoria's reign from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. It was a long period of peace, prosperity, refined sensibilities and national self-confidence...
and Edwardian era buildings but is mostly made up of 1960s and 1970s estate housing. The area is considered to be highly desirable and affluent with property prices here being some of the highest in the 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:...
borough. Like most anonymous estate sprawls, there is little infrastructure in this part of Griffithstown and residents here must walk to the village for use of shops, churches and schools.
Parkland and countryside
The town has two principal parks and one parkland estate known as Panteg House (home of Panteg CricketCricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
Club, Panteg Football (soccer)
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...
Club and Pontypool Boules
Boules
Boules is a collective name for games played with metal balls.Two of the most played boule games are pétanque and boule lyonnaise. The aim of the game is to get large, heavy balls as close to the 'jack' as you can. It is very popular especially in France, but also Italy, where it may often be seen...
team). Griffithstown Park near Sunnybank Road contains an adventure playground and basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
courts, but is mostly grass. The Panteg Park on Cwrdy Road (known as "The Fish Pond Park" due to its famous water feature) is smaller with elaborate flower gardens, bowling green
Bowling green
A bowling green is a finely-laid, close-mown and rolled stretch of lawn for playing the game of lawn bowls.Before 1830, when Edwin Beard Budding invented the lawnmower, lawns were often kept cropped by grazing sheep on them...
, tennis court
Tennis court
A tennis court is where the game of tennis is played. It is a firm rectangular surface with a low net stretched across the center. The same surface can be used to play both doubles and singles.-Dimensions:...
s and golf putting greens. Panteg House is home to a cricket pitch and tennis courts. It also has a bowling green.
Griffithstown park has recently undergone great investement and development, with the introduction of a new enclosed basketball court and a five a side pitch.
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...
runs through Griffithstown on its way 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...
via Cwmbran
Cwmbran
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...
.
Expansion
Griffithstown has experienced housing development in recent years. The town, formerly holding a village-esque air, is now much larger than in previous generations. Large housing estates such as Museum Court, Open Hearth Close, Churchwood estate and the currently under-construction Parc Panteg. The majority of are are on the brown field site that was formerly the Panteg Steel WorksPanteg Steel Works
The Panteg Steel Works was situated in the village of Panteg, adjacentto Sebastopol, and Griffithstown, in the district ofTorfaen, South Wales...
on the South East extreme of Griffithstown. The demise of Panteg Steel Works
Panteg Steel Works
The Panteg Steel Works was situated in the village of Panteg, adjacentto Sebastopol, and Griffithstown, in the district ofTorfaen, South Wales...
resulted in heavy job losses, although this hit the poorer surrounding communities more than Griffithstown itself as the residents of Griffithstown typically commute to work in larger towns such as Cwmbran
Cwmbran
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...
or 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...
.
It was announced in June 2006 that both Griffithstown Infant School
Infant school
An Infant school is a term used primarily in the United Kingdom for school for children between the ages of four and seven years. It is usually a small school serving a particular locality....
and Griffithstown Junior School
Junior school
A junior school is a type of school which caters for children, often between the ages of 7 and 11.-Australia:In Australia, a junior school is usually a part of a private school that educates children between the ages of 5 and 12....
were to be closed and replaced with a new community school on the junior school site. The former Griffithstown Infant school
Infant school
An Infant school is a term used primarily in the United Kingdom for school for children between the ages of four and seven years. It is usually a small school serving a particular locality....
some 150 years old, on Oxford Street has become a Welsh medium primary school Ysgol Panteg.