- Pontllanfraith
Pontllanfraith ( _cy. Pontllan-fraith) is a large village located in the
Sirhowy Valley inCaerphilly county borough , southWales . It is situated adjacent to the town of Blackwood, with theRiver Sirhowy passing through both locations. The village includes the communities of the Penllwyn, Springfield and The Bryn.History
Formerly part of Monmouthshire, it was home to a Welsh
coal mining community during the early to mid 20th century, providing homes for men working in a number of local pits such asWyllie , Penallta Colliery, and Oakdale.The Penllwyn Manor, an old stone building which is now a public house, was originally part of the Lord Tredegar Estates and is believed to be the original home of the family of
Henry Morgan .In 1912, at the 17th Century Mill in Gelligroes,
Artie Moore picked up a distress signal from theRMS Titanic using wireless receiving equipment.Education
Pontllanfraith is home to a secondary school [http://www.pontllanfraith.com] with a long tradition. The school was originally opened as a
grammar school back in 1926 before becoming acomprehensive school in 1976. A number of former Welshrugby union internationals attended the school, includingJohn Jeffery and theBritish Lions forwardAlun Pask , as did the current Glamorgan cricketer Ryan Watkins. The school was criticised in anEstyn report in December 2006 and was placed in special measures; following successful re-inspections these were lifted in March 2008.Sport
Pontllanfraith Rugby Football Club run a number of teams, with the first fifteen playing their home matches at Islwyn Park. The club has been in existence for many years and the first entry on the captain's board relates to the season 1958-59.
Notable people
Famous people from Pontllanfraith include the lead singer from the
Manic Street Preachers ,James Dean Bradfield andJulian Hodge , founder ofThe Bank of Wales .Neil Kinnock , the Labour politician, also has a house in the village.External links
* [http://www.pontllanfraith.org.uk Pontllanfraith Comprehensive School]
* [http://www.pontrfc.com Pontllanfraith Rugby Football Club]
* [http://www.welshcoalmines.co.uk Welsh Coal Mines - check out the brief histories of local former coal mines]
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