Pontnewydd


Police Station photographed in 1977, dates back to 1909	2009 Russell House comprises of 12 Flats, built in 1991

Lawrence Skuse recalls, I remember we were walking past it as a family one evening, when Lawson (my twin brother) dropped some litter (we were about eight or nine at the time); suddenly this voice boomed out "Lawson! Pick that up!" It was PC Ruffles, you just don't have policing like that now. (He picked it up).

Mel Hillman relates: When I left the Gwent Constabulary in 1969 this was the Police Station/House in Pontnewydd. By 1969 most of its functions had been taken over by the 'new' police station near the Town Centre and 'Panda' cars patrolled its former area.

Colin Bowen relates: At the time this photograph was taken, the old `goods yard` had seen better days. I recall the yard having up to as many as 30 wagons of coal , ready for the coal merchants to deliver to almost every house in Pontnewydd; ... there was no other sort of heating. I remember the cold winter of 1947, there was so much snow everyone had to go to the coal yard and fetch their own coal in an old pram or a sleigh or anything else they could lay their hands on to carry coal in. When you arrived at the coal yard the coal man had to dig out the coal from under four foot of snow .... good old days!

Lawson Skuse responds:- Probably Bakerlite and it was almost certainly a Dreyman's token which would have been issued by the brewery to dreymen in order that they could have complimentary ale. The token would have been re presented to the brewery and redeemed as money for the landlord.

This practice continues today with, for example, Welsh Brewers whose dreymen are issued with paper tokens which pubs will often change for cash at a rate of usury before redemption at face value.

Commercial Street in the 1930`s - Pontnewydd; You can see B. Poulton through the window on the left hand side; he was one of the local butcher's. Mr B. Williams the owner of the Carmarthen Stores lived in the first large house going down Station Road on the right .. I think. A friend, gave me the picture years ago he said it used to hang in the shop.

.. A delivery label from Carmarthen Stores - date unknown ..

Ray Gullis relates: The engine is on the line which ran where Cwmbran Drive now passes Harold St and Stanley Place in Pontnewydd. Harold St to the fore and Stanley place behind. Immediately behind the telegraph pole to the left of the picture is where New Chapel Street surgery now stands.

..This is a view of the bowling green and pavilion of Pontnewydd Park off Mount Pleasant Road ..

Lawrence Skuse relates: In the 1950s/early 60s, our next door neighbour in the "Prefabs" at Penyparc, was Mr Jarrett (worked on the last ever shift at Cwmbran Colliery), and was a stalwart of the club. He was incensed one day, because they borrowed a load of turf from the green to create a grassed path for Princess Anne to walk on when she visited Cwmbran New Town.

.. The houses of Maesgwyn, photographed from the canal, adjacent to the Cross Keys pub - December 1981 ..

1st August 2008

.. End of an era ..

.. `Powells` Hardware Store - Chapel Street ..

End of an era ---- `Powells` Hardware store finally closed it's shutters for the last time on Friday 1st August 2008

The store known by `one and all` for many, many years, has served the community of Pontnewydd and surrounding areas very well and will be sadly missed. The store's products range was immense, e.g. Garden tools and sundries, D.I.Y. products, carpet, tiles, dustbins etc; even down to the `saviour` of the `annoying dripping tap` ... the humble tap washer!

.... Many years ago I recall Mr.Powell (the previous owner) travelling around Pontnewydd and Cwmbran, calling on his `regulars` with his well stocked van of `goodies` and my mother going to his van with a `steel jug` to be filled up with paraffin to use in our paraffin heater .. no central heating in those days!

Cyril Clifford and his wife, bought the Hardware store 13years ago when Mr. Powell decided to retire, and carried on, changing little,if anything, to the `ambience` of the store .... another example which springs to mind was `Tothill & Bodnam`s Hardware store in Old Cwmbran.

Cyril informed me that he started working for Mr. Powell, whilst still at school (after school time though), and when he reached 15 years old, he left school to work full time at the hardware store .... and that was some 45 years ago ... How time flies ...

Unfortunately as time stops for no-one, Cyril and his wife have now decided to take `early retirement` and `shut up shop` for the last time ... I'm sure that, they and their `famous` Hardware store will be sadly missed. We wish you well in your `retirement` ...

.. Cyril Clifford and his delivery van - Clark Avenue, Pontnewydd ..

March 2009 .. Powell`s Hardware store is now being converted back to a dwelling ..

Ralph & Margaret Williams from Pontnewydd relate: The shop is Powell`s Hardware in Chapel Street. When we got married in 1957 we had our carpet squares from there. They sold everything for the home even Paraffin, also white powder, which I cannot remember the name, for the lamps on our bicycles when I was a child.

.. This photograph circa early 20th century, shows the original `Powells` hardware store situated in one of the terraced houses, opposite the premises that we are all familiar with ..

.. 1974 ..

Viewed from Peterson's Funeral Home, shows the bottom of Maendy Way ... n.b. the row of houses (now demolished) next to the Workingmen's Club and the crossroads (now replaced by a roundabout).
Viewed from Peterson's Funeral Home shows Nightingale House
( block of flats, to the right ) under construction.

Photographs kindly contributed by J.Tamplin

.. October 1956 ..

This photograph shows construction work in progress, which entailed the building of a road bridge over the Monmouthshire Eastern Valleys railway line and a `new road` from the junction of Maendy Way, Woodside Road and Chapel Street, Pontnewydd to the `developing` Town Centre ....... To read an interesting related memory click here.

.. `Dock` Cottage - 5 Locks .. Adjacent to 5 Locks Moorings ..

`Dock` Cottage - Postcard scene (date unknown)

`Dock` Cottage `extended` 2008

I have been informed that the cottage is also known as `Lock` cottage but it was originally known as `Dock` cottage, due to the coal and limestone that was transported down from the mountain to the `Dock` and loaded into barges for transportation to Newport Docks.

16th November 2008

Ralph Williams relates: Back in the late 1940's I used to do my courting on the bridge just below the Cottage. One of the girls living by the Cross Keys Pub took my school hat off and threw it into the lock by the bridge. I had a `clip across the ear` when I got home. School hats cost a lot of money in those days.

9th April 2008

Basil Gough relates:

It was with interest that I came across your site showing photographs of Old Pontnewydd; At the ripe old age of 77 I well those years immediately after the war. In fact I well remember the day my Grandmother told me that we were at war with Germany and I also remember the sorrow in her eyes. The photographs depicted in every detail as I remember my birth place.

Pontnewydd Station for example was a place where I would go with Tom Arundle to pick up the papers. I worked for Millie Edmonds later to become Mrs White, as a paper boy. Her husband held a commission in the army so during those war years we would scan the news where he was engaged.

I well remember the winters being very cold and the mornings were black no lighting. My greatest comfort was a balaclava given to me one morning as I made my `round`. I don't know if Tom is still alive, he joined the marines but was invalided out after a training accident. Of course the great tragedy was the loss of his brother Michael who drowned in the lock immediately behind Billy Charles workshop; he couldn't be more than 8 at the time. So Many memories.

Did so enjoy looking at the photographs.


.. 1983 ..	.. 2006 ..	..Tastefully restored .. January 2009

Colin Bowen, formerly of Chapel Street recalls:

Mr. Seth Williams used to own the house, they used sell motor car and bicycle parts in the shop. Outside the shop there used stand, two petrol pumps around the side in Stanley Place. Mr. Williams used to have a motor repair Garage ..... this was in the 1940`s to 1950`s.

After the Williams family left, Mr. Verge Peterson bought the house, and they use to run the funeral services from the shop; Mr. Verge Peterson's sons` still run the funeral home today at Woodside Road.


`Dock` Cottage - Postcard scene (date unknown)	`Dock` Cottage `extended` 2008