Griffithstown facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Griffithstown |
|
|---|---|
 Griffithstown
|
|
| Population | 5,450 |
| OS grid reference | ST290990 |
| Community |
|
| Principal area |
|
| Ceremonial county | |
| Country | Wales |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | PONTYPOOL |
| Postcode district | NP4 |
| Dialling code | 01495 |
| Police | Gwent |
| Fire | South Wales |
| Ambulance | Welsh |
| EU Parliament | Wales |
| UK Parliament |
|
Griffithstown is a large area near Pontypool in Torfaen, Wales. It's part of the old Monmouthshire county. This area became its own church parish in 1898. It also became a separate local area for government.
Griffithstown sits between two other parts of Pontypool: Pontymoile to the north and Sebastopol to the south. You can easily walk to Pontypool and Cwmbran from here. It's also a short trip to bigger cities like Newport and Cardiff. The area is named after Henry Griffiths. He was the first station master at Pontypool and New Inn railway station. Henry Griffiths helped people build houses in the village. This meant workers could own their homes instead of renting. He lived in a large house called St. Dunstan's House. Today, a nursing home stands on that spot.
Contents
Exploring Griffithstown's Heart
This part of Griffithstown has many old houses. They were built in the Victorian and Edwardian times. This area is found below Sunnybank Road on the east side. It includes Windsor Road, which is a busy shopping street.
You'll also find Griffithstown Primary School here. There's also Ysgol Panteg, a Welsh-speaking primary school. Older students go to West Monmouth School in Pontypool. The area has St Hilda's Church (Anglican) and Griffithstown Baptist Church. There's also Griffithstown Congregational Chapel. You can find several local places to eat and the Great Western Railway Staff Association club. County Hospital and Panteg Medical Centre are also located here.
St Hilda's Church: A Local Landmark
St Hilda's Church is the main church for Griffithstown. It belongs to the Church in Wales. The church is on the corner of Kemys Street and Sunnybank Road. It was built between 1887 and 1888. The church is named after Saint Hilda of Whitby. A special plaque inside remembers Henry Griffiths. He was a church warden. The church serves people in Griffithstown and nearby Pontypool.
Next to the church on Sunnybank Road is the vicarage. This is where the local church leader lives. The first vicar was Rev Mr James Dunn. He also worked at the local hospital.
Western Griffithstown: A Quiet Area
This area is above Sunnybank Road. It has some beautiful old buildings from the Victorian and Edwardian times. However, most houses here were built in the 1960s and 1970s. This part of Griffithstown is a very popular place to live. Houses here are some of the most expensive in Torfaen.
Schools in Griffithstown
- Griffithstown Primary School
- Ysgol Panteg (Welsh Medium Education Primary School)
Parks and Green Spaces
Griffithstown has two main parks and a large estate called Panteg House. Panteg House is home to several sports clubs. These include Panteg Cricket Club and Panteg Football Club.
Griffithstown Park is near Sunnybank Road. It has a fun adventure playground and basketball courts. Most of the park is open grass. Panteg Park on Cwrdy Road is smaller. People call it "The Fish Pond Park" because it has a water feature. This park has pretty flower gardens. It also has a bowling green, tennis courts, and golf putting greens. Griffithstown Park has recently been improved. It now has an enclosed basketball court and a five-a-side football pitch.
The Monmouthshire & Brecon Canal flows through Griffithstown. It goes on to Newport and Cwmbran. National Cycle Route 46 follows an old railway line. The old Panteg and Griffithstown railway station closed in 1962. You can still see parts of the station and its goods shed. From 2002 to 2011, the goods shed was home to the Griffithstown Railway Museum.
Growing Griffithstown
Griffithstown has grown a lot since the 1990s. Many new housing areas have been built. These include Museum Court and Parc Panteg. Most of these new homes are on land that used to be the Panteg Steel Works. When the steel works closed, many jobs were lost. However, most people in Griffithstown now travel to work in bigger towns. These towns include Cwmbran or Newport.
Famous Faces from Griffithstown
- Rhian Cleverly, footballer
- Ellie Curson, footballer
- Annabel Giles, television and radio presenter
Where is Griffithstown Located?
 |
Upper Race | Pontymoile, Pontypool | Little Mill | |
| Mynydd Maen (mountain) |  |
New Inn | ||
 Griffithstown  |
||||
 |
||||
| Penhyheol, Upper Cwmbran | Sebastopol, Cwmbran | Panteg |
