Parks · South Wales
Pontypool Park
Pontypool Park — former grounds of Pontypool House.
Wikimedia Commons contributors — see linked file page for photographer and licence licence
Plan your visit
- Typical visit
- 1 h–2 h
- Nearest railway station
- Pontypool and New Inn · 1.5 km
- Free entry
- Family-friendly
- Dog-friendly
About
Pontypool Park is a public park in the United Kingdom. Owned by Torfaen. Wikidata describes it as: "former grounds of Pontypool House". Coordinates: 51.7014°, -3.0344°.
Photo gallery
Protected designations
- Site of Special Scientific Interest: River Wye SSSI
- Site of Special Scientific Interest: Severn Estuary SSSI
Designations sourced from Natural England open data under OGL v3.
From the Wikipedia article
Pontypool Park (Welsh: Parc Pont-y-pŵl) is a 150-acre (0.61 km2) park in Pontypool, Torfaen, Wales. The park was formerly the grounds of Pontypool House and was laid out in the closing years of the 17th century for John Hanbury, an ironmaster, who is closely associated with Japanware. The grounds were purchased by the local authority in 1920, while the estate house was leased, and later sold, to the Sisters of the Holy Ghost to become St. Alban's RC High School. The former stables now house the Torfaen Museum. The grounds contain a number of structures including a double ice house, the Folly Tower and the Shell Grotto. The park is entered through the Pontymoile Gates. The gates, the grotto and the stables are all Grade II* listed structures, while the former hall and the ice house are listed Grade II. The park itself is designated at Grade II* on the Cadw/ICOMOS Register of Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest in Wales.
Excerpt from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0. See the source article linked in Sources below.
Background
History
John Hanbury (1664–1734) had developed the family ironworks at Pontypool into a successful commercial enterprise, and began the creation of the Pontypool Park estate, although nothing of his 17th century house remains. His second wife, Bridget Ayscough, was a close friend of Sarah Churchill, Duchess of Marlborough, and this connection led to Hanbury's appointment as one of the executors of John Churchill's will. The Pontymoile Gates, which now stand at the entrance to the park, were a gift from Sarah, and originally stood between Hanbury's house and the stables, before being moved to their present position in around 1835. They have a Grade II* listing. The present house at Pontypool Park…
Description
The park is set mostly to open grassland and mixed woodland with many old sweet chestnuts. One of the oldest, a 400-year-old hollow tree, was voted Welsh Tree of the Year for 2019. In 1923, the Gorsedd stone circle was created in time for the park to host the 1924 National Eisteddfod of Wales. The park is listed at Grade II* on the Cadw/ICOMOS Register of Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest in Wales. The Folly Tower is a three-storey tower near the eastern edge of the park. Originally constructed by John Hanbury in 1762, it was demolished during the Second World War, after fears that it would act as a marker for German aircraft. The present tower is a replica, constructed in…
Sourced from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Coordinates
- 51.7014, -3.0344
- District
- Torfaen
- Parish
- Pontymoile
- Postcode
- NP4 8AT
- Parliamentary constituency
- Torfaen
- Nearest railway station
- Pontypool and New Inn — 1.5 km
- Official site
- www.torfaen.gov.uk
Sources
- wikidata: Q7228410 (CC0)
- wikipedia: Pontypool Park (CC BY-SA 4.0)
- commons: Pontypool Park rugby ground.jpg (CC BY-SA 4.0)
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Frequently asked questions
- Where is Pontypool Park?
- Pontypool Park is in South Wales, United Kingdom (postcode NP4 8AT), in the parish of Pontymoile.
- Who owns Pontypool Park?
- Pontypool Park is owned by Torfaen.
- Is Pontypool Park a protected site?
- Yes — Pontypool Park is part of the River Wye SSSI Site of Special Scientific Interest and the Severn Estuary SSSI Site of Special Scientific Interest.
- Is Pontypool Park free to visit?
- Yes, Pontypool Park is free to enter.
- How do I get to Pontypool Park?
- The nearest railway station is Pontypool and New Inn, about 1.5 km away. Drivers can navigate to postcode NP4 8AT.