Torfaen

I

Introduction

Torfaen (Welsh, Tor-faen), county borough and unitary authority, South Wales, bounded on the east and north by the county of Monmouthshire, on the south by the county borough of Newport, and on the west by the county of Caerphilly and the county borough of Blaenau Gwent. Torfaen was part of the county of Monmouthshire from the 16th century until 1974. Under the local government reforms introduced that year it became a district within the new county of Gwent. On April 1, 1996, under the provisions of the Local Government Act 1994 that replaced the two-tier system of local government in Wales with a single-tier system of unitary authorities, Torfaen became a separate county borough with the same boundaries as the former district. One of the smallest of the new Welsh unitary authorities, it has an area of 126 sq km (49 sq mi).

II

Land and Resources

Torfaen comprises a varied valley 19 km (12 mi) long, which is part of the South Wales coalfield, stretching from Blaenavon in the north to Cwmbrân in the south. The river running through it is the Llwyd (known in ancient times as “Torfaen”, meaning “rock breaker”). A small part of the county borough, in the north, is within the Brecon Beacons National Park.

The climate is moderate, with average temperatures in January of 3° C (38° F), and in July of 21° C (70° F). Average annual rainfall is in the region of 1,000 to 1,500 mm (40 to 60 in).

III

Population and Administration

Torfaen has a population of 90,967 (2001). The number of Welsh speakers is comparatively small. The main towns are Cwmbrân, the first new town in Wales (population, 1991, 46,021), Pontypool (1991, 35,564), which is the administrative centre, and Blaenavon (1991, 6,066).

The police authority is the Gwent Constabulary, which has its headquarters in Cwmbrân.

IV

Places of Interest

Pontypool is the site of the Valley Inheritance exhibition centre, which focuses on the history of the mining valleys. Visitors to the National Mining Museum of Wales in Blaenavon, a branch of the National Museum of Wales, can descend into a mine that was working until 1980. Blaenavon also has the remains of a 19th-century ironworks, and was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2000.